American Airlines sponsored Out & Equal registration

More than 2,500 people have already registered for the Out & Equal Workplace Summit taking place at the Hilton Anatole Hotel this week. As many as 3,000 people may participate, according to Out & Equal’s April Hawkins. In the opening plenary, a number of executives from companies around the country talked about workplace equality.

A welcome video shown at the opening plenary session included executives from companies around the country welcoming participants with messages such as, “So much energy is wasted if you’re not out at work,” and “We all win when we bring our best selves to work everyday.”

Accenture Group Chief Executive Sander van ’t Noordende said he has been out at work since joining the company 24 years ago. Soon after joining the company, he attended a reception with his partner.

“Timing and tone are extremely important,” he said.

He said that a big difference today is that after someone is hired, they go to the website, click on the LGBT group and they’re hooked in with the network of LGBT employees.

He said that gaining equality is a process and his company is working on transgender benefits. At Accenture, 600 employees self-identify as transgender, he said.

And to lighten up the opening session, Candis Cayne, the first transgender actress to to have a recurring role on a primetime network series (Dirty, Sexy Money), spoke and entertained.

Out & Equal Workplace summit continues through Friday.