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Guest Writer and WCS team member, Doug Graffeo gives us an insight into their complex and evolving relationship with the Queer Community where they currently live - Barcelona - as well as what brings them light. by Doug Graffeo Imagine a bustling metropolis of 4 million people, set alongside an idyllic landscape of the Mediterranean coast. In this magical place, there is a feeling that queers from all over the world try to make their way there to soak up the sun and enjoy relaxing times at the beach in this piece of heaven on earth. However, and even after four years of living in this city, I am still struggling to find my place within Barcelona’s culture. Maybe because I first decided to come here for a short-term stay, only a temporary stop in the way of securing permanent residence status in Canada, where I had lived for almost a decade before moving here. Having been born in Venezuela, and having existed as a queer, femme, and gender-variant person for as long as I can remember, I grew up with a deeply ingrained sense of placelessness that permeated every fibre of my being. Many of us who grow up in hostile environments, and in cultures that aren’t ready to accept the vastness and beauty of our queer existences, can relate to this feeling of awkwardly attempting (and failing) to belong somewhere. You’re expected to view a certain place as your home, but you may also experience the feeling that this very place could never fully encompass all the intricately complex hues of the richness that make up who you are. To be a queer kid who grew up in a place that wasn’t right for you is to be perpetually emotionally displaced, wondering if you will ever be able to replace this sense of home that was stolen away from us by bigotry and intolerance with a space that you carve for yourself, by yourself, and then in the company of others who love and respect you for who you are. It’s this feeling, an almost less poetic but equally as inspiring sense of wanderlust, that first pushed me to leave Venezuela at the age of 18 and build a life for myself in Toronto, where I could unapologetically thrive as a queer person while enjoying the support of other queer people, especially those who also shared a immigrant background or were also visible minorities. However, and as the old adage goes, all good things must come to an end, and so this fairytale fantasy of a wonderful life in a chilly queer paradise eventually became something I had to learn to let go after a decade of happiness and self-fulfillment. I landed in Barcelona in December 2018, scared and vulnerable, but willing to give this place a chance and see if I could make it my own. I mean, I had already been doing that for the past ten years in Toronto, so how challenging could it really be to do it again, especially now that I was older, wiser, and more capable? Also, it was a welcomed change to have my family with me once again, as they had finally made the decision to leave Venezuela a decade after I had done so, in search of a better life for themselves in Barcelona. At first glance, it appeared as though the stars had aligned, illuminating the path towards a life of fulfillment in this new city. However, an uncomfortable feeling of dread and unease soon filled every crevice of my mind and soul, and I knew right then and there that, despite all the wonderful things I had heard about the gay capital of the Mediterranean, this just would never be a place I call my home. The first time I went out wearing makeup in Barcelona, I knew it felt different to Toronto. I could feel the faces of everyone staring at me, making me feel like I stood out. I also remember the first time someone treated me differently because of the way I speak, even though I speak Spanish natively albeit with our own unique and tropical accent. All of a sudden I found myself sticking out like a sore thumb because of the irrevocably queer, femme, and ethnic markers of my personhood. It’s my experience in situations like these that have created a void in my heart that longs for the things I had in Toronto. This void craves lasting connection with diverse people from varied cultural backgrounds and different walks of life. It desires access to radical conversations on undoing hegemonies and violent power structures, the same ones that Europe has propagated all over the world for centuries while simultaneously pretending that racism, power, and privilege are a uniquely North American factor. I think my main point of contention with my life in Barcelona is that there is a very marked imbalance in how many opportunities there are to have unbridled fun until the early morning hours with how little avenues there are to find a community for yourself as a radically-oriented queer person. This inability to find spaces to talk about the issues that matter the most to me, coupled with the little visibility that exists for collectives doing this kind of work and for activists working tirelessly to undo these systems of harm, has left me feeling utterly lonely and resentful of this city after four long and painful years of living here. And so, for many years it was easier to become reclusive and close myself off to new opportunities and socialization spaces, as I just didn’t want to be exposed to any direct and indirect harm from people who didn’t see life and the world in the same way as I had grown to understand it in my former home. For a while this was absolutely manageable (or so I thought), as I focused on growing my career in international human rights advocacy and tried to shut down the parts of me that longed for community. I really thought I had it all under control and could continue going on like this, but after a while I had to be realistic and acknowledge that the heart inevitably craves connection and affection, and the happiness I needed could only be felt while being surrounded by other queer and trans people. And so, even though I felt scared and hopeless after so many years without the community component that was once so central to my life, I decided I needed to fill the social void that begged me for close connections and contact with others like me. Thankfully, I came to the realization that queer people exist everywhere and are often available to offer their love and support, provided that you make an effort to seek a glimmer of hope in what might appear as an inhospitable place, and to present yourself as your truest self for them to recognize and appreciate. I don’t know how we always do it, but us queers are magical like that, in the way that we will always manage to find each other, time and time again. Almost by chance, I came across this workout group by and for trans and nonbinary people, that in addition to offering attendees a space to work on their fitness in a gender-affirming and non-judgemental way, it also served as a powerful catalyst for social interaction. It is also a serendipitous coincidence how this shift in my mindset that inspired me to seek out deeper and more genuine connections also coincided with the launch of operations in Barcelona by We Create Space. I first reached out to the team after attending a conference and seeing that some of the people I had met there were part of the repertoire of panelists that often collaborated with them. As someone who had a lot of things to say about queer community life, and who has a unique, radical, and thought-provoking perspective on social justice and human rights issues, I was eager to join the WCS speaker collective and soak up the eventual opportunities that could come from partnering with these new friends. What I didn’t know is that this new professional relationship would eventually become a catalyst that would bring all these loose ends of my personal life together in one place, where I could openly speak about the issues that mattered to me, in the company of those who shared a similar point of view and weren’t afraid to learn and unlearn more about the world together with me. As I said before, queers always have a unique way of finding each other, so who I thought would be random panelists, participants, and attendees, soon turned out to be my new friends and family now that I had an outlet to interact with them in public. Being a queer person who always felt like they existed outside the norm, coupled with having to migrate twice for things outside of my control before the age of 30, certainly made me feel displaced, confused, and hopeless. But this same relentless magic that characterizes queer people inevitably leads us to always seek better for ourselves, leaving behind the toxicity and negativity of what didn’t work for us in the pursuit of a better life filled with love and community. In this light, my best advice to other queer and trans migrants finding themselves in this position, lost and aimless in a place that seems to not understand them, is to always seek strength in being your most authentic and unapologetic selves. No matter how challenging this current chapter of my life has been so far, it never made me forget, and only reassured me, that there was inherent power and strength in being true to myself and the radical queer aspects of my personhood. It was only when I decided to face this city with this new outlook on the world that I realized that there many others going through the same things as me, and that what I thought were unique experiences of loneliness were actually shared by so many all over Barcelona. Sometimes it seems incredibly tough to seek a better life for yourself when you give in to the sadness that comes with feeling lost and misunderstood, but I promise that if you chase the little glimmers of light that show up in your life, this same light will soon encompass your life and transform what seemed like utter hopelessness into a new chapter filled with kindness, compassion, and community. Even though struggling with depression and loneliness can virtually destroy our will to make things change for ourselves, I also have to acknowledge that even the smallest actions can eventually bring forth life-changing consequences that transform our lives for the better. To all my queer and trans migrants who may find themselves in similar positions, I want to impart a powerful truth: the very things about yourself that you believe to be burdensome are, in fact, your greatest strengths. When you have the courage to reveal your true self to others, you will undoubtedly discover meaningful connections and a sense of community, regardless of your location. Our queerness and our experiences with migration imbue us with unparalleled strength, boundless potential, and unwavering resilience. Life is too short to silence these parts of ourselves, especially when there are countless people who are eager to embrace and love us for who we truly are. If we can find the courage to let our authentic selves shine, we will undoubtedly attract the right people, no matter where our journey in this world takes us. Doug Graffeo (they/them) Doug is an accomplished activist, speaker, and researcher on LGBTQI+ and human rights issues from Caracas, Venezuela. As a human geographer, Doug is skilled at providing critical analyses of sociopolitical phenomena through an intersectional feminist and decolonial lens. They have experience working with multilateral and international organizations such as IGLYO, ILGA World, and the Equal Rights Coalition, in addition to local and community groups in Europe as well as North and South America. You can find out more about Doug's work here. If you are interested in booking Doug as a speaker, please get in touch with us at hello@wecreatespace.co While you're here... Did you know we consult with Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here. We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

Marie-Helene Tyack, Nicole Simpson, Obella Obbo and Scott Sallée explore the foundations of psychological safety and how it can transform our leadership. In this live panel discussion we unpacked the foundations of psychological safety and how it can transform our leadership –to support the wellbeing of our LGBTQ+ colleagues, create space for innovation in their everyday interactions, and ensure a lasting culture of belonging. Overview of session: - Psychologically safe cultures exist by design, through conscious, consistent efforts to build spaces that reward vulnerability and generate cultures of belonging – where historically excluded and underserved groups can contribute new ideas and feel empowered to imagine new ways of being through innovation and inclusion. Watch this session to... - Help create cultures of safety where LGBTQ+ colleagues feel safe to speak up. - Explore ways to leverage intersectionality to foster an inclusive mindset. - Learn how to impact culture change through radical empathy. - Better engage, support, and learn from LGBTQ+ colleagues. - Use the safe space to discuss and get curious. Learn more about Marie-Helene Tyack's work. Learn more about Nicole Simpson's work. Learn more about Obella Obbo's work. Learn more about Scott Sallée's work. If you would like to discuss booking one of these speakers for your own session, please get in touch with us via email at hello@wecreatespace.co While you're here... Did you know we consult with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here. We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

We take a closer look at the vibrant and thriving Queer culture in Glasgow, Scotland. Chris Sheridan shares a curated guide of must-know people, venues and events. If you're thinking of visiting Glasgow for the first time, we hope this article will help inspire you to explore the city's Queer scene and discover new and exciting aspects of Queer culture unique to Scotland. And if you're a local, you might even learn about something or someone you haven't come across before. Join Chris on their journey as they uncover the hidden gems and amazing individuals that make Glasgow a must-visit destination for Queer travellers. First, a little about Chris, and their connection to Glasgow's queer culture... I’m Chris Sheridan, a trans, non-binary therapist and Managing Director of The Queer Therapist based in Glasgow. I moved from my home city of Dublin to study in Scotland in 2014 and have been here ever since. Glasgow is often overlooked as a go-to queer destination but is overflowing with queer-led businesses, places and spaces. Beyond Glasgow’s Pride events and the many queer bars in the city, there is an abundance of queer and arts culture, particularly in the city’s southside neighbourhoods. Shawlands, Strathbungo and Govanhill are hubs for our queer community, but there are queer hot spots right across the city! When I first moved to Shawlands in 2019, I was immediately struck by the strong sense of belonging I felt and the brilliant diversity within the community. Many of the venues, including Tramway, a large arts venue in a post-industrial space and The Glad, a Bohemian all-day café, with live music and films; are inclusive and progressive spaces and regularly hold queer-specific events. Glasgow is a phenomenal city with a progressive and socialist spirit, supporting hyperlocal connection with an international reach. That spirit can be seen everywhere from G.A.S Glasgow’s Autonomous Space which is a social centre that provides space for groups working to fight capitalism & other forms of oppression to the success of Buzzcut in its (sort of) 10th year as a free-to-access live art festival that showcases brilliant queer creatives each year. And now on to Chris's picks! Photo Credit: Category Is Books 1. Category Is Books. Category Is Books is one of my favourite queer places in Glasgow. Based in the Southside they are an independent queer bookshop, with a brilliant selection of books by the full spectrum of LGBTQIA+ authors. Open Wednesday through Sunday, the owners are fiercely queer and wonderfully welcoming. Image Credit: Small Trans Library 2. Small Trans Library. Small Trans Library is a small lending library of trans-authored books for trans people. As well as sharing our catalogue of over 400 LGBTQ+ books, they also regularly host reading groups, writing workshops and community events for trans people in Scotland. Image Credit: Pink Peacock Café 3. Pink Peacock Café. Pink Peacock is a café and infoshop in the Govanhill area of Glasgow. Described by its founders as "the only queer Yiddish anarchist vegan pay-what-you-can café in the world" and "anti-Zionist" they offer LGBTQ+ sober socials. Image Credit: Bonjour Glasgow 4. Bonjour. Bonjour is probably my favourite queer nightclub and bar in the city as well as being a profit-sharing workers’ cooperative. It’s one of the safest and most progressive spaces you will find. With an exciting mix of events, club nights, drag shows and even a book launch or two, this space has something for everyone. Photo Credit: Glasgow Women's Library 5. Glasgow Women's Library. GWL is the only accredited women's library in the UK, with a fantastic archive it's a super welcoming queer space. They run a year-round programme of events for women who are truly trans and non-binary inclusive. As well as offering a Glasgow-specific Stride with Pride: LGBTQIA+ Heritage tour of the city which you can take part in at your own leisure. Image Credit: Queer Theory 6. Queer Theory in Nice N Sleazy. This queer cabaret show and club night is based in Glasgow and has been proudly showcasing LGBTQ+ talent since April 2016! A heady mix of music, performance art, spoken word, comedy, drag and variety with a focus on the subversive and experimental. Find out more here. Photo Credit: LGBT Health and Wellbeing 7. LGBT Health and Wellbeing. If there’s an LGBTQ+ group taking place, it’s probably associated in some way with LGBT Health and Wellbeing. As well as providing information and support across Scotland, they help facilitate many different groups across Glasgow from those whose first language isn’t English to 50+ "Quelders" groups looking to connect. They host a year-round programme of events and if you’re looking for help, and support, or just want to meet some other LGBTQ+ people in the area, then LGBT Health and Wellbeing should be your first point of contact. Photo Credit: Rainbow Glasgaroos 8. Rainbow Glasgaroos. The Rainbow Glasgaroos is a queer basketball group for anyone of any skill, gender identity, or sexual orientation. This team works to foster a community and create a fun environment for LGBTQ+ people to get fit, gain access to sports, learn new skills and socialise through basketball. Without a doubt, the Rainbow Glasgaroos provide a safe and supportive environment for queer athletics. They currently meet on Tuesdays 7:00 pm-8:30 pm at the City of Glasgow College. Photo Credit: Scotland Queer International Film Festival 9. Scotland Queer International Film Festival SQIFF is a staple on the queer annual calendar in Glasgow, curating a programme of excellent queer films from across Scotland and around the world. Platforming incredible queer talent, they also offer professional development and networking throughout the festival with a range of workshops and talks. Most of the events are free or ticketed on a pay what you decided sliding scale. About PLACES, FACES, SPACES: Through this series we hope to highlight the possibilities of fostering an in-person Queer community, and encourage you to think about how you could contribute to Queer spaces around you and become a strong and impactful Queer Leader in your local area. While you're here... Did you know we consult with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here. We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

