 |
| Olivia Alair Dalton |
Olivia Alair Dalton, who was senior VP for communications & marketing at the Human Rights Campaign, has opened Dalton Strategies in DC.
In joining the LGBTQ civil rights group in 2015, Dalton handled communications in the fight for marriage equality and against “conversion therapy’” and president Trump’s ban of transgender troops.
She also spearheaded the group's response to the shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. Dalton continues as a senior advisor to HRC.
Earlier, she was at SKDKnickerbocker, where she launched a Supreme Court communications practice and the Barack Obama Foundation.
She served as spokesperson for Barack and Michelle Obama during both presidential campaigns, press secretary at the Dept. of Transportation and deputy press secretary for Sen. Joe Biden.
Dalton Strategies is focused on strategic communications, crisis management, issue campaigns and speechwriting/op-ed services.
Many brands have scaled back their Pride marketing due to a fear of consumer backlash as well as reputational and financial risk. However, this is far from the end of brands celebrating Pride, and those that continue to do so are showing their true colors. 
As communicators, we must be both cognizant of the challenges of educating the public about LGBTQ lives and focused on the reality of what Pride really is, what it means and why it’s more important than ever in times of increasing difficulty and discord.
The current assaults on LGBTQ rights make it essential that communicators ensure they are fluent in the fight against those assaults. LGBTQ people—including the people you work with and your friends—need to step up the fight for our rights. And your clients—companies, organizations, nonprofits, advocates, and others—are going to be thrust into the middle of this fight whether they want to be or not.
Now more than ever, companies must recognize that allyship can’t be seasonal. Backing away from LGBTQ+ inclusion during Pride Month can cause more long-term damage than any short-term political blowback.
Media coverage is always a good way to shine a light on how our nation's resources are being used to persecute people abroad.
