In a thought-provoking conversation led by Thaly Germain, colleagues from Orchestra, BerlinRosen and Inkhouse recently gathered to celebrate and delve into Pride Month. Sally Brown, Account Director at Inkhouse, Jaime Dinas, Associate Account Executive at BerlinRosen, and Thaly Germain, Chief Culture Officer at Orchestra and Managing Director at BerlinRosen, shared insightful reflections on their career paths and experiences as LGBTQ+ individuals navigating the communications industry.
Thaly Germain: What inspired you to join BerlinRosen and Inkhouse, and how does the company’s commitment to LGBTQ+ advocacy and inclusion resonate with your personal and professional values?
Sally Brown: I joined Inkhouse almost 9 years ago, fresh out of college. How I got here is a tale as old as time! I had recently graduated and moved back to Massachusetts (and into my parents’ basement) to begin my job search. I never planned to stay in New England; it was supposed to be a temporary layover. But fate, or whatever, intervened. I knew someone who knew someone who knew someone at Inkhouse and they passed along my resume. I loved that Inkhouse was founded and led by a woman. I came in for an interview, and the rest is history—I simply never left. When I first walked into Inkhouse, I immediately felt it, that magnetic pull. The company culture, the people, the pace—all of it spoke to me. When I think about the industry’s turnover rate and the average employee tenure at agencies, the fact that almost a decade later, I am still here, still inspired and still growing is a testament to Inkhouse and speaks volumes to the respect I have for the company’s leadership, character, culture and values.
Jaime Dinas: I’m on BerlinRosen’s Impact team, which collaborates with many advocacy groups. I always knew I wanted to engage in political work, and as an LGBTQ+ person, advocating for our rights and community is crucial to me. I joined BerlinRosen because of their numerous LGBTQ+ clients and the type of work they do. It’s truly meaningful to me, and I’ve been thrilled to contribute to some incredible campaigns and see the positive impact we’ve made.
Thaly Germain: All of that really resonates with me. As someone who identifies as nonbinary, I always show up as my authentic self. Seeing people from all backgrounds across the organization, including LGBTQ+ leaders and less-tenured staff, is encouraging. Personally, I always strive to be myself to make room for others to do the same. I’ve had staff come to me with questions they likely feel more comfortable asking because of my identity. I couldn’t be in a place where I couldn’t be myself, as it’s incredibly challenging to carry the burden of multiple selves. At BerlinRosen, I genuinely feel I can be myself, whether it’s in terms of racial identity or other aspects, and I see that reflected across the organization.
Thaly Germain: Can you share a recent project that was particularly exciting or meaningful to you?
Jaime Dinas: One of our clients is Advocates for Youth, an organization based in Washington, D.C., that partners with high school and college students across the country who are engaged in various levels of political advocacy. In my most recent project with Advocates for Youth, we were organizing with LGBTQ+ students in Florida, fighting against “Don’t Say Gay” bills and anti-trans legislation. It was incredibly rewarding to elevate the voices of experts and activists who could articulate why this legislation is wrong and emphasize that our lives and rights matter. Projects like this are truly fulfilling.
Thaly Germain: How has your journey as an LGBTQ+ individual influenced your career path and your professional choices?
Jaime Dinas: We all have coming out stories, but we also come out to ourselves. I remember coming out to myself around the age of 13 or 14 when I was a high school student in Florida, around 2010. I vividly recall watching CNN as New York became just the sixth state in the Union to legalize same-sex marriage. For me, being gay was not just a personal identity but also a political one. This led me to major in political science and become involved in campaigns, with my LGBTQ+ identity shaping my career choices thereafter. I take pride in advocating for myself, my community and future generations.
When I speak with young LGBTQ+ teenagers today, it’s heartening to see them able to attend prom with their queer partners without the struggles I faced in high school. I’m glad they can experience acceptance and support that weren’t as readily available during my youth.
Sally Brown: My coming out saga was a convoluted and lengthy process that extended into adulthood. On a subconscious level, I do think that journey impacted my career path. From a young age, I was always searching for the truth—for my truth. I longed for clarity and answers. It took me a long time to know and understand my own story. This perhaps played a part in why I chose a career centered around storytelling, authenticity and connection. In my role, I strive to convey genuine narratives for companies, lead with transparency, foster connections and relationships built on trust and facilitate communication across diverse audiences.
Thaly Germain: How can PR professionals better support and amplify LGBTQ+ voices in the media, ensuring representation and authenticity?
Sally Brown: That’s a great question, and it’s especially important to consider how we can better support LGBTQ+ voices in journalism right now when the media landscape has never been more volatile. Amid layoffs, shrinking newsrooms and shifting beats, it’s a scary and uncertain time for many reporters—and we have to consider through an intersectional lens how these challenges compound. As PR professionals, we can’t just think about what the current state of journalism means for our clients. It would be performative of us to advocate for the value of media relations if we ourselves are not valuing the media and honoring the relationships we’ve built—and that support includes advocating for LGBTQ+ voices in journalism. It’s critical now more than ever that we use our platforms and resources to amplify the voices and visibility of diverse communities. Read and share their work. Follow their social handles. Listen to them. Tag them, cite them, quote them, but make sure to attribute them. Honor picket lines. Respect boundaries.
Thaly Germain: I think for a long time there hasn’t been visibility, especially if you have an intersectional identity or if you’re not who people expect you to be. Finding ways to humanize and create visibility as often and as broadly as we can is important for our colleagues and in the work we do, amplifying specific voices, as you both have said. Giving credit where credit is due is another important point, which often does not happen for queer people or people who identify as BIPOC. Sometimes a person needs to relinquish power in order to ensure representation and opportunity—and give it up to others doing the work and give them credit.
One of the things I think about is reading children’s books about LGBTQ+ communities, because I have a child. It’s important for allies to read these books to their children, who might not identify as queer, to create more empathy and humanity. In the PR space, it’s about creating visibility, providing access and being an activist in small and big ways.
Fast Facts
Favorite restaurant
Sally Brown: Queer-owned wine bar Rebel Rebel (both Somerville, MA)
Jaime Dinas: Maite (Brooklyn)
Thaly Germain: Zanmi (Brooklyn)
Favorite movie celebrating LGBTQ+ stories
Sally Brown: “Bottoms”
Jaime Dinas: “Moonlight”
LGBTQ+ icon or role model who inspires you
Sally Brown: My mom
Jaime Dinas: Congresswoman Barbara Jordan
Thaly Germain: Audre Lorde
Favorite LGBTQ+ musical artist
Sally Brown: Tracy Chapman
Jaime Dinas: Chappell Roan
Thaly Germain: Big Freedia