Brian Balduzzi Discusses the Future of Professionals in the LGBTQ+ Community

Private client associate Brian Balduzzi was featured in an interview titled “Queer Futures” with Andrew Gilliland, a financial advisor with Certified Financial Services. The conversation centered around what it means to be a professional in the LGBTQ+ community and the impact professionals can make on queer futures.

Balduzzi discussed the challenge of finding queer role models in law and finance. He spoke about how his identity impacted the decisions he made when entering the professional world and becoming an attorney, as well as how being open about his identity impacts how he shows up for clients, his team and the firm. “It was right for me, and I saw it as part of my professional growth to do so,” he said.

“When I hear about ‘don’t say gay’ bills…[it] is just heartbreaking for me,” said Balduzzi, who explained the queer-related challenges he faced in his previous career as a teacher. “As part of thinking about our queer future, we have to think about our queer past…Our queer elders have stories to tell that are very impactful…that tell about a different time and place that we could very easily revert back to if we’re not careful.”

Balduzzi further detailed his work in private client services and how it can make an impact on the future of the LGBTQ+ community. He also discussed the importance of LGBTQ+ leaders and their role in being advocates to make an impact at the personal, local, state and national levels. Moving forward, Balduzzi said that while advocacy work is being done and policies are being changed, “we need more — we need a critical mass of people who are standing up and saying, ‘This is my lived experience.’”