Manuel Schlothauer talks us through some therapeutic techniques designed to target and resolve issues quickly and thoughtfully, with lasting results. We’ve collaborated with Manuel Schlothauer, a queer clinical therapist and coach who attended our recent Pride & Beyond retreat, to provide some insight into the unique properties of Rapid Transformational Therapy. RTT pulls from and combines a range of therapeutic techniques to reprogram your thoughts and create lasting changes in your mental health. What is RTT? Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT), a stand-alone modality developed by Marisa Peer, is a uniquely tailored methodology of psychotherapy, clinical hypnotherapy, neuroscience, NLP, CBT, parts therapy and Gestalt psychology. Incredibly rapid but never rushed. In combination with coaching interventions, the majority of issues are resolved after only 1-3 sessions. Incredibly rapid but never rushed. Unlike traditional hypnotherapy, RTT does not rely solely on positive reinforcement or passive sessions. Too often this is the sole focus for traditional hypnotherapists: Sit, listen and leave. As the client, you work alongside your RTT therapist to uncover the meaning and interpretation of past events. RTT purposefully helps the client deal with ‘unfinished business’ by addressing the pain that some clients have felt for many years. How could it help you? Breakthroughs are achieved by understanding and fixing the root cause, rather than just addressing the symptoms of the presenting issue. This is why RTT has such a permanent all-pervasive impact, as it erases and eradicates issues at the core for life-changing benefits. Over the years I have worked with clients from all walks of life on an array of topics, yet I specialise in working with underrepresented communities and men’s mental health. Some of the topics you might want to tackle together: Your Romantic and Sexual Identity and Fluidity Your Gender Identity and Fluidity Your Coming Out — or Letting People In Journey Your Social, Romantic and Sexual Relationships Family Dynamics and Trauma Addiction & Substance Use, Misuse and Abuse Physical Health and Well-being, incl. STDs, Eating Disorders Intersectionality & Discrimination, incl. Racism, Colourism, Ageism, Ableism Sexual Performance, Preferences and Kinks Body Image Transitioning Anxiety and Depression LGBTQIAP+ Parenting and Fertility Aligning your Identity, your Purpose and your Career With RTT I believe you can reclaim your freedom and empowerment. Free yourself from negative self-talk and that nagging inner critic. No more unhealthy beliefs, thoughts, feelings and habits. Incredible, undisputed and unapologetic self-esteem and self-confidence. Being authentically yourself, 100% and forever. Balanced and purpose-driven holistic well-being incl. your relationships, emotional life, health & fitness, career, finances, sex life, and more. Rekindle your radiating passion and infectious energy and share it with others. Know your worth inside out and shout it from the rooftops! Manuel's story. When I think back to my childhood and teenage years in this sleepy, fairytale-like village, I remember beauty, joy and serenity. Our mind is funny like that: It always tries to protect us. It is only in deep self-reflection and conversations that I remember that I had my fair share of challenges. Challenges that shaped who I am today, that made me resilient and inclusive… but also challenges that created trauma and unhealthy, unhelpful beliefs about myself and the world. Scarcity and poverty, bullying, body image, divorce, loneliness, extremist nationalist or abusive or homophobic or incredibly religious family members, family members in prison and mental institutions, substance abuse, the untimely and sudden death of close friends, and hiding my true self for nearly a quarter of my life. “Under every roof, there is an ‘Oof!’” — My Grandma Hildegard Life is not as straightforward as they make you believe in school but I have good news for you: You're not defined by what happened to you, not by the amount on your bank account, your weight, your looks, your shape, your age, the colour of your skin or who you kiss goodnight at the end of the day. This realisation has been liberating and brought me on a path of transformation, both for myself and others. Today as a Queer therapist, coach and consultant I support clients from all walks of life with a specialisation in underrepresented groups and men’s mental health. As a therapist from the Queer community for the Queer community, I regularly train therapists and coaches around the world on working with the LGBTQ+ community. Try an exercise with us. Every habit of action is governed by a habit of thought. Do you want to tackle a behaviour you dislike or create a positive change in your life? Change the habit of thought and the habit of action, and your behaviour, will follow. Changing our habit of thought... Let's see what this cycle looks like if we begin with a negative thought: But look what happens if we change this negative thought to a positive one: Why should you try this, or work with Manuel? Personal Growth is booming and I’m beyond delighted to see so many people invest in their physical, emotional and mental health. Yet, with such an appetite for personal development, there’s been a ginormous influx of coaches and traditional therapists who suggest that you need to spend years and years of sessions, valuable time and hard-earned money to slowly free yourself from your Anxiety, Burnout, PTSD, OCD, or Lack of Confidence (among many others). Some even say you can never get rid of it and require a lifetime of sessions and medication. That subscription-like business model upsets me immensely. You wouldn’t go to a dentist each week to talk about your pain, just to hear that you need to return weekly and live with that pain for the rest of your life. Imagine going to a bakery every other Wednesday, describing your dream loaf of bread, the way it would smell, the way it would taste and feel, just to hear the baker telling you that dreaming about it is as close as you can ever get but you’d be welcome to return next time to talk about it again. (You may notice by my analogies that I do love a good loaf of bread.) Despite there being such a high supply of coaches and therapists, so many people are still struggling to truly transform their lives. People see coaches but don’t go deep enough. Others see traditional therapists but after everything is said and done, more is said than actually done. The common questions I hear my potential clients ask include: Why is therapy so hard and dry and takes forever? Is there an easier (and especially faster) way to turn things around? It’s been so time-consuming and difficult… I’ve invested so much time and money in coaching sessions. How come it hasn’t paid off? My therapist and my coach don’t talk to each other and I spend most of my sessions updating them. I’m not sure about therapy. I much rather keep that Pandora’s box shut, even if that means living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Erectile Dysfunction. If you, too, are asking yourself these kinds of questions from time to time (maybe not the last one word-by-word), know that you are not alone. I certainly felt frustrated but I’d like to invite you to ask yourself better questions. You know, when we ask better questions, we get better answers. What if we approached therapy the way we approach dentistry: get to the root, extract and heal? What if we approached coaching the way we approach baking: design the recipe, get baking and enjoy? What if my coach, my therapist and my personal cheerleader were the same person? What if instead of years and years of sessions, I would only need to spend 30 days to radically transform my life? Where would you be? What would life look like if you got exactly what you wanted and more? You can book a session with Manuel through his website at heymanuel.com While you're here... Did you know we consult with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here. We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

Coach and WCS team member, Ambra Venturini, has put together this short guide on the ways you can use Tarot as a mental wellbeing and self-care tool. What is Tarot? Tarot has been around for centuries though its use has transformed over time. Its roots are not well documented although we know for sure that it was created as a set of playing cards. It wasn’t until late 1700 that tarot started being used for divination purposes, and later on was more widely used as a tool for self-reflection and self-discovery thanks to Carl Jung theory of archetypes. Since then, tarot has taken on many different uses – whether it is for divination, creative activities or for self-reflection and self-care, it is our trusted friend helping us reconnect with ourselves and each other. Most tarot decks are composed of the Major and Minor Arcanas, each serving a different purposes in supporting our wellbeing. The Major Arcana brings us on the Fool’s journey, where we follow the challenges, wisdom, ups and downs of life depicted through the beautiful archetypes personalities that the Fool meets along the way. Each archetype is meant to share a crucial life lesson with us, bringing us guidance on how to navigate challenges and experience things to the fullest. The Minor Arcana on the other hand gives us insights on our everyday life through the lens of four Suits (Water, Earth, Air and Fire), helping us understand how we might be feeling, the energies we might be experiencing in the moment, and giving us inspiration on how we can support ourselves through them. How can it help you? Holding a tarot card is often described as holding up a mirror to ourselves. Each card can reflect an experience, feeling or thought pattern that we are going through, highlighting parts of our personalities and of ourselves that are asking for our attention and affection. The journey of each Suit and each archetype are there to support us and others heal. They ask us to unapologetically trust our own interpretation of the world, whilst daring us to dream and go beyond our own perspectives - encouraging us to look inward yet embracing and deepening our connection to one another and the environments we inhabit. This makes it particularly magical and empowering for queer people – tarot gives us the freedom to re-define and re-discover ourselves safely, exploring and finding clarity through self-reflection, and revealing ways to show up more authentically and embracing parts of ourselves that we might be afraid to share with the world. By giving us insight into who we are at any given moment, it also shows us our role and position in activism, sprinkling light into how we can meaningfully contribute to change. How you use tarot is completely up to you though. I find it particularly supportive as a daily self-care practice, to connect with how I’m feeling and what I’m experiencing each day. Tarot creates the space for reconnecting back to ourselves, and that’s why it can be support us to ground ourselves when overwhelmed. Through its images it can help you to get out of your usual thinking, and even step out of any inner judgement and negative thoughts patterns you might be experiencing. By focusing on its colours, images, tones and mood - and noticing how they make us feel in the moment - it allows us to take a breath and be present with ourselves. The key to approach reading tarot for self-care is to centre your agency in the situation you are enquiring about, rather than hand over power to the deck to tell you what to do (even though it might be tempting to!). Because tarot is ultimately an intuitive exercise in self-trust and self-discovery. Ambra's Story. Growing up surrounded by tarot readers, tarot was always going to be playing a big part in my life and I’m so glad that is the case! My family is quite dysfunctional, especially when it comes to how we communicate with each other. Tarot was one of the only ways we managed to come together and be present with one another. From a young age I discovered the power tarot has in connecting people together, even those who completely disagree and view the world differently from me, because I experienced it first hand. Tarot opened many doors for me. Having a lack of regular and positive honest conversations with my family, I found comfort and confidence in talking about important parts of myself to my mum (like polyamory and queerness) through readings. Challenging the stereotypes that come from more traditional decks and practices, it was easier to talk about these topics when the focus was on the cards and not so much directly towards myself. It made it more comfortable for me to be open with my mum, and for her to be more receptive of what I was going through. My mental health has always been pretty bad from a young age too - I often felt misunderstood and unsupported. Where therapy helped me create the foundations to heal and re-parent, tarot helped me further build the supportive system I needed to thrive when living with chronic pain, depression and severe anxiety. This showed up for me even more obviously when I burnt out from my job as human rights campaigner some years ago. The reflective time I spent with tarot helped me recognising my needs as a neurodivergent peep more deeply, understand the pace and flexibility I truly needed to support myself in the workplace. All whilst helping celebrate my quirks and embracing them as a good thing rather than something to “fix”. I know I’m not the only one to find this kind of support from a tarot reading practice. During the past years supporting folks with tarot, it’s been incredible to witness how much it can shift things on a personal level as well as for our communities as a whole, sparking important conversations around mental health, and how we can support each other sustainably. Try an exercise with us... If you want to try out tarot as a way to support your wellbeing, I’d recommend pulling one card each day and taking 5 minutes to sit with it – noticing the images, the colours, the mood and tones of the card and how they make you feel. While you shuffle keep in mind this question: how can I support myself today? Keep the card either in a place where you can see it across the day, or interact with it in your mind to give you inspiration on the things you can do to support yourself along the day - whether it is about shifting your thinking, doing a practical thing like cooking yourself a nice meal, or sitting with your feelings and giving them the space to just be. If you want to go one step further you can also try this three card spread: As you do this, remember that this is an exercise in self-trust. Trust what comes up for you from the cards - you don’t need to know the cards meanings to make sense of it or to find supportive insights. My best recommendation for you is to really sit and interact with the card on your own asking yourself – what does this image make me think of? What feelings does it bring up and why? And then, only then, look at the booklet or look up the meanings of the cards to go deeper. Also remember there are no bad cards - every card is showing us experiences that we might be going through, or a part of ourselves that we are showing up or need to show up more, giving us insight and guidance on how to navigate any moment. Further Resources. Jessica Dore, Tarot for Change: Using the Cards for Self-Care, Acceptance and Growth Moon Matters Podcast: Astrology and the Tarot – The Fool’s Journey Little Red Tarot Library Tarot Therapy – Harness the Healing Power of the Deck, Leona Nichole Black Article from gal-dem.com on young people in India and their relationship with Tarot Book a reading with Ambra at thrivingspace.co.uk While you're here... Did you know we consult with Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here. We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

