Macy’s CEO Was Told Beg Gay Was a Problem When He Came Out - #GAYNRD

Contents:

• MACY’S BOSS DISCS BEG AN OPENLY GAY CEO AND TRYG TO BREAK GROUPTHK
• MACY'S CEO SAYS HE WAS TOLD BEG OPENLY GAY WOULD HARM HIS REER WHEN HE STARTED 1983
• MACY GAY FOUND 5 PEOPLE FLORIDA, GEIA AND ALABAMA
• MACY’S CEO WAS TOLD BEG GAY WAS A PROBLEM WHEN HE CAME OUT SAVAS ABADSIDIS JANUARY 3, 2023SHARE WHEN MACY’S CEO JEFF GENTE JOED THE PANY 1983 HE WRTLED WH G OUT.MR. GENTE HAD E OUT LLEGE AT STANFORD UNIVERSY, WHERE HE MAJORED ENGLISH. BUT BEG OPENLY GAY AMERIN RPORATNS AT THAT TIME WAS RISKY, HE SAID. “IT WAS THE BEGNG OF THE AIDS CRISIS,” SAID MR. GENTE, 61 YEARS OLD. “SO WAS A SRY TIME TO BE A GAY PERSON AND BE OUT AND OPEN,” HE TOLD THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (WSJ) A WI RANGG Q&A. MR. GENTE SAID HE CID TO BE HONT ABOUT HIS SEXUALY WH HIS LLEAGU BEE HE WANTED TO BRG HIS THENTIC SELF TO WORK. IT IS A PHILOSOPHY THAT HELPED HIM CLIMB THROUGH THE RANKS AT MACY’S AND RMS HIS LEARSHIP STYLE NOW THAT HE IS MACY’S CHIEF EXECUTIVE. “YOU’RE GOG TO SEE OPPORTUNI FOR CTOMERS THAT MAYBE YOU WOULDN’T HAVE OTHERWISE IF YOU HAD PEOPLE WHO ALL LOOKED THE SAME OR ALL ACTED THE SAME,” MR. GENTE SAID.THAT SAME DRIVE TO BE THENTIC IS WHAT HE BROUGHT TO THE WAY HE MANAGED THE PANY AND ’S WHAT SAVED THE PANY DURG COVID.“MACY’S ME OUT OF THE PANMIC A SMALLER BUT MORE PROFABLE PANY. IT PAID DOWN BT AND ELIMATED LAYERS OF MANAGEMENT, WHICH FACILATED FASTER CISN MAKG. BY GETTG TEAM LEARS TO WORK MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER AND MORNIZG S SUPPLY CHA BY G MORE DATA AND ANALYTICS, MACY’S AVOID THE WORST OF THE VENTORY GLUT THAT THIS YEAR TRIPPED UP OTHER LARGE RETAILERS, CLUDG WALMART INC. AND TARGET CORP.”ON HIS LLEAGU REACTN TO HIS G OUT: THERE WERE FELY A UPLE OF TIM WHEN WAS MA KNOWN TO ME THAT ULD BE A TERRENT MY REER BY BEG OPENLY GAY.ON BEG AND BRG HIS THENTIC SELF TO WORK:“IT’S YOUR VALU, WHAT YOU RE ABOUT, WHAT YOU HAVE AN OPN ABOUT. SO YOU N THENTILLY NTRIBUTE TO THE DIALOGUE, TO THE STRATEGY, TO THE WORK THAT IS BEG DONE. AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO GROUPTHK. YOU DON’T HAVE TO PROCS THROUGH ANOTHER LENS. YOU HAVE A PERSPECTIVE THAT, IF PROPERLY ENURAGED AND YOU HAVE THE NFINCE AND THE TALENT, YOU N EXPRS . AND THAT MAK A DIFFERENCE THE CISNS THAT WE MAKE AS AN ANIZATN. IF YOU THK ABOUT THE DIVERSY THAT WE SERVE AMERI AND YOU BRG HOW THAT IS REFLECTED THE MANAGEMENT, YOU’RE GOG TO MAKE BETTER CISNS.”ON HOW THAT THENTICY HELPED  FOSTER DIVERSY AND CLN AT MACY’S AND LED TO THE CREATN OF THE WORKSHOP AT MACY’S, WHERE YOU PROVI SUPPLIERS WH MENTORG AND TOOLS TO HELP THEM GROW THEIR BS. “WORKSHOP WAS SOMETHG WE STARTED 11 YEARS AGO TO CREATE OPPORTUNI FOR MORY- AND WOMEN-OWNED BS. IT WAS THE OPPORTUNY TO TRA THEM, TO GET THEM READY. WE HELP THEM WH P & LS. WE WORK WH THEM THROUGH BABSON COLLEGE. WE DID THAT YEAR AFTER YEAR. AND KEPT G BACK TO WHAT IF WE DID SOME FUNDG FOR THE PANI, WHAT IF WE PUT MONEY UP TO HELP THEM GET ON THEIR FEET?”THIS LED HIM TO LNCH S.P.U.R. PATHWAYS TO PROVI UP TO $200 LN FUNDG FOR UNRREPRENTED BS NJUNCTN WH MOMENT CAPAL. WHAT WAS THE THKG BEHD THAT?“THE MORY- AND WOMEN-OWNED BS HAVE PRODUCTS THAT OUR CTOMERS WANT, BUT THEY JT ULDN’T BRG ALL THE ELEMENTS TOGETHER TO DO AT SLE.”WSJ: HOW ABOUT AMONG YOUR EXECUTIV?MR. GENTE: WYQUASIA KG IS A DRS BUYER. SHE IS A MEMBER OF THE DIVE NE SORORY, [A BLACK SORORY SYSTEM]. SHE WORKED WH TWO OF OUR MAJOR MANUFACTURG PARTNERS AND VELOPED DIVE NE LORS FOR THE SORORI OM SUS TO DRS TO GAVE THE OPPORTUNY TO THEN GIVE THEM FUNDG FOR THEIR SCHOLARSHIPS AND TO BE A PART OF THAT. SO TO ENMH OURSELV THAT MUNY A MORE EP AND MEANGFUL WAY THAN WE WERE PREVLY.WE WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ON THAT IF HADN’T BEEN FOR WYQUASIA G AND SAYG TO , “HEY, I’VE GOT AN IA, LET ME N WH THIS.” AND THIS THG NOW IS WELL OVER $10 LN ANNUAL SAL. WE’RE NOW LOOKG AT THE ATERNI THAT ARE THE PLEMENT TO THE SORORI.MORE THAN 50% OF OUR SAL E OM DIVERSE CTOMERS, MORE THAN 50% OF OUR HOURLY LLEAGU ARE DIVERSE, AND NEARLY HALF OF OUR MANAGERS ARE DIVERSE. AND THEN YOU’VE GOT A VERY DIVERSE BOARDROOM.THAT DIVERSY ULTIMATELY LED TO SUCCS.READ THE FULL TERVIEW HERE.
• JOHN GAY
• HOW GAY RIGHTS ACTIVISTS REMA THE FERAL ERNMENT

