HENDERSON, Nev.–NCUA Chairman Todd Harper said his life experience in coming out as a gay man have helped shape his perspective as NCUA chairman and on the varied communities credit unions serve.
In opening remarks to the second annual CU Pride Leadership Conference, the association for the LGBTQ+ community in credit unions, Harper said coming out has been a “journey of constant growth.”
“It may not be what you would expect, but it has been the moments of doubt and fear and shame and even anger that taught me the lessons that I value the most,” said Harper. “Keep in mind that when I started my career in the federal government more than 30 years ago, people could be fired simply for being gay. The ‘lavender scare’ that ultimately cost several-thousand gays and lesbians their federal jobs was still a real threat and those who were openly gay in the workplace might not get a security clearance, a career-limiting decision.”
Swimming ‘Furiously’
Like many others, Harper said he spent his youth pushing back against the idea of being gay and “had to swim furiously against the current.”
“But there's a really bright side to the story,” he said in remarks to the virtual event. “Over time, I discovered that growing up gay and being in the closet allowed me to read people better and to catch subtle signals…Being able to read people improved my emotional intelligence and allowed me to grow and be a better leader, and being gay allowed me to put myself in the shoes of others, those who come from other marginalized groups, and that led me to becoming a more inclusive and collaborative leader.”
All of those experiences, said Harper, have “lit a fire” within him to push for equity and quality for all.
He also gave thanks for friends, bosses and colleagues who have encouraged him and others to be their “true selves,” including former Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank, who was among the first on Capitol Hill to come out and whom Harper said he thanked personally.
All of those people, he said, have helped provide “the fertile soil in which vulnerability can blossom into success and happiness in my case.”
Harper noted that for the first time, he joined with others at NCUA in raising the Pride flag over the agency’s headquarters.
“I cannot overstate the significance of this event and what it means to me personally,” Harper said. “Like many of you I wonder why it took us so long. After all it has been more than a half century since the Stonewall Riots. It is long overdue.”
PRIDE Initiative at NCUA
Harper credited the employee resource groups (ERGs) inside NCUA and the PRIDE (People Recognizing Individual Differences Equally) initiative at the agency for helping to make the flag raising possible.
“It is part of our broader effort to enrich the agency with a variety of perspectives and experiences,” he said. “By inviting more voices to the conversation we create a workplace that welcomes and values everyone’s contributions, no matter who they love, and where all our team members feel they can belong and bring their authentic selves to work. We need to do more of that. You are already accomplishing that goal with a by creating a more inclusive and welcoming credit union system.”