Jade Fraser, Mercedes Jenkins and Somar Ibrahim discuss how to work with data to strategically support marginalised groups in the face of economic, political and social turbulence. Creating real change in diversity, equity and inclusion often comes down to how well we identify and understand problems within the cultural ecosystem of our organisations. As we face the impact of the current economic downturn, as well as global legal restrictions on sexual orientation and gender identity, applying an intersectional lens is integral to shaping DEI strategies that are informed by the multidimensional experiences of identity in the workplace. Our ability to navigate data can also affect the quality of our solutions. This session covers: - Understanding the different forms of data and analytics used to explore gaps to DEI. - Exploring guidance to process data contextually and inform meaningful actions. - Discovering practical ways to prepare and equip your organisation to act on data efficiently. - Learning how to apply an intersectional lens to capture important experiential insights. Learn more about Jade Fraser's work. Learn more about Mercedes Jenkins's work. Learn more about Somar Ibrahim's work. If you would like to discuss booking one of these speakers for your own session, please get in touch with us via email at hello@wecreatespace.co While you're here... Did you know we consult with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here. We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

Lazarus Lynch explores how the small act of saying grace can bring us closer to the present, facilitating a stronger connection with ourselves and what is going on around us. by Lazarus Lynch “God is great! God is good! And we thank Him for our food. By his hands, we are fed. Give us, Lord, our daily bread. Amen.” This prayer I recited as a child before consuming each served meal. Saying grace was an acceptable form of prayer allowed in my non-religious primary school, a time to praise the Creator for the seeds, plants, flesh, bones, and skins that would soon nourish our bodies. Saying grace was a gesture of humility, bowing our heads, closing our eyes, and offering gratitude for the hands of other human beings who transformed those raw ingredients into soul-satisfying meals. At those early and tender ages of childhood, I knew not the significance of saying grace. It was seemingly forced upon me by the adults in my life, an act we all participated in, and none resisted. Saying grace was a practice that generated a heightened tummy-curling growling sensation and a salivating tongue. Despite its brevity, saying grace always felt more like a chore than a choice. Much like a dog licking the ground where its last bone lay, the anticipation to satisfy my hunger again was prematurely halted by the requirement first to say grace. Today, when I’m my hungriest and most tired self, it takes an effort to pause, slow down, humble myself, and give thanks. Sometimes I even forget. As a two-plus decade-long practicing grace-sayer, I still struggle with saying grace. Recently, I've been thinking about saying grace as a metaphor for cherishing life’s small moments. Saying grace is an intimate posture of reflection. Across many cultures and religions, saying grace or giving thanks is often a communal and unifying tradition. As a child, I did not understand the sacred invitation of saying grace, an opportunity to practice solace. I did not emotionally connect with that brief moment of prayer and its larger context, being in the here and now, and there are times when I still don’t. Though a custom that brought me one step closer to godliness for the day, saying grace was a habit of presence-choosing. As a kid, I couldn’t wait to rush through the prayer and get to the food, much like how I tended to live life as an adult, going through the motions instead of truly experiencing them, only to get to the next vanishing moment. Living this way left me exhausted and empty. A fundamental principle in meditation practice is mindfulness. In ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle, he writes, “Through self-observation, more presence comes into your life automatically. The moment you realize you are not present, you are present.” Becoming aware of the here and now requires a slowing down. I sometimes feel like I have to force myself to pay attention to the now because my mind loves to wander into the past or the future. It might not even be that we are not paying attention; instead, we are paying attention to the past and future things, not the now things. I have learned that those small moments in our lives - the ones we take for granted or the ones we rush through, like seeing an old friend and stating rather than asking, “how are you?” - these moments are life's most precious and richest ones. And they are happening all the time. What we do in small parts of our lives has ripple effects throughout our lives. As the saying goes, do it in small things and all things. When we are numb to the present, we rob ourselves of peace. When we are alive to the present, we gain peace. When saying grace becomes a gratitude lifestyle, not just something we do out of ritual or expectation, we receive its daily benefit: unshakable joy. When we live out thankfulness, we create space to gain new meaning from the ordinary. We see the abundance in all things, possibilities instead of limitations, and we can more easily choose hope over despair. In Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggett's book, ‘Black Joy,’ she writes, “ But what happens when we can make time for the very things that will hold us together? If we name our time according to the joys we want to experience in it? I’m clear that joy exists in and among us without having to name it… But there’s also power in naming our joy, in being intentional about giving joy a specific time and designated space to help us heal.” Staying present and choosing joy is an act of will, and we must choose it. Taking space away from the demands of life can feel enormously impossible sometimes. However, creating new rituals for our spiritual, self, home, and mind-care is possible and our prerogative; it doesn’t need to look like what it’s always looked like to be valid. One of the most liberating things we can do to practice showing ourselves grace is to evaluate what is and is not serving us. Taking more deliberate measures to practice being in the present can be as simple as taking five deep, long breaths, relaxing the belly, closing the eyes, and imagining that your breath is the sound of an ocean tide. Whether you believe in God or the Universe, anyone can say grace. It doesn’t need to be formulaic or traditional. Saying grace is customizable, adjustable, and should meet you where you are. Saying grace is not about what you say before you eat a meal; it’s an acknowledgment you make of the here and now, a calling to be present and grateful. So the next time you laugh, genuinely feel the laugh from the tips of your toes to the crown of your head. You are saying grace. When you look, truly see, get curious, and see again. This is also saying grace. Rest radically. Unapologetically unplug and do nothing. Unlearn, redefine and renegotiate those core beliefs that keep you in a rut of continual momentum. You can say grace in all these ways, at your pace, in your singular manner, and gently remind yourself that now is all we'll ever have. Lazarus Lynch (he/him) Lazarus is a celebrated African-American queer chef, entrepreneur, musician, model, actor, filmmaker, writer, and the author of the prominent text, Son of a Southern Chef: Cook with Soul. Lynch received his B.S. from Buffalo State College in Individualized Studies. He is a two-time Chopped champion and the host of Snapchat's first-ever cooking show, Chopped U, and the Food Network digital series Comfort Nation. His food blog was a 2017 Saveur Blog Awards nominee. You can find out more about Lazarus's work here. If you are interested in booking Lazarus as a speaker, please get in touch with us at hello@wecreatespace.co While you're here... Did you know we consult with Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here. We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

We can easily find ourselves closed-off and complacent when we're not exposed to opinions or perspectives that challenge how we think. Here are some methods that our global team at WCS use to keep our ideas fresh, and our thinking inclusive. Considering the various DEI services we offer and our focus as an organisation on helping our clients create progressive and inclusive workplace cultures, we think it’s important to highlight that we're also doing out best at WCS to practice what we preach. We wanted to share some of the different ways we combat the effects of Echo Chambers - the various resources we tap into to ensure that our decisions are made with a variety of perspectives informing our approaches. And perhaps showing how your organisation could do the same. 1. We build and nurture diverse teams. A good place to start when thinking about echo chambers is to consider who is “sat at your table.” One of the things we appreciate most about our organisation is our small but diverse global team. Every single team member comes from a different background, and hold different intersectional identities. We proudly come together across different business functions, all to help achieve our organisational mission and goals of serving the LGBTQIA+ Community, as well as continuously developing and improving the ways in which we do this work. Just because we all hold LGBTQIA+ identities, certainly does not mean that we all think the same or agree about everything! This variety seen in our colleagues is felt by how we are always learning from one another, in an environment which is psychologically safe. This, in turn, facilitates a working environment where everyone feels welcomed, valued, respected, and can play their part in developing and growing the organisation. 2. We prioritise personal connection over production. Because we place such an emphasis on holding space for our teammates when they need it, we're also used to using our time differently where required. Whether its allowing our fellow team members a chance to ask us questions about our experiences, open up about what is going on in their personal lives outside of work, or simply use team meetings to make suggestions about improving processes and how the organisation is run. Yes we all have a job to do, but we are 'human-beings' first and foremost, not 'human-doings', and acknowledging this enriches the final output. 3. We seek external consultation and guidance. “OK, but what if you don’t have all the answers or perspectives you need from inside your team?” we hear you ask. There are plenty of instances where we discuss certain things as a team - whether it’s an idea for content to be published and added to our Online Library of insightful articles, or a focus point for an upcoming panel discussion. It's important to be able to admit that we don't always have the answer! We also use our Global Advisory Board to table any new ideas or for discussing longer term strategies. Meetings with the Advisory Board take place once a quarter, where we table future plans for WCS and our work within the community. However, if anything urgent arises and requires a quicker response, we get in touch with members via our WhatsApp group. 4. We openly share our own knowledge and wisdom. Another vital aspect of keeping echo chambers at bay, and keeping fresh air in, is talking to people outside of your company, industry or sector, and gaining their perspective. This even applies to us when we're going through consultation processes with our clients. We consult with over 100 Corporate Clients and Companies, and it's a pleasure to be able to share and gain knowledge and wisdom freely across our diverse partnership network. There is so much to learn and gain by sharing, rather than holding onto information tightly for ourselves. 5. We lean into and learn from our global collective. We are immensely grateful for the myriad of different people that we are able to bring together through our ever-expanding Global Speaker Collective. Although speakers are primarily a resource for our events, videos and articles, we really value the personal connections and relationships with all of these people, who are often leading experts in their field. When looking for an answer to a specific question, or we’re looking for a specific solution to a nuanced problem, there is a strong likelihood that we are able to look through our database of contacts and find someone who we are able to ask. If the person we contact in the first instance can’t help us, they almost always know someone who can. 6. We talk to our intersectional community. How decisions are made inside organisations, and who is involved to make them, is a key factor to examine when determining how inclusive work environments really are. We Create Space is a Community Interest Company (CIC), which means all the profit we make goes back into the community we serve. For this reason we regularly consult our intersectional community - through the services we provide, and the content we produce. We've found that the best way to gauge how we're doing is to simply ask our community for honest feedback. Either verbally when we see them at our Community Events, via a questionnaire following a session with our corporate clients, or for longer-term strategies and wider-reaching project we receive via anonymous surveys. We then use this valuable Community Data and Insights to inform our plans for the coming months - this takes the form of our annual Community Action Plan. 7. We consume a variety of media and content. Finally, one of the most valuable resources we have to bust echo chambers is to educate ourselves and consume a variety of media and information. As a team we are always sharing books, articles and videos that might inspire or inform our work. This is embedded from the employee onboarding process through to day-to-day communication on slack. Although some of the most engaging perspectives we have learnt from are those from individuals online, social media has radically changed the mechanism by which we access information and form our opinions. Who we choose to follow may limit our exposure to diverse perspectives and favour the formation of groups of like-minded users framing and reinforcing a shared narrative, that is, echo chambers. How are you going to challenge echo chambers in your organisation or team? How can we help? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here. While you're here... Did you know we also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