MACY’S BOSS DISCS BEG AN OPENLY GAY CEO AND TRYG TO BREAK GROUPTHK

Should he tell his lleagu he was gay?

Macy's CEO Jeff Gente was told beg gay would harm his reer, per The Wall Street Journal.

MACY'S CEO SAYS HE WAS TOLD BEG OPENLY GAY WOULD HARM HIS REER WHEN HE STARTED 1983

Macy's CEO Jeff Gente said he was told that beg openly gay uld harm his reer, The Wall Street Journal reported. "He said there were also other tim beg gay was prented as a "terrent.

"Gente didn't take the advice, and ntued at Macy's as an openly gay man for his entire reer except a two-year stt wh the toy retailer FAO July, Gente told Time magaze "there were no gay CEO exampl" for him to look up to his early reer, and that he felt "like an outsir" while he was the only gay person Macy's senr learship.

MACY GAY FOUND 5 PEOPLE FLORIDA, GEIA AND ALABAMA

Mary (Baily) Gay. Possible other siblgs David Gay, Perez Gay.

As the sun beats down on , seems like a good time to choose a llectn that particularly evok the perfect summer idyll of mid-century England, as ptured through the mera of John Gay (1909-1999). Like many photographers begng to work the 1930s and '40s, John Gay was part of a creative German diaspora who chose to move to, and fe reers , Bra followg Hler's rise to power. Gay's extensive photography llectn to via our reprentatn of the Historic England archive, where his visn of this untry through s archecture, towns, villag and people feels tly at home.

Wherever he poted his mera, Gay was apt at pturg the very sence of England; om still, sleepy villag to thedral-like railway statns; Cornish fishg boats to Chelsea Flower Show; a btlg Blackpool beach to the wdow of a village ke shop, wh the nos of children prsed upon . Bat, yet Gay's skilful e of light and shadow, and his crisp executn prevents his imag scendg to sentimentaly, pl there are many other imag documentg multi-faceted London and morn archectural velopments of the perd. Summer and wter, ra or she, ral and urban, north and south; John Gay's elegant photographs are a movg love letter to Bra's social and archectural past.

