Page 36 - ATT DEI Annual Report
P. 36
How to Save a Life
B ack in the ’90s, when she still lived in her hometown of I THINK “I personally haven’t struggled with suicide, but I’ve certainly been
St. Louis, Missouri, Annette Schaper came out as a lesbian in a position where I see how it can become dark,” Schaper says,
at work for the first time. She was tired of changing pronouns AT&T HAS adding that LGBTQ youth are almost five times as likely as
when she talked about her significant other, and tired of feeling ALWAYS their heterosexual peers to attempt suicide and that 40% of
disingenuous around her colleagues. So she shared her truth. transgender adults report having made a suicide attempt. Intro Employees Communities Customers Content Suppliers Awards
BEEN
But that’s not the end of Schaper’s coming out story. “The After volunteering for The Trevor Project throughout 2019,
interesting thing about our community is that we have this A STEP Schaper recently decided to take a break. Her son’s best friend
invisible diversity. It means that we don’t just come out AHEAD.” died by suicide last fall, and the loss took an emotional toll.
once. It’s a lifetime. I still have to decide when and how to Schaper let her contacts at The Trevor Project know about
come out when I meet someone new,” she says. that death, and they responded with compassion. They wanted
Annette Schaper
Sr. Proposal Manager, to ensure that she had all the space, time and resources she
Even as a confident, proud adult, Schaper says outing herself in Schaper has worked at AT&T AT&T Business needed as she grieved.
new situations sometimes makes her feel vulnerable. “It’s still for over 30 years and is
kind of scary for me,” she says, adding that she has a 17-year- tremendously proud of the way the company supports her “I think AT&T has always been a step ahead,” Schaper says. “We
old son to consider. “I’m not just coming out for myself now. I’m community. So when AT&T announced a $1 million donation and certainly had an employee resource group for the LGBTQ 36
coming out for my entire family. I always have to consider the multiyear initiative with The Trevor Project, she was inspired to community back in the ’90s. But this investment in The Trevor
risks of bullying and rejection, of being ostracized, or even the volunteer, an experience she calls “super rewarding, and also Project is huge. Trevor is one of the kindest, most compassionate
risk of being harmed or injured because of the person that I emotionally hard.” groups of people I’ve ever enjoyed working with, and they really
love. Because of who I am.” take their mission seriously by showing true love and compassion AT&T D&I Annual Report 2019
to the youth that they support, and to their volunteers.”