We take a closer look at the vibrant and thriving Queer culture in Dublin, Ireland. Manuel Schlothauer shares a curated guide of must-know people, venues and events. If you're thinking of visiting Dublin for the first time, we hope this article will help inspire you to explore the city's Queer scene and discover new and exciting aspects of Queer culture unique to Ireland. And if you're a local, you might even learn about something or someone you haven't come across before. Join Manuel on this journey as he uncovers the hidden gems and amazing individuals that make Dublin a must-visit destination for Queer travellers. First, a little about Manuel, and his connection to Dublin's queer culture... Hi friends, I'm Manuel Schlothauer and before we get into the nitty gritty of Dublin’s colourful Queer scene, let’s address the elephant in the room: How on earth do you pronounce Schlothauer? The name Schlothauer originates in the picturesque mountain village of Ruhla, my home town located in the Thuringian Forest in Germany. Absolutely worth a visit but not why you’re here. Schlot•hauer means chimney puncher and is pronounced like “slow tower” but with a sh. Shlow•tower. Easy. Based in Dublin, Ireland, I’m an award-winning Queer Therapist & Coach, bestselling Author, and the Founder of HeyManuel.com. My mission is to help Queer and LGBTQIAP+ Professionals around the world be their authentic selves without years and years of struggles. I've got some unique programs that use mediation, psychotherapy, clinical hypnotherapy, neuroscience, NLP, CBT, parts therapy, and Gestalt psychology, combined with transformational coaching, to sustainably elevate the Queer experience. As a consultant, I also help organisations navigate the complex intersection of Mental Health, Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, Belonging, HR & Leadership. When I'm not working, I love nothing more than a good brunch, chilling out with an Iced Decaf Americano in the sun, and exploring the Queer nightlife and theatre scene. So, let's connect, have some fun, and get your queer game on point! And now on to Manuel's picks! Photo Credit: Washington Post 1. Know Your Queer History. Interviewing 12 change-makers who were some of the key players in the progression of LGBTQ+ equality in Ireland, ShoutOut’s Know Your Queer History is a thought-provoking documentary that delves into the rich and varied history of the Queer community in Dublin. I never really enjoyed history in school, so as part of a Queer travelling guide to the city, this documentary may seem like an unusual recommendation at first glance. However, having moved to Dublin right after the Marriage Equality Referendum in 2015, I came to understand that learning about Dublin’s history will help you, too, gain a deeper appreciation for its present and create a more meaningful experience. By listening to the struggles and triumphs of Ireland’s Queer community, you will gain a better understanding of the city's culture, values, vibes and people. Image Credit: ShoutOut 2. Queer for Good. From ShoutOut’s documentary over to its extraordinary work at schools across the country… Dublin's Queer community is shaped and strengthened by the work of local volunteers. From supporting LGBTQ+ youth to advocating for human rights, there are various organisations that provide vital services and help create a more inclusive society. As a Queer traveller, learning about these charities and their missions will not only deepen your understanding of the city, but also provide opportunities to give back and leave a positive mark during your visit. Here’s a small selection of other incredible organisations: BeLonG To — Specialised services for Queer youth with a focus on mental and sexual health HIV Ireland — Advocating for HIV prevention, awareness, and support TENI — Transgender Equality Network Ireland, advancing trans rights and equality Intersex Ireland — Advocating for Intersex awareness, visibility and appropriate medical care Dublin Lesbian Line — Queer and LGBTQ+ helpline LGBT Ireland — Advocacy and support for Queer people and their loved ones Image Credit: magazinecloner.com / GCN 3. GCN. Published by another wonderful organisation, namely the NXF (National LGBT Federation), GCN is a monthly LGBTQ+ publication covering political developments, community events and initiatives in Ireland and across the globe. With its first publication in 1988, GCN is the longest running LGBTQ+ publication in Ireland and my personal go-to magazine both in its digital and gorgeous print version. Image Credit: Outhouse 4. Outhouse. Based in Dublin’s eclectic Capel St, Outhouse is a community and resource centre for Queer people and their families and friends. A vibrant and safe space for LGBTQ+ people, groups, and organisations, Outhouse offers a safe drop-in space, meeting spaces, support facilities, and a cafe to connect with the community. Photo Credit: The Bernard Shaw 5. Brunch. Only few things are as quintessentially Queer as brunch. Well, at least for me. Dublin loves brunch and I’m here for it. My go-to spots have changed over the years but you are very likely to find me in either Press Cafe or Two Boys Brew. (Just in case you don’t know what to get me for my birthday.) If you crave some extra glitter in your mimosa, look no further than one of Dublin’s many drag brunches: Enjoy your french toast with The Misses at The Bernard Shaw, crab cakes with Davina Devine at Bow Lane, or Brazilian delicacies with Haus of W.I.G. at Wigwam. Image Credit: gay-hiking.org 6. Queer Meet-ups. Visiting or moving to a new city can feel daunting, especially if you don’t know anyone there. Over the years Meetup and Bumble BFF have been valuable resources to me and many of my close friendships originated there. Here’s are two of Dublin’s many Queer Meetup groups: Out and About — You would like to explore the Wicklow Mountains but don’t have a car? No worries, check out this LGBTQ+ Hiking Club. Wet and Wild — Always wanted to try out kayaking, bouldering or surfing? Check out this LGBTQ+ Outdoor Sports & Social Club. Photo Credit: hotel7dublin.com / Gate Theatre 7. Queer Theatre Dublin loves theatre and theatre seems to love Dublin back given the stunning performances we get to enjoy on a regular basis. If you’re on your way to Dublin, make sure to check out one of my favourite spots, theatre Queer that I am: Abbey Theatre Gate Theatre The New Theatre Project Arts Centre Bord Gáis Energy Theatre Bestseller Theatre Cafe 8. Queer Nightlife Same-sex sexual activity was only decriminalised in 1993, so understandably a major part of Dublin’s Queer life has always taken place in historically underground events and venues. Some of these still exist today and are joined by new spaces for the community to connect, dance and celebrate. Here’s a tiny selection of Dublin’s iconic institutions: Mother — One for the disco lovers. Expect local and international performers, strobe lights and festival vibes. Panti Bar & Pennylane — Opened, owned and operated by Irish Drag Queen and Queer activist Panti aka. Rory O’Neill. Expect delicious cocktails, drag DJs and lounge atmosphere. Street 66 — Board games and toasties by day, Eurovision vibes by night. Enjoy one of Dublin’s largest Gin selections while dancing to ABBA, Conchita and friends. All My Friends — Relaxed Queer pub offering open mics, quizzes, markets and vibes. The George — What started as a shellfish tavern in 1780 became a home away from home for the community over the last 40 years. Expect drag, pop and more drag. About PLACES, FACES, SPACES: Through this series we hope to highlight the possibilities of fostering an in-person Queer community, and encourage you to think about how you could contribute to Queer spaces around you and become a strong and impactful Queer Leader in your local area. While you're here... Did you know we consult with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here. We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

Allan Kartodikromo and Emma van der Meulen share their Queer Allyship success stories; showing us how supporting others actually helps us all. Allan's Allyship story... When I met Emma she was a true teacher with a kind and open heart. The way she connected with me not only had an impact on my professional self - it impacted me personally and gave me time to improve my mindset and grow as an individual. With Emma’s help, I have been able to embark on a journey of true self acceptance, which now helps me in all areas of my life. The most impactful support I got from Emma is that she gave me a safe space to let me be me and to talk about (fundamental) needs and personal development. I got the proper guidance that showed me that she cared. The personal attention alongside introducing me to her network was the best support I could get, and has helped me flourish in my career. Being an ally is more than just a talk or raising awareness about tools and resources which may or may not help us. Being an ally in my eyes is when you truly connect as human beings meaning that there is an investment of time, energy and deeper understanding. Connecting as allies to each other (no matter who we are) with the goal to build bridges is exactly what is needed for strong and genuine foundations of exceptional working relationships. Everybody should have an Emma! I knew she was a true ally to me when I knew that I could trust her. It takes time to get to know someone and their motivations and open up. Trust slowly builds when your ally talks the talk, but also walks to the walk, and respects the time invested by both parties. I knew this was something she understood when she followed up on agreed actions and next steps to progress things. By introducing me to individuals in her network, Emma has afforded me the opportunity to develop my own professional relationships with key stakeholders who I interact with at work. As a result, these people are positively biassed and trust faster, meaning the value I can add to my company is much greater than it could’ve been if I didn’t have Emma in my corner. Being an ally is not voluntary work. If you are a real ally or motivated to be one, the drive is intrinsic. The more these values of allyship are encouraged by everyone and anyone inside an organisation, through progression in working culture, the stronger the sense of support will be amongst colleagues. This will ultimately improve the operation of an organisation. Emma’s motivation in this respect is something I really admire, and the effects of her values-driven approach is felt by many in our company. Emma's Allyship story... When I hired Allan to join the company it was very important for me to introduce him to many people. I found that he needed to build his network and to get to understand the organisation. It is important for me to have openness and honesty because that creates a safe environment to build a relationship on. I am a strong believer in the fact that we also need to be able to enjoy each other’s company and to walk that extra mile to understand one another. Being an ally takes effort and also costs time, however investing time in strong relationships with our colleagues definitely benefits us over time. I invested time in helping Allan as I want Allan to be happy. I think he is a very talented person and the world can benefit from his skills. I also have and had colleagues who keep track of my career and show genuine interest. They invest time in me, advise on opportunities and also introduce me to their network, so I think it’s important to do the same for others, and pay the benefits of allyship forward. Whilst I do not come from a marginalised background, I am a woman who works in finance, so I know what it's like to be a minority in a working environment. As a result of Allan’s hard work, he has been able to build a big network within our company. He was also able to create an autonomous role for himself. Thanks to his creative ideas, energetic personality and great organisational skills, he has been offered challenging assignments with a lot of responsibility and he has happily accepted them. It’s wonderful to see that he is able to live his purpose, and I know he can also pay forward to others who may need extra support and encouragement to succeed. Finally, in terms of advice I would offer others on how they can be better allies: be open and interested. Be aware of your own biases and realise that we all have them. But it’s what you do with them that counts. Don’t forget how awesome it is to get to know someone so well and grow together. Allan Kartodikromo (he/him) Allan was originally born and raised in Suriname, South American, but has been living in Amsterdam for more than 10 years. With a very culturally diverse background, and as a queer man working in Finance, he is constantly looking for ways to create a culture of inclusion and belonging. He is most passionate about his role as a Culture Change Manager because he gets to create meaning for folks from marginalised backgrounds, both within and outside of corporates spaces. If you would like to book Allan as a Speaker for a webinar or panel discussion, please get in touch with us via email at hello@wecreatespace.co Emma van der Meulen (she/her) Emma is a Project Manager Data for Sustainable Finance Regulations at ABN AMRO About the 'My Ally and Me' story-telling series: At We Create Space we always aim to lift and amplify the voices of our global queer collective of change-makers. However with this story-telling series we wanted to give LGBTQ+ leaders the opportunity to bring an ally into the conversation and explain how their valued support has shaped their personal and professional journey. While you're here... Did you know we consult with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here. We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