MACY’S CEO WAS TOLD BEG GAY WAS A PROBLEM WHEN HE CAME OUT SAVAS ABADSIDIS JANUARY 3, 2023SHARE WHEN MACY’S CEO JEFF GENTE JOED THE PANY 1983 HE WRTLED WH G OUT.MR. GENTE HAD E OUT LLEGE AT STANFORD UNIVERSY, WHERE HE MAJORED ENGLISH. BUT BEG OPENLY GAY AMERIN RPORATNS AT THAT TIME WAS RISKY, HE SAID. “IT WAS THE BEGNG OF THE AIDS CRISIS,” SAID MR. GENTE, 61 YEARS OLD. “SO WAS A SRY TIME TO BE A GAY PERSON AND BE OUT AND OPEN,” HE TOLD THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (WSJ) A WI RANGG Q&A. MR. GENTE SAID HE CID TO BE HONT ABOUT HIS SEXUALY WH HIS LLEAGU BEE HE WANTED TO BRG HIS THENTIC SELF TO WORK. IT IS A PHILOSOPHY THAT HELPED HIM CLIMB THROUGH THE RANKS AT MACY’S AND RMS HIS LEARSHIP STYLE NOW THAT HE IS MACY’S CHIEF EXECUTIVE. “YOU’RE GOG TO SEE OPPORTUNI FOR CTOMERS THAT MAYBE YOU WOULDN’T HAVE OTHERWISE IF YOU HAD PEOPLE WHO ALL LOOKED THE SAME OR ALL ACTED THE SAME,” MR. GENTE SAID.THAT SAME DRIVE TO BE THENTIC IS WHAT HE BROUGHT TO THE WAY HE MANAGED THE PANY AND ’S WHAT SAVED THE PANY DURG COVID.“MACY’S ME OUT OF THE PANMIC A SMALLER BUT MORE PROFABLE PANY. IT PAID DOWN BT AND ELIMATED LAYERS OF MANAGEMENT, WHICH FACILATED FASTER CISN MAKG. BY GETTG TEAM LEARS TO WORK MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER AND MORNIZG S SUPPLY CHA BY G MORE DATA AND ANALYTICS, MACY’S AVOID THE WORST OF THE VENTORY GLUT THAT THIS YEAR TRIPPED UP OTHER LARGE RETAILERS, CLUDG WALMART INC. AND TARGET CORP.”ON HIS LLEAGU REACTN TO HIS G OUT: THERE WERE FELY A UPLE OF TIM WHEN WAS MA KNOWN TO ME THAT ULD BE A TERRENT MY REER BY BEG OPENLY GAY.ON BEG AND BRG HIS THENTIC SELF TO WORK:“IT’S YOUR VALU, WHAT YOU RE ABOUT, WHAT YOU HAVE AN OPN ABOUT. SO YOU N THENTILLY NTRIBUTE TO THE DIALOGUE, TO THE STRATEGY, TO THE WORK THAT IS BEG DONE. AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO GROUPTHK. YOU DON’T HAVE TO PROCS THROUGH ANOTHER LENS. YOU HAVE A PERSPECTIVE THAT, IF PROPERLY ENURAGED AND YOU HAVE THE NFINCE AND THE TALENT, YOU N EXPRS . AND THAT MAK A DIFFERENCE THE CISNS THAT WE MAKE AS AN ANIZATN. IF YOU THK ABOUT THE DIVERSY THAT WE SERVE AMERI AND YOU BRG HOW THAT IS REFLECTED THE MANAGEMENT, YOU’RE GOG TO MAKE BETTER CISNS.”ON HOW THAT THENTICY HELPED  FOSTER DIVERSY AND CLN AT MACY’S AND LED TO THE CREATN OF THE WORKSHOP AT MACY’S, WHERE YOU PROVI SUPPLIERS WH MENTORG AND TOOLS TO HELP