SCOTT SAPPERSTEIN

Advice

Live every day like it’s your last; remember to tell the people around you that you love them; live true to yourself; laugh a little every day; many have paved the way before you, remember to give back to the community and pay it forward-volunteer, be a mentor and inspire others.

(Editor’s Note: The following narrative is Scott’s own words.)

I came out in 1988, during my last year of law school. I was finally in the right place to find my true self. I was fortunate enough to meet an incredible group of guys who would become my lifelong friends. There was a lot of joy and sadness in the late ‘80s. The joy came from having such a great group of friends to rely on and to help guide me. The sadness came with the realization that some of my friends had AIDS and there was nothing I could do to stop this terrible disease from progressing and in most cases taking their lives.

I felt powerless but I did some soul searching and remembered to lean on a lesson I learned early in life: give back to your community. In 1992, I was a founding member of the Bayou City Boys Club (BCBC), a non-profit organization that raised funds for various AIDS services organization in Houston, Texas. The organization was formed by a group of close friends who loved music and dancing and realized that we could use that passion to raise seriously needed funds for AIDS services.

Fast forward a few years and thanks to a close friend, I became involved with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). My work with HRC continues to this day on a personal and professional level. I am currently co-chair of the HRC Business Advisory Council and a member of the Host Committee for HRC’s Time to Thrive, youth well-being conference.

I am fortunate that my job at AT&T allows me to engage with national LGBTQ organizations every day. Through my work on the Public Affairs team at AT&T, I’ve had the opportunity to help guide AT&T’s position on state and federal legislation impacting the LGBTQ community. I am proud of the work we have done in the United States and proud that AT&T is a member of HRC’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act. AT&T has received a 100 percent score on the HRC Corporate Equality Index for the past 15 consecutive years.

I am also passionate about the work of The Trevor Project on a personal and professional level. I am honored to be part of the AT&T team that worked on the proposal to provide $1 million in funding as well as products, services and volunteers to support The Trevor Project in its effort to bring Trevor Text and Trevor Chat services to a 24/7 platform. I currently serve on The Trevor Projects Corporate Member Network.

I serve on the Board of Directors of the LGBT Technology Partnership & Institute. LGBT Tech empowers LGBT communities and individuals and ensures that media, telecommunications and high technology issues of specific concern to LGBT communities are addressed in public policy conversations. LGBT Tech also runs the PowerOn program which provides technology (computers, cell phones, laptops) to LGBTQ centers and individuals around the country who otherwise do not have access to technology.

I also represent AT&T on the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) Corporate Advisory Council and serve as an ex-officio advisor to AT&T’s LGBTQ employee resource group, LEAGUE at AT&T.