Are you a Queer Leader with a story to tell? Have you ever considered writing a book to share your voice with the world? Our team of experienced authors is here to empower you to make that dream a reality. We know that telling your story can be a daunting prospect, but we also understand that the world needs to hear it. That's why we're sharing our tips and tricks to help you approach writing and publishing your first book confidently and proudly. Your voice matters, your story deserves to be told, and we're here to help you make it happen. On writing the book itself… 1. There’s so much power in your lived experience - start there. Starting the writing process can be the most intimidating part for many people, including established writers. The fear of not knowing where to begin can be overwhelming, leading to self-doubt and even preventing us from starting altogether. While this can be true for any project, it is particularly daunting when it comes to writing a book. If you know you want to write a book, it’s important to remember the age-old saying “write what you know.” Especially when it comes to Queer Leadership, we need to remind ourselves that we have got to where we are today because we are strong advocates and allies for people like ourselves, and also others who are different from us. As Queer Leaders, our motivations are rooted in our lived experiences. We've faced discrimination and prejudice due to our sexuality and other parts of our identities that intersect with our queerness. But these experiences also provide valuable lessons and a unique perspective that can guide us in making the world a more empathetic, accepting, and inclusive place. Remember this as you begin your writing journey - your perspective is valuable! 2. Hone in on your audience. When starting on a writing project, it is imperative that you have a clear picture of the audience (or audiences) that you are aiming to reach and resonate with, and why. So, who is your audience? When thinking about this in the first instance, a good place to start would be to think about your work as a Queer Leader in a wider sense. “The most important tip I can share is to know why you are writing. Anyone can sit and theoretically write a book, but for it to have an impact, you need your book to have a purpose.” - Ben Pechey (they/them) Ask yourself: Why did I become an Advocate/Activist/'X' in the first place? What problem am I providing solutions to? Get specific. What kind of impact do I want to make with my work, and to inspire/benefit who? Are there any secondary audiences that I need to consider? (e.g. Do I have an ambition to educate allies?) When I picture the legacy that my work will have - what does that look like to me? How will the publishing of my book help me leave that legacy? When you have a clear impression of these preliminary questions, take note, and always make sure to refer back to this. At We Create Space, we regularly speak to our community and clients alike about how vital it is to ‘find your why’ and accurately pinpoint it. The best, most versatile Queer Leaders always have a common thread in every project they take on, which links to their wider work. When we look at someone's body of work as a whole, we can see common themes that add to the power and significance of their work on a larger scale, even if their individual projects seem unrelated. This applies whether they focus on one specific industry or occupy space in multiple sectors. As you think about your idea for a book as a Queer Leader, consider how it complements your existing work and allows you to develop your message further. This could be done in an obvious way or more subtly. Often, the most effective way to make lasting change requires us to be very strategic about the way in which we position our work, being conscious of the context in which it exists, and how we can use this context to increase the chances of positive outcomes. Writing a book should be no different. 3. Conduct further research. As with all the work we do as Queer Leaders, conducting research of our own, beyond our lived experience is key to understanding how we can use our positions of influence to instil tangible positive impact for marginalised communities like the LGBTQIA+ Community in the real world. “Talk to others in your community. You're not alone in the writing process and talking about your thoughts and ideas can start conversations that help you learn something or discover a new point of view.” - Vaneet Mehta (he/him) When approaching your writing, it is important to consider the perspectives of others on your chosen topic - maybe people who have experienced similar things to you, but also others who haven’t. As with everything, diversity of thought, and consideration of a variety of opinions and views is imperative to ensure that we are not operating in silos - this is how echo chambers are formed. Can other people's identities and experiences provide a broader perspective to your work? This can increase your self-awareness of your context, privilege, and others' struggles. There is always more than one side to a story. And even if you don’t include it, due diligence as a Queer Leader in the very least is acknowledging potential differences in perspective and experience. In the same way, considering these differences will inspire you to reflect inwardly, it will afford your audience the opportunity to do the same. This is how writing on specific issues/difficulties communities face truly has the potential to transcend cultures, borders and identities, reminding us all of how we have more in common than we think. “Read around the topic. There's likely a huge amount of material available in the area you're writing in. It isn't always easy to find but once you find a few sources, that can help you find more and more.” - Vaneet Mehta (he/him) 4. Don’t be afraid of constructive criticism (both from yourself and others) As a writer, it is easy to become very attached to certain aspects of your work that you are passionate about - especially when you are exploring a topic which is close to your heart. However, if these ideas don’t fit well with the flow of the rest of your work, often, you will need to be hard on yourself and remove them. To be a good writer is to always think about the strength of the overall message, even if it means removing elements that you yourself are enthusiastic about. “Be prepared to sacrifice your favourite ideas if they’re not going anywhere. The first draft of my book proposal was a mess and it was only when I drove a stake through its heart and harvested the useful organs that I discovered exactly what I wanted to write.” - Dr Paul Taylor-Pitt (he/him) Of course, in a similar way to how putting those first few words down is intimidating, so is handing your work to someone else for their comments. Writing a book, or even a book proposal takes considerable time and thought. However, what is a great book if it is left as a draft on your laptop, or to gather dust in a drawer? Getting outside perspectives on your work can only make it stronger. If you’re struggling with comments for others, ask them to provide feedback in written form in the first instance, which you can respond to in your own time - hence why our next tip is so important. “Take on feedback early. Don't be afraid to show what you've written to people you know and ask for their brutal opinion. These are your readers, after all, so you want to make sure that what you've written is clear, coherent and concise.” - Vaneet Mehta (he/him) 5. Let it Rest! Writing, or planning to write a book is an intensive process, and takes up a lot of psychological and emotional energy - significantly more so when it is linked to other parts of your work or your wider mission. Therefore, it is important for you to take time away from it when you need to. This could be for a multitude of reasons: To distance yourself a little from feedback and self-critique To give yourself a break To provide yourself with mental stimulation away from your writing To allow you to reflect To afford you a change in perspective “Writing can be hard, I know all too well the pressures of writing book(s) and how this can affect you. It is important that you can find balance with your mental health - and ensure that the writing process doesn’t take more from you than you get in return.” - Ben Pechey (they/them) Fresh eyes will do wonders for your creative process, and will allow you to recharge your batteries. While all nighters in front of a computer screen might be necessary sometimes to capitalise on inspiration and excitement, it is important to know the value in switching off sometimes, too. This will serve you well in the long-term. On the Publishing Process… “Writing isn’t linear, and neither is the process of becoming a published author. Expect to find challenges and roadblocks - how you work around these is the most important thing. You will grow as a writer through each process you work through.” - Ben Pechey (they/them) 1. Use your network! Our networks are one of our most important assets as Queer Leaders, both in terms of people we know in the community, and in terms of people of wider influence. One of the reasons why our networks are so important to us, is because the people within them come from so many different walks of life. If you know others who are writers or have works published, speak to them! They will have so much advice to offer you - it’s even better if it’s a friend. They may even be able to make some introductions for you. As with a lot of creative industries, a lot of people can get that first foot in the door by being introduced to a contact by someone they know. 2. Refine your elevator pitch You might have a really strong book proposal, or even a rough first draft of a manuscript. While it takes a lot of time to put this together, arguably, the hardest part is describing your idea in a way that can grab someone’s attention in a short amount of time. Some tips on how to work your elevator pitch: It should be no longer that ONE sentence This needs to contain enough information to leave someone wanting more, but not too much information as to overwhelm them or allow them to lose focus. Make it as original as you can to pique someone’s interest Why is an elevator pitch important? It brings listeners straight to your work’s Unique Selling Point (USP). Your USP (or someone’s ideas around your work’s USP) can then determine how literary agents could pitch your book to a publisher, how acquiring editors might pitch books internally, how you could describe the book on social media, and even how the blurb on the back a printed, final book can grab readers in a bookshop. 3. You’ll need an agent It is an industry standard that publishers do not accept unsolicited manuscripts - every prospective author needs an agent for their manuscript to be seen. How does someone find a literary agent? First, as with everything else we’ve mentioned so far, do some research. Are there any authors whose work has resonated with you? Would you like to have the same effect on audiences as them? Check to see who their agent is. Are there any authors who have written about similar topics to you, and you could see your work complimenting theirs? Are there any particular publishing houses that you think your work could fit in with - are the authors who they publish regularly represented by the same people? In the same way that you will use your network, there is no harm sending an email and potentially arranging a phone call. When meeting with potential agents, first impressions are important. Both in terms of how you present and conduct yourself towards them, and how they feel to you. Think about what kind of person you want to work with - someone who’s hardline and professional, or someone who’s more relaxed and easily approachable? Someone in-between? Never forget that who you chose as an agent is a very personal choice. You have to feel like they have your best interests at heart, and that they’re truly passionate about the project. 4. Managing your relationships Managing relationships does end with finding the right agent when you are trying to get your book published. Your agent will connect you with publishing houses through their contacts, and you may have some meetings alongside your agent at publishers’ if you are lucky. Although you may be in a fortunate minority to get to this stage, again, your relationship with a publisher is a two-way street. When speaking to your agent about publishers, or speaking to publishers themselves, it is important to make your ambitions clear to them, to make sure everyone’s visions are compatible - whether that be talking about finances, who will act as an editor, or what Public Relations team will be will working with the publishers to promote your book. While you may not see these people regularly, it is important that you feel comfortable enough to challenge aspects of how the publishing process of your work is managed. Considering it is your writing is essentially an extension of yourself, you should always feel communication between these different parties is psychologically safe. “Embrace edits! Getting edits isn’t a bad thing - I love the ability that a good editor can have on my work - so embrace this process and watch your words improve with every edit!” - Ben Pechey (they/them) 5. Handling public responses to your work It may have been an arduous and emotional process to get your book published, and you will feel a sense of immense accomplishment when you see your work out there in the real world. You may even feel a sense of relief, when you think about how much time and effort it's taken to get from the beginnings of a concept, all the way to a finished product that people can read and consider at length. Of course, if someone can read and consider your work, this also means they can form an opinion about it. It would be unreasonable to think that every single person who reads your work is going to have amazing things to say about it - this is something that’s really important to remember. As with everything, if you make a mistake, it’s good to acknowledge it, and show how you’ll make changes going forward. There are some authors out there who’ve published several editions of one book over the course of several years. Admittedly, this is more common for a work of non-fiction than it is for fiction. When thinking about the feedback your work receives, it is so crucial that you surround yourself with people who you can trust to help keep you grounded, and also who can help reassure you in more difficult situations. Also remember that your team who worked with you to get this book published should also be there to support you. Having a supportive team and trusted people around you can make all the difference in navigating the ups and downs of the publishing process and beyond. Do you have any more tips for aspiring authors? Let us know by getting in touch with us via email at hello@wecreatespace.co While you're here... Did you know we consult with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here. We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

We wanted to shed light on icons from history who you may not know had disabilities or were neurodivergent! Each of these leaders are notable for being pioneers in different areas, but their disabilities and neurodiversities are often left out of the history books when we discuss the intersections of their marginalised identities. It’s essential that we don’t let these important figures in disabled history be stripped of this aspect of their identity. We hope you learn something new about someone you already look up to! 1. Frida Kahlo The famous painter and self-portraitist is most well-known for their surreal style and use of colour to depict what she saw in post-colonial Mexican life. Much of her work centres around ideas of gender and her experience as a queer person, which made way for great change in terms of how queerness was viewed in the world of art and wider society. Kahlo was left disabled after becoming ill with polio as a child, and left with permanent pain problems after being part of a bus accident when she was 18 years old. Later on in life, several of her paintings reflect her declining health due to Spina Bifida. 2. Alan Turing A lot of us may know some of his story from Benedict Cumberpatch’s portrayal in the 2014 film The Imitation Game, where Turing’s sexuality is considered one of the main themes. Turing was a mathematician, computer scientist, and cryptanalyst, having been instrumental in the cracking of the German Enigma Code during The Second World War. His calculations saved millions of lives. He is also attributed as the inventor of the modern computer, and therefore an architect of how we live and communicate today. He is lesser known though, for being neurodiverse. His face now adorns the back of the latest £50 bank note, showing how much of an impact his work continues to have on all of our lives. 3. Maya Angelou Angelou’s words have touched millions. She also used her influence to bring attention to the experience of the LGBTQ+ at the highest levels, being the first person to say ‘gay’ at a US Presidential Inauguration in 1993, as well as strongly advocating for marriage equality. One of her most famous lines is “I am gay. I am lesbian. I am black. I am white. I am Native American. I am Christian. I am Jew. I am Muslim.” Here, she uses the power of the spoken word to unite the human experience, in spite of political and cultural divides. ​An aspect of Angelou’s life which is not well-known though, is that she developed selective mutism that was attributed to a traumatic experience as a child. 4. Sojourner Truth Sojourner Truth was a woman’s rights activist who also fought for the inclusion of Black women in the suffrage movement. In one of Truth’s most notable speeches, 'Ain’t I a Woman,' she highlighted the difference in experience for a woman of colour, not just between them and white women, but between them and men of colour, too. She is a forebear of the school of thought around Intersectionality. When she was enslaved, Truth injured her hand, which made it hard for her to use it. Truth was the first Black person to have a statue in the U.S. Capitol building, but there is criticism of some depictions showing her as body-normative. 5. Elton John Whilst Elton John is known to most for his uniting music, eccentric stage outfits and general humorous demeanour, his work as a gay man to advance the rights of LGBTQ+ people globally is something to behold - especially with the Elton John AIDS Foundation. What a lot don’t know though, is that Elton has suffered with Epilepsy for many years. He also cancelled a tour last year due to a hip injury that left him with chronic pain. Still, he does an awful lot considering he’s 75 years old! 6. Bobbi Lea Bennett In 1978, Bobbie Lea Bennett was the first person in the United States to obtain gender-affirming surgery . Originally, she was told that Medicare funding would be provided to cover the cost of her transition. However, this was removed without explanation. As a result of the removal of her funding, she mobilised her community and protested in the office of the Medicare, refusing to leave. Because of her direct action, gender affirmation surgery became viewed as a medical necessity. Bennett is a shining example of how the LGBTQ+ people owe a lot to the disabled members of their community. What’s lesser known is that she was a wheelchair user, and had a rare bone disease called osteogenesis imperfecta. 7. Marsha P. Johnson We know Marsha as a figurehead for the LGBTQ+ rights movement in the US. A leading member of the Gay Liberation Front in New York, Johnson’s involvement in the art scene at that time - most notably working with Andy Warhol - represented a milestone in trans representation. However, Marsha is less known for her struggles with both physical and psychological disabilities. Her organisation Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) had a focus on disability justice. Johnson demanded that disabled people have free access to therapy and medical resources they voluntarily chose, but also demanded that doctors must stop trying to cure their gender identity and sexualities, arguing that oppression can in fact be a cause of disability.