THEM GROW THEIR BS. “WORKSHOP WAS SOMETHG WE STARTED 11 YEARS AGO TO CREATE OPPORTUNI FOR MORY- AND WOMEN-OWNED BS. IT WAS THE OPPORTUNY TO TRA THEM, TO GET THEM READY. WE HELP THEM WH P & LS. WE WORK WH THEM THROUGH BABSON COLLEGE. WE DID THAT YEAR AFTER YEAR. AND KEPT G BACK TO WHAT IF WE DID SOME FUNDG FOR THE PANI, WHAT IF WE PUT MONEY UP TO HELP THEM GET ON THEIR FEET?”THIS LED HIM TO LNCH S.P.U.R. PATHWAYS TO PROVI UP TO $200 LN FUNDG FOR UNRREPRENTED BS NJUNCTN WH MOMENT CAPAL. WHAT WAS THE THKG BEHD THAT?“THE MORY- AND WOMEN-OWNED BS HAVE PRODUCTS THAT OUR CTOMERS WANT, BUT THEY JT ULDN’T BRG ALL THE ELEMENTS TOGETHER TO DO AT SLE.”WSJ: HOW ABOUT AMONG YOUR EXECUTIV?MR. GENTE: WYQUASIA KG IS A DRS BUYER. SHE IS A MEMBER OF THE DIVE NE SORORY, [A BLACK SORORY SYSTEM]. SHE WORKED WH TWO OF OUR MAJOR MANUFACTURG PARTNERS AND VELOPED DIVE NE LORS FOR THE SORORI OM SUS TO DRS TO GAVE THE OPPORTUNY TO THEN GIVE THEM FUNDG FOR THEIR SCHOLARSHIPS AND TO BE A PART OF THAT. SO TO ENMH OURSELV THAT MUNY A MORE EP AND MEANGFUL WAY THAN WE WERE PREVLY.WE WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ON THAT IF HADN’T BEEN FOR WYQUASIA G AND SAYG TO , “HEY, I’VE GOT AN IA, LET ME N WH THIS.” AND THIS THG NOW IS WELL OVER $10 LN ANNUAL SAL. WE’RE NOW LOOKG AT THE ATERNI THAT ARE THE PLEMENT TO THE SORORI.MORE THAN 50% OF OUR SAL E OM DIVERSE CTOMERS, MORE THAN 50% OF OUR HOURLY LLEAGU ARE DIVERSE, AND NEARLY HALF OF OUR MANAGERS ARE DIVERSE. AND THEN YOU’VE GOT A VERY DIVERSE BOARDROOM.THAT DIVERSY ULTIMATELY LED TO SUCCS.READ THE FULL TERVIEW HERE.

Click here for an eded selectn om the 5000 John Gay imag we have onle. Gente says beg one of the few openly gay lears of a Fortune 500 pany has fluenced his management style. You often talk about g out as a gay man soon after you joed Macy’s.

There were no gay CEO exampl I uld look to retail. I happened to be at Macy’s California, then one of the most diverse pani and very supportive of the gay muny.

JOHN GAY

’ Yet when I was the only gay person a room of senr lears, I always felt like an outsir. Missn Every One is as important as livg my life as a gay man and not separatg om my work.

HOW GAY RIGHTS ACTIVISTS REMA THE FERAL ERNMENT

In 1956, Bce Stt was fired om his job at the Labor Department bee he was gay. But beg openly gay Amerin rporatns at that time was risky, he said.