We’re sharing this round up of nine important leaders who are helping pave the way for greater intersex rights - as elected officials, artists, athletes and activists! There are still a lot of misconceptions about Intersex people, and what it means to be Intersex - even within the wider LGBTQIA+ community. We wanted to highlight a selection of Intersex people who are positively impacting the world we live in, as well as those whose legacy is still prominent today. 1. Christiane Völling Christiane Völling is the first intersex person known to have successfully sued for damages in a case brought for non-consensual surgical intervention described as a non-consensual sex reassignment. She was awarded €100,000 by the Regional Court of Cologne. Völling was born in 1959 with XX sex chromosomes, typically associated with being female, and likely also with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. She had ambiguous genitalia and was assigned and raised male. She had an early puberty with what was considered to be striking physical growth, including beard growth. During an appendectomy, at age 14, the teenager was found to have a full set of female reproductive organs, including ovaries and fallopian tubes. While no testicular tissue was detected, Völling was diagnosed as having a mix of both male and female organs. She was informed of the presence of female organs and told she was 60% female. Völling suffered mental health issues as a consequence. Her female-typical chromosomal pattern was detected in 1977, but the results were not shared with her. Völling continued to live as a man for a time, but later transitioned to live as a woman. In 2006, Völling obtained her medical records and discovered the concealment of her chromosomal diagnosis, and the nature of the surgery in 1977. The court determined that the surgery took place in the absence of any grave or acute health risks. The doctor had no good reason for failing to provide full diagnostic information, in particular as the diagnostic data showed that Völling did not possess mixed sex characteristics, with the potential to maintain one present sex, but actually involved the complete removal of her only present sex organs. Völling was both genetically and physically female. 2. Mark Weston Mark Weston was an intersex individual who was raised as a female named Mary Edith Louise Weston. Weston was both intersex and trans. Nicknamed "the Devonshire Wonder", he was one of the best British field athletes of the 1920s. He was a national champion in the women's javelin throw and discus throw in 1929 and won the women's shot put title in 1925, 1928 and 1929.Weston became increasingly conscious of feeling uncomfortable as a woman and in 1936 underwent a series of surgeries at Charing Cross Hospital in London to become male. When interviewed by the Western Morning News in May of that year Weston said he was delighted to be now “in my true element.”Weston’s life was touched by tragedy when his younger brother Harry Weston took his own life in 1942, aged just 26. Harry was also intersex and assigned female at birth. Born Hilda Margaret Weston he changed his name to Harry Maurice Weston after an operation to become male at the same hospital as his brother. 3. Small Luk Small Luk was determined at birth to be male. Following years of suffering and failed surgical procedures, Luk started the organisation Beyond the Boundary – Knowing and Concerns Intersex. She works with others to raise public awareness of issues faced by the intersex community, promote intersex rights and advocate for an end to forced genital surgery and conversion therapy. These procedures are commonplace that many intersex people been subject to around the world - both in the past, and in the present. As well as being an activist, Small Luk is a doctor of Chinese medicine, running a holistic clinic in Hong Kong. She is well-known as the first Hong Kong citizen to publicly acknowledge their intersex status. 4. River Gallo River is a model, activist and filmmaker. They won a GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) award for their short film Ponyboi. This was the film that they made for their Master's Degree, and was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival. - @rivergallo 5. Tony Briffa Tony Briffa is a Maltese-Australian politician who is notable for being the world's first known intersex mayor and public officeholder. Briffa was raised as a girl, then lived for a time as a man, and now chooses to live as both female and male. Briffa is one of the first people to be public about a chosen blank, indeterminate, birth certificate. Current co-executive director of Intersex Human Rights Australia, and Vice-President and former President of the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group Australia. Take a look at Tony's website here. 6. Morgan Carpenter Morgan Carpenter is a bioethicist, intersex activist and researcher. In 2013 he created the intersex flag, and became president of Intersex Human Rights Australia. He is now a co-executive director. In 2015, he cofounded a project to mark Intersex Awareness Day. He learned he was intersex as an adult. 7. Betsy Driver Betsy Driver is the mayor of Flemington, New Jersey, and an advocate for intersex human rights and awareness. She is the first openly intersex person to be elected to office in the United States. Driver was born with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. In her mid-30s, she began learning about intersex people and the surgeries she went through at eight months old. She has stated that she and her mother had been told that she was the only one to have this condition. 8. Gopi Shankar Madurai Gopi Shankar Madurai is an Indian equal rights and Indigenous rights activist. Shankar was one of the youngest, and the first openly intersex and genderqueer statutory authority and one of the candidates to contest in 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election. Shankar's work inspired the Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) to direct the Government of Tamil Nadu to order a ban on forced sex-selective surgeries on intersex infants. In December 2017 Shankar was elected to the executive board of ILGA Asia. In August 2020 the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment appointed Shankar as the South Regional representative in the National Council for Transgender Persons. 9. Sally Gross Sally Gross was an anti-apartheid and intersex activist. A member of the African National Congress during the apartheid era, and the founder of Intersex South Africa, Gross acted as a mentor to intersex activists around the globe. In 2000, Sally secured the first known mention of intersex in national law, with the inclusion of "intersex" within the definition of "sex" in the anti-discrimination law of the Republic of South Africa. Since then, she helped to draft legislation on the Alteration of Sex Descriptors, and the Promotion of Equality. While you're here... Did you know we consult with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here. We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

Guest Writer Josh Rivers encourages us to question how we think about resilience and how communities can really unite to instil change. by Josh Rivers The mark of any queer person’s humanity appears to be indelibly linked to their resilience. Resilience is praised as one of our queer virtues, indeed the bedrock of our existence: in the face of increasing and persistent adversity, we keep getting back up, keep pressing on, keep surviving. But resilience is defined as the ability to recover quickly from difficulties, a specificity of action I’ve not understood the word to mean before this moment. Why quickly? Who decides how quickly is quickly enough? What if we don’t recover quickly, but keep moving forward anyway: are we still resilient? If we examine resilience up close and in the context of our lives in 2023, is resilient even a good thing to be? Other definitions of resilience include the ability to withstand immense pressure and the ability to bounce back and return to original form. The former is an exercise in rigidity in a world that always wants us to be something else. Bayard Rustin, a queer Black icon to whom I look for unending inspiration, withstood immense pressure and at great personal sacrifice. Throughout his life agitating for justice, he kept coming back to fight, despite being thrown in jail repeatedly for “lewd acts” (read: cruising), where he wrote heartbreaking letters about whether or not to deny his desires. Which leads us to the latter: even if we’re able to withstand the pressure, even if we appear to bounce back and return to form, are we not forever changed by the very life that demands so much resilience? To understand resilience, we have to place it in the context of its necessity. Resilience is at once a testament to an individual’s determination to survive and an indictment on a society that demands it. Perhaps my issue with resilience-as-virtue is that the pressure to be resilient lies firmly on the person who relies on their resilience for survival (for example, LGBTQIA+ people) and not on the systems, structures and societies that demand resilience in the first place. As Guiliane Kinouani writes on Race Reflections, “While some may argue that by focusing on [our] psyche, we stand a better chance at building our psychological or psychic resilience… such unbalanced attention actively locates the disturbance in [us].” I can’t help but feel that all this pressure and attention that is placed on resilience should actually be channelled into questioning why we have to express such resilience at all. In their new book, Healing Justice Lineages, community organisers Cara Page and Erica Woodland write that we must “address the ways events or conditions impact entire communities and movements, and envision ways for us to hold each other together”. We cannot only be called upon to withstand the pressure of the system, noble as surviving is. Our resilience must be oriented towards the wholesale transformation of systems and structures which are not designed to include us or allow us to thrive. To do this, Page and Woodland offer up a “healing justice” framework: “a political strategy [that builds] collective practices and spaces where healing shapes the culture in which we do our organising”. A resilience made possible through communal care and structural transformation then becomes a queer virtue because it moves us towards collective justice. To be resilient is also to be courageous. Courage is important because it assists us in the pursuit of our joy and our joy demands our courageous defiance. It was poet and human rights activist PJ Samuels who forever altered how I understand the tough work of joy-finding: “If I’m not finding joy in it, I’m going to find another way, which then frees me from the situation that was oppressing me and getting in the way of my joy.” My conversation with PJ Samuels and so many others are my demonstration of my commitment to creating spaces that offer the communities I love the opportunity – over and over again – to encounter reflections of their courage; and that they understand deeply that they are surrounded by communities of people, near and far, gone and with us still, who are dogged in their pursuit of what lights them up. Pursuits which, in turn, enlighten and enliven us all. Perhaps I want to exist within my own definition of resilience, one that isn’t ahistorical, but that acknowledges the time, place and context of its necessity, and one that doesn’t tell me my resilience is anchored to speed. Or perhaps I resent that resilience requires so much of me so often and nothing from the external pressures that demand it. Resilience in theory and execution is emotionally, mentally and physically expensive. Perhaps in using resilience to confer admiration, we should do so remembering that it all comes at such a cost; and that our decision to continue on trying to make positive change in our communities and to improve life for those around us, knowing what it will cost doesn’t make us resilient - it makes us courageous. Check out the Busy Being Black Podcast. Themes touched on in this article are explored further in the below episodes: PJ Samuels, “Black She” Zinzi Minott, “Ancestral Interference” malakaï sergeant, “I Sparkle When I Sleep” Travis Alabanza, “None of the Above” Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, “Knowing Where to Dig” Josh Rivers (he/him) Josh is the creator and host of Busy Being Black, the podcast featuring cerebral and tender conversations with queer Black artists, activists and intellectuals. You can find more information about Josh's work here. If you would like to book Josh as a speaker for a workshop or panel event, please get in touch with us via email at hello@wecreatespace.co While you're here... Did you know we consult with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here. We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

Looking back and reflecting on what we've achieved, the projects we've delivered, the events we've held, and most importantly, the impact that we've had over the course of the last year as an organisation, and as a collective. At We Create Space , it's our mission to equip our communities with new tools and practices for Queer Leadership, Allyship and Wellbeing. As a non-profit community-led social-enterprise, profits made from the work we do with corporations go back into the LGBTQ+ community ; providing free events, well-being solutions, resources and support to the wider global queer community. At the start of this year we set out our Community Action Plan , based on feedback from our global community, about what they wanted to see from We Create Space in 2022. Today we wanted to revisit how we’ve achieved those goals. So much of the work we do is 'behind-the-scenes', so our team have put together this little summary highlighting just some of what we have all accomplished as a collective in 2022. 1. We provided more FREE Online Learning and Leadership Development Opportunities for our Global Community. This year, we welcomed 1500+ global Queer Leaders and Allies to join us for on our FREE online Webinars and Panel Discussions. During our Queer Leadership 101 Series this year, we explored: How to Healthily Challenge Executive Leadership Shifting the Mindset of Others Nurturing Queer Leaders of the Future How to Grow Your Empathetic Leadership Skills How to Define and Affirm Our Values How to Avoid the DEI Comparison Trap How to an Anti-Racist LGBTQ+ Ally You can find recordings of each of these sessions and more on our Queer Leadership 101 YouTube Playlist . During our Queer Perspectives Series this year, we delved into: Being a Queer Leader of Faith Surviving Conversion Therapy Mental Health and Overcoming Addiction Navigating Male Privilege Intersectional Black Identities Migrant and Refugee Status You can find recordings of each of these sessions and more on our Queer Perspectives YouTube Playlist . "We Create Space gave me something I wasn’t aware I needed: support from a queer platform to help me achieve my dreams and navigate life. The dedication that all the team put in to make it remarkable is impressive." - Matheus P 2. We expanded our internal team, UK Advisory Board, and global speaker collective. We Create Space wouldn't be what it is without the inspiring individuals that make up our internal team, and our wider collective . All of this expansion means that we are able to dig deeper and provide increasingly meaningful and specialised consideration into everything we do. We can't wait to see what we can achieve in 2023! "Whenever I get the chance to be with my queer siblings on a WCS session, I always walk away with a full heart." - Bachul Koul 3. We developed our content platform and resource library. Content is a huge part of what we do at WCS , and it's the glue which connects all the different parts of our organisation together. It also connects us to you - our community and our clients. Through guest-written pieces and contributions from our Leadership Collective, as well as content that we put together in-house, we use our content as a way for those who are part of our community to get to know each-other better; provide inspiration for considered reflection on how we can all be better Queer Leaders and Allies to those around us; and best of all, let people know about our in-person Community Events. The statistics speak for themselves, with our website having hosted 7.72k unique users and gaining 30k page views this year. Here is some of our most popular content from 2022: Being both Non-Binary and a Black Woman Queer Perspectives on Being in Inter-able Relationships. Pronouns: Getting it right when you get it wrong. Queer Liberation, Intersectionality and Reclaiming Womanhood. My Ally & Me: Oli and Char. My Trans Role Models by Rico Jacob Chace My Non-Binary Role Models by Ben Pechey Trans Pride Photos by Bex Wade Click here to head to our Journal and read more... "A committed, fantastic and truly inclusive organisation - run by kind, intelligent and passionate individuals." - Jaqcui D 4. We organised more FREE in-person panels, workshops and events. While our online programming of workshops and webinars are important for bringing together our global LGBTQIA+ Community and our clients, this year, we have successfully partnered with venues in both London and Barcelona to organise 20 local in-person Community Events. These have represented meaningful opportunities to hear new perspectives, network and build relationships (and friendships), with Queer Leaders attending from across both our corporate and community activism networks . "This was such a fantastic event from start to finish. It felt like a very safe space and to have everyone there for the same reason was great. Well thought through, interesting with time for discussion and self reflection." - Miles Z If you would like to see what events we have coming up, check out our events page . Don't forget to sign up to our newsletter to stay up-to-date with the latest information. 5. We expanded our global corporate partner networks and consultancy services. A key part of how we encourage positive change for our community is by advocating for LGBTQ+ people within corporate environments; providing services and solutions to the companies we work with - whether this be: - DEI Training, Workshops and Webinars - Live Conversations, Panels and Discussions - Leadership Programmes and Retreats - Coaching and Consultancy - Community Insights and Research All delivered through our bespoke Event Packages and Annual Memberships . We are proud to say we now work with over 100 corporate partners and their ERGs. In 2022, we have also engaged with over 10,000 employees of these companies. If each one of these participants learns something from one of our sessions or speakers and applies it in their every day life, this means we are well on the way to making meaningful progress in how we work, as well as how we treat the people around us. You can find some case-studies and the clients we work with here . "One of the benefits of working with WCS is the tailored aspect – the team is able to make the sessions fit our specific needs as a client." - Lloyd T, YMU Group 6. We invested back into the community through creating hundreds of paid work opportunities for our collective. One of the most fulfilling parts of our work as a non-profit organisation is that we are able to provide members of our LGBTQ+ Community and Queer Leadership Collective paid work opportunities. This, in turn, enables them to continue the work they do in the community - driving change and inspiring others to feel empowered in their own identities. We are proud to say that we have been able to invest over £285,000 back into our fabulous community in 2022 alone. 7. We continued to support individuals through strengthening their role as change agents and allies within their own communities. Supporting our Queer Leaders and strengthening their roles as change agents is at the crux of all that we do. Without the strength and determination of these change-makers, our organisation wouldn't be what it is. Therefore, we understand the importance of doing everything we can to support them in their work, to ensure that they can continue educating others and making our world a better place. This means, regrouping, recharging and reenergising through collective learning and healing. Our Pride & Beyond Summit held in May, as well as our Queer Leadership Retreat in July, were two of the biggest stand-out moments in the year, where we really provided a tailored space to Queer Leaders, and their unique needs. We can't wait to host these again next year! "A taste of queer utopia! The Queer Leadership Retreat was so well organized and supported, and all of the programming (and space between programming) was thoughtfully planned. I left feeling more connected, rested and somehow also energized, and ready to take what I learned into my work and life." - Joshua L We would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone who has taken time to work with us this year. Everyone has worked so hard to get us to this point, and we are very proud of what we have achieved with your dedication and knowledge. We wish everyone a restful festive period, and we will see you again in 2023!

Jen Polzin and Mali Čačković from JTI share their Queer Allyship success stories; showing us how an intersectional, empathetic approach leads to stronger connections. Jennifer's Allyship story... Mali always listens and never judges. This is such an important skill when trying to accept everyone’s true authentic self. Mali became a close friend before we even started the queer journey at JTI. When we met as students, I immediately felt safe with Mali and knew that she is a person that takes one as they are. We share a sense for social justice and advocated for social causes and went to rallies long before we became LGBTQIA+ activist – and we still are. As we know what it means to be discriminated intersectionally, we are both passionate allies for all marginalised people. Whenever I have an unpleasant experience at work, for example whenever I undergo a microaggression, I know that Mali is there for me to comfort me, to build me up again and to give me new strength to continue educating colleagues. Mali always reminds me how important it is to do this repetitive and many times frustrating work of explaining, patiently teaching, and transforming unconscious biases into conscious inclusion – or at least into consciousness. I realised that Mali is a true ally when she applied for the role of PRIDE Germany’s Co-Chair. Leading the local chapter of our global LGBTQIA+ employee resource group (ERG) as a straight ally, she made it very clear that she wanted to support marginalized groups not only by talking, but with real woman power and practical help. Taking over the responsibility to organise campaigns and events immediately took off some heavy pressure from the German LGBTQIA+ community at JTI. Mali’s light shines bright into the company. With her taking up the co-chair role, she’s made her boss and close team understand what it means to be an active ally supporting the LGBTQIA+ community without identifying as a community member. She explains the concept of allyship by action every time she is performing within her team and the greater JTI realm. She is a walking demonstration for straight employees at JTI of why it is important to have allies outside the LGBTQIA+ community. She creates awareness with her presence. Mali’s allyship goes beyond the workplace. She understands what it means to be a true active ally and always supports the people around her. She has helped family members, friends, colleagues, and people that crossed her path equally providing a safe space to share and to discover their own identity. I hope she knows what important space she is holding, allowing people to understand and explore themselves with a friendly soul accompanying them on their journey. As many know, it is absolutely challenging to do that work alone. Mali's Allyship story... To me the key to being a good ally is listening and understanding. When I got to know Jen, I already thought of myself as an ally. But Jen showed me how much more there is to it. I learned a lot from them, and I still do. I really want to say that there is no such thing as a “bad ally”, but sometimes even well-intended actions can lead to a lot more discomfort. When I witness disrespectful behaviour towards a friend or colleague, I always let them take the lead to respond to this. I don’t want to speak for other people, I want them to feel that I am at their side and that I’m ready to act. How can you be your true authentic self, when you are constantly worrying about other people’s reaction or perception? Only when you feel comfortable and accepted in every way, can you reach your full potential. With founding the local PRIDE Chapter in Germany, Jen showed how passionate they are about educating others about LGBTIQ+ topics. In return, this helped me to find the courage to take an active role, also outside of the working context. With their great leadership skills Jen taught me what allyship truly means. With an open mind and a joyful spirit, they helped me to become a better ally and a better person as well. As a woman from a migrant background, unfortunately I have faced discriminatory behaviour in my life. Even though these were unpleasant experiences, they have helped me to understand what it means to be discriminated against. Through that I realised, how important it is, to have allies by your side and how difficult it is not to have them. When I joined PRIDE Germany, with Jen as the Co-Chair, I quickly learned how much fun it is to not only to learn more, but to educate others. After I took over Jen’s role of PRIDE Germany’s Co-Chair, I realised that through my support in this, Jen was able to spread their wings even further and pursue the goal to become a global Pride Co-Chair (in which they succeed magnificently, I might add). They really are thriving in what they do. This fills me with joy and motivation, not only as an ally but as a friend. There are countless situations in daily life, where people who don’t fit in the hetero-normative society face troubles, unseen by those who fit in this construct. What helped me to not forget this, is to constantly ask myself: How would Jen feel in this situation or about this comment? I believe you have to be aware of your own (unconscious) biases – because every single person has them. We tend to judge other people and even ourselves because of these biases. The learning never stops. Jennifer Polzin (she/they/Jen) Jen is the genderfluid and pansexual Co-Chair of the global LGBTQIA+ Inclusion Employee Resource Group (ERG), PRIDE at JTI. Their main objectives are bringing together queer employees, raising awareness for the LGBTQIA+ community and building allyship to maintain the global safe space – always acknowledging intersectionality. Based in Germany, Jen has launched and co-chaired the local ERG before moving into the global role. She loves to dance, sing, and teach. Malina Čačković (she/her) Mali is a heterosexual, cis-gender woman, who has always considered herself as an ally. When a family member came out to her, she could feel the weight being lifted off their shoulders. To transport this into her working environment, she joined the LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Employee Resource Group (ERG) PRIDE in Germany. Apart from being a proud ally, she also is a passionate gamer. About the 'My Ally and Me' story-telling series: At We Create Space we always aim to lift and amplify the voices of our global queer collective of change-makers. However with this story-telling series we wanted to give LGBTQ+ leaders the opportunity to bring an ally into the conversation and explain how their valued support has shaped their personal and professional journey. While you're here... Did you know we consult with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here. We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

What are getting up to in 2023? Our plans for the year ahead. Incorporating all the valuable feedback and insights from our last Community Survey, we've now set out our plans and ambitions as an organisation, and as a collective, for 2023... 1. Strengthen the WCS intra-community network. We hope to strengthen the WCS intra-community network, connections and relationships through the hosting of more global events and experiences – bringing together both international community activists and corporate professionals in shared spaces, both virtual and in-person. We plan to host more free… In-person events in London and around the UK. In-person events in Barcelona. + Take WCS on a small World Tour hosting some community events in other cities. Expand our ‘Pride & Beyond’ Queer Leadership Summit activation. Explore a WCS Community Digital Platform to connect people beyond events. Sign up to our newsletter to ensure you receive invites to our events. 2. Ensure we're a progressive, inclusive and attractive organisation to work for, and collaborate with. As we expand our team and grow our network of queer talent, we will: Build out, train, and support the global internal teams, collective and advisory board. Improve representation from speakers across certain identity groups, age-ranges, languages, and continents. Continue to invest back into the LGBTQ+ community through the creation of even more paid work opportunities. Identify more Queer Charity Partners and Social Enterprises for WCS to support and collaborate with. Follow us on social to hear about any new job opportunities. 3. Continue to help LGBTQ+ people around the world access a sustainable path to Queer Leadership. We are continuing to: Build an archive of FREE reliable educational information for our global community members. Host more online webinars and panels (such as our Queer Perspectives and Queer Leadership 101 series). Produce more articles and videos on leadership development topics as well as wellbeing content to support individuals on their journey. Check out all our past webinars for free on our YouTube channel. 4. Enhance our DEI services and establishing longer-term partnerships with our global network of corporate clients. This will allow us to continue… Advocating for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace. Creating more paid work opportunities for our global collective of change-makers. Connecting grass-roots community leaders with corporate organisations; creating space for new perspectives and conversations. Raising money to fund all our free events, content, resources and development opportunities for our global community. + Produce a new WCS Workplace Report to provide LGBTQIA+ data and insights as we explore Queer Leadership across different professions, industries and sectors. Find out more about our consultancy services here. 5. Further develop our own online learning platform. We want to improve and develop our own online learning platform. We hope for WCS to remain a high-quality source for FREE Queer Allyship info and tools. We plan to... Be even more intentional and intersectional with our programming and Allyship content, covering topics that matter most to our community. Continue creating meaningful resources that support individuals with strengthening their role as change agents within their own communities or organisations. Continue to advocate for holistic approaches to activism and learning. Explore our Library and Glossary for existing Queer Allyship resources. If you have any questions please get in touch with us via email at hello@wecreatespace.co

Guest Writer Geffrye Parsons explains how inclusive Senior Management can promote organisational learning, to uphold and develop corporate culture and values. by Geffrye Parsons My name is Geff Parsons. I am a gay cis man, and I use he/him pronouns. Last year, I retired from a successful 35-year front office executive career in the financial services industry, based variously in London, Hong Kong, Singapore and Amsterdam, to dedicate myself full-time to promoting inclusion in and through commercial organisations. From being a Managing Director at various banks, I am now the Founder and CEO of The Inclusion Imperative – an independent Diversity, Equity & Inclusion consultancy practice. I have long believed that a workplace culture that champions inclusion is the ‘secret sauce’ of sustained corporate success. To be robust, such a culture has to be underpinned by sound values which govern how everyone operates there every day. I had this ethos in mind when I set up my own organisation. Understanding the synergy of moral and business priorities (where ‘the right thing to do’ meets ‘the best thing to do’), when an organisation grasps and upholds the importance of an inclusive culture, led me to call it The Inclusion Imperative – because inclusion is fundamental, not just a nice-to-have, as we shall see. And for good measure, my conviction that empathy is one of the most critical ingredients in the recipe for a successful modern leader, led me to adapt the title of CEO to mean, in my case, Chief Empathy Officer. Culture underpins everything in an organisation; it is its DNA. As Shopify’s Brittany Forsyth has observed, the “behaviours and beliefs [you value as a company] should be so essential to your core, that you don’t even think of it as culture.” But what if that culture does not champion the importance of inclusion? History is littered with examples of toxic corporate cultures which have sparked spectacular collapses (Enron, anyone?) – failures of integrity which could have been avoided if the environment had been sufficiently inclusive to create the psychological safety necessary to allow doubters to speak up. For example, banks, like those I spent most of my career working for, are effectively paid to take risk, and so rely enormously on being able to identify and assess it – but markets and products are constantly evolving, so being open to new ways to spot and measure risks is critical to avoiding disaster for them. Arguably the most spectacular instance of a failure of learning caused by a flawed culture is not a corporate example, but involves the Space Shuttle ‘Challenger’, which exploded just after launch in January 1986. Serious doubts expressed by engineers at the time were met with such disdain from their bosses that they reversed their initial ‘no-go’ recommendation – with, of course, tragic consequences. Seven deaths, and irreparable reputational damage, arose because the workplace culture was not inclusive enough to allow the status quo to be questioned without negative repercussions for those involved. Inclusion = Innovation An inclusive workplace culture is far from being only about managing the downside. An inclusive culture creates organisational learning, which is the lifeblood of innovation. As management guru Peter Drucker has remarked, organisations must “innovate or die!” An inclusive culture, where staff feel a sense of belonging and trust, allows received wisdom to be challenged and mistakes to be seen as learning opportunities. A ‘Goldilocks’ zone, where high levels of performance expectation merge with high levels of psychological safety, therefore produces what Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter called “creative destruction” – an environment where creativity and innovation can, and do, flourish. This is where empathetic leadership matters most. A consciously inclusive Senior Manager encourages and embraces diversity of thought – ensuring that the skewing effects of biases like affinity bias (which effectively endorses established practices), confirmation bias (which blinds them to alternatives) and proximity bias (which favours the loudest voice in the room), are actively counter-balanced. How can a Senior Manager be “consciously inclusive”? This requires resisting the temptation to fill one’s team in one’s own image, or to continue with ‘business as usual’ unquestioningly. It also necessitates curiosity about alternative perspectives (and the lived experiences and cultures that have formed those perspectives) – through a willingness to really (rather than superficially) listen and learn, through active outreach (not just a passive ‘my door is always open’ mantra) and by self-educating, perhaps by enrolling as an ally of employee resource groups. Additionally, for Senior Management, it requires setting up the environment so that different views are able to be aired and respected in meetings and other forums, in ways which feel appropriate and safe to both extroverts and introverts in the team, so that the ‘usual suspects’ (usually the loudest, most extroverted) do not dominate the conversation. It also means that mistakes should be accepted and viewed constructively, as a source of future knowledge, rather than destructively; this is what it takes to ‘break the mould’. Similarly, it often also necessitates an ‘investment’ mindset, accepting a partial sacrifice of immediate term efficiency in order to promote greater success in the medium term and beyond. In turn, this of course requires buy-in from other stakeholders, allowing space and time for strategy to triumph over tactics. After all, staff are people, and people see the world differently. Those with minority characteristics (especially if those are not visible, which often includes being LGBTQIA+) may be inclined to play down their difference, codeswitching and withholding or limiting their contributions to the team environment, for fear of outing themselves or of being ridiculed, ostracised or punished. Those with multiple characteristics may feel even more marginalised as the barriers to their participation compound. Yet ultimately, ALL progress comes from difference. Difference, manifested in diversity of thought and perspective, should not merely be tolerated or even accepted; it should be celebrated, because it is core to successful decision-making. This is the Progress Paradox – that all progress relies on someone being ‘unreasonable’, i.e. refusing to accept that the status quo is necessarily optimal. But for that to work, a mutual sense of trust between Senior Management and team members must be created in the ways I have suggested. The role of corporate renewal, and how LGBTQIA+ People are well-suited to be inclusive leaders in corporate spaces. Integral to all this is managing the dynamic of corporate renewal. As we have seen, creative destruction spawns progress, but this must be managed to pollinate rather than erode the core values of the organisation, or its inclusive culture. Staff changes are inevitable and pose a challenge in this context. In this context, the company’s management – at all levels – take on the dual role of custodians and educators. They socialise newcomers to the organisational culture and values, while empowering them to contribute to its development in a bi-directional process of learning. Senior Managers who come from marginalised backgrounds themselves are often best-placed to embody an empathetic approach in everything they do with their teams from the start. They are more likely to understand the true importance of holding space for others, and in this respect LGBTQIA+ people are definitely well-equipped to lead by example. Conclusions By embodying and role modelling inclusive management practices every day, Senior Managers can leverage inevitable change to develop an organisation, without compromising its core values. Inclusive leadership is therefore critically important in upholding, developing and enhancing corporate culture. It is undeniable that working culture is a considerable factor in attracting the best future talent who will continue the cycle of corporate education and renewal, influencing others in the same way that others did before them. The greatest significance here though, is the often-unrealised potential of how inclusive workplace values can influence people’s thinking in their wider lives. If everyone upholds an inclusive, empathetic culture in every part of their world, this will enable our society to progress even further, making life better for everyone in the future. Therefore, inclusive leadership is critical for not just organisational robustness and success, but also educating others and passing along empathetic values across generations, borders and cultures. Geffrye Parsons (he/him) Geffrye's passion for promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion and equality has resulted in global recognition, including winning the award for ‘LGBT+ Inspirational Leader’ at the British LGBT Awards in May 2019. Outside work, Geff acts as trustee for two UK-based LGBTQ+ charities: GiveOut and Diversity Role Models. You can find more information about Geffrye's work here. If you would like to book Geff as a speaker for a workshop or panel event, please get in touch with us via email at hello@wecreatespace.co While you're here... Did you know we consult with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here. We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

Oli Birbeck and Char Srahan from Dr. Martens share their Queer Allyship success stories; showing us how open conversations with colleagues can inspire trust. Oli's Allyship story... In February 2022 I started at Dr. Martens, joining as the only trans and non-binary person in the office. Navigating conversations about transitioning and my non-binary identity before my first day was a bit anxiety inducing, but welcomed by HR. I had a sense of safety in my manager to support me, as I had built a relationship with them over zoom. When I eventually joined, my manager left the business. I wasn’t sure whether I’d find the same relationship with someone who understood my identity, that I could talk to about my gender and related conversations. Meeting Char at DM’s completely elevated my experience at work. I get small compliments of “your beard looks sick” when 3 new hairs appear on my chin, to checking in on me after important healthcare appointments. Char acknowledges situations that might be uncomfortable and is thinking about my experience too. She makes time to chat with me when I’m having a rough day. I’m openly trans but that doesn’t mean I want to talk about it to everyone at work. Char is someone I can be completely open with - I don’t get questioned, only hyped up. We joke that someone needs to deflate my ego after I’ve hung out with Char. It’s comforting I can bring my true self into work when I’m with Char. Initially, Char put trust in me and we had more personal chats. It created an environment where I could be vulnerable, and I trusted her way of handling conversations. Her use of non-gendered and inclusive language was an instant connection and safe space for me. Asides from the deeper stuff Char’s always there for us to act completely ourselves and have a silly time. I think the gratitude for Char is felt by many people at our work. She listens and takes time to understand, regardless of her own experiences. She sets the bar high and is an example we can all learn from. I didn’t expect to come into the workplace and find this level of support. Starting as an ally at work, now a close friend in my personal life that I completely trust. Char's Allyship story... To me, being a good ally is about hyping others up and creating a psychologically safe environment in which they can thrive and show up entirely as themselves, no matter where they are in their identity journey. I’ve always been a mega ‘feeler’ or an empath, and this means that when others are happy, I also feel bursting with the joys of life. However, when someone else is low, I feel flat. So, for example, when Oli is feeling confident in themselves, I too feel really good, and it’s SUCH an honour to share in that. If I can even slightly create an environment for that feeling by being a good ally, then my work here is done! I’m not sure there’s such thing as being a bad ally. I think as long as you’re trying your very best to support the people around you, especially those that might need backing a little more than others, then you can sit tight knowing your allyship matters. I also think it’s important to say that as an ally, it’s really OK to make mistakes, be transparent about them and strive to do better next time (whilst encouraging others to do the same). By championing allyship at work, we’ve started to see the people around us trying so much harder to use gender-neutral and inclusive language and we’ve felt empowered to float the idea that one day, we de-gender our products. Of course, people have slipped up and made mistakes, but between us we’ve made a really concerted effort not to squirm at this, but to use it as a springboard to educate people. There’s nothing lovelier than feeling inclusivity spread like a wave across our colleagues. The best part of being an ally to Oli has been seeing them come out of their shell and gain confidence, allowing others to see in them what I get to see. It’s been so fun to see others experiencing their incredible and irreverent humour, fresh ‘hot takes’ and unreal style. I’m so stoked that many others celebrate them like I do… and they’ve become quite the office celebrity! That’s the thing about allyship, you get to play a role in exposing what is so magical about your friend to everyone else, and that’s priceless. It’s vital to say that our relationship is a total two-way street: I’ve tried to help Oli where I can, but their presence in my life has been a gamechanger. All in all, being a good ally is about radical openness, seeking vicarious joy through others when they’re at their best and even when it feels hard, doing your very best to love and support others around you, with all your might. Oli Birbeck (they/them) Oli is a trans & non-binary musician, activist and is currently working their first role in DE&I at Dr. Martens. They are actively fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and equality, as well as leveraging queer voices in music. As the drummer of headboy, they are currently working on releasing a new EP with their band. Char Srahan (she/her) Char currently works in the Culture space as a Culture Specialist at Dr Martens. In the last year she’s worked passionately on projects such as Pride, International Women’s Day, World Mental Health Month with a focus on sharing people’s unique perspectives, especially of those from minority or marginalised backgrounds. When she’s not talking about shoes, she also fiercely advocates for mental health and social justice. About the 'My Ally and Me' story-telling series: At We Create Space we always aim to lift and amplify the voices of our global queer collective of change-makers. However with this story-telling series we wanted to give LGBTQ+ leaders the opportunity to bring an ally into the conversation and explain how their valued support has shaped their personal and professional journey. While you're here... Did you know we consult with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here. We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here. New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!

Your feedback is vital to us, as it informs everything we do. We always want to ensure we are serving our communities in a way that is both authentic and impactful. Take a look at what we've learnt from our community survey this year! Thank you to every single person who took part in our community survey. We're really excited for the year ahead and using this feedback to inform our work going forward. We plan to cover a broad range of topics throughout the year, with a particular focus on ensuring all corners of our global community feel heard and supported. With these insights, we hope to identify what we are already doing well, but also actively make continuous improvements in certain areas too. *Our 2023 Community Action plan to be published in the coming weeks.* 2022/23 Survey Results: " What concerns me the most going into 2023 is not having a legal identity as a non-binary person, and more broadly the impact on trans peoples' mental health due to daily attacks in media and government attempts to roll back LGBTQ+ rights." " The sheer range of subjects and speakers demonstrates your understanding that we, as a queer community, are neither monolithic nor homogenous - we are beautifully varied." " I would love to feel part of the community through a digital platform, alongside initiatives to connect with people in real life." " Always very accessible and welcoming." " I am constantly advising colleagues to refer to your guides to expand their viewpoints and ensure everyone is always looking at everything we do through an intersectional lens." " WCS provides a diverse pool of talent and experience that just doesn't exist within my organisation. I feel confident that when I sign up to an event that there has been careful consideration to include a range of intersectional stories." " More in-person events and networking opportunities throughout the year." Do you have any more recommendations or suggestions for us? If so, it would be great to hear from you. You find us via email at hello@wecreatespace.co or through our social channels! While you're here... Did you know we consult with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke corporate solutions? Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce DEI insights and craft bespoke content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Find out more here . We also organise FREE community events throughout the year! We offer a variety of ways to get involved - both online and in person. This is a great way to network and learn more about others' experiences, through in-depth discussion on an array of topics. You can find out what events we have coming up here . New ones are added all the time, so make sure you sign up to our newsletter so you can stay up to date!