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Multicultural Competence A process of embracing diversity and learning about people from other cultural backgrounds. The key element to becoming more culturally competent is respect for the ways that others live and an openness to learn from them. < Back to Glossary

(they/he) JD JD is an Instructional Designer, Content Writer, and Storyteller specializing in emotional intelligence training for leaders and people managers. Their expertise lies in enabling individuals to gain awareness of their emotions, evaluate how those emotions influence their actions, and understand the impact they have on others. JD has collaborated with Fortune 500 companies, Tony Award-winning musicals, the It Gets Better Project, the NYC Department of Education, and Spain’s Ministry of Education. Additionally, they deliver speaking engagements focused on LGBTQ+ identity and neurodiversity, having partnered with prestigious organizations such as Gucci, SHRM, and Harvard University. In addition, JD has contributed as a published scholar in human behavioral research at Columbia University’s Gender, Sexuality, and Health Center. JD Valladares-Williams Looking for a Guest Speake r ? Get in touch Our Recent Articles... Community Building 101 | Trans+ History Week: Allyship Through Action. My Evolving Love–Hate Relationship With Burnout. 'Isn't Everyone a Little ADHD?': The Cost of Minimising Neurodiversity. Create Space for Change. We work with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke DEI solutions. Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce insights and craft content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Discover our bespoke corporate solutions... Work with us

Faith Belief in the teachings of a religion. Having a faith can be a powerful anchor in life that gives believers a sense of purpose and contentment. See: Belief, Religion and Spirituality. < Back to Glossary

Queer Leadership Queer Leadership for us isn't just about representation, visibility or hierarchy - what's on the outside. It's about looking inside and practicing leadership at every level in a way that enables all of us to thrive - both personally and professionally. Queer Leadership is embracing our unique strengths, prioritising authenticity, listening with compassion, influencing with integrity, transforming our state of awareness, challenging 'the norm' and opening ourselves up to new possibilities as leaders and members of the LGBTQ+ community. < Back to Glossary

AIDS AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is the name used to describe a number of potentially life-threatening infections and illnesses that happen when your immune system has been severely damaged by the HIV virus. During the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, primarily gay men were persecuted in connection with the illness, as it was perceived that only gay men could contract HIV. However, nowadays, for the first time, more heterosexual people are HIV positive than Queer people. And statistically over 50 per cent of all adults living with HIV currently identify as women. < Back to Glossary

Isms A way of describing any attitude, action or institutional structure that oppresses a person or group because of their target group. For example, race (racism), gender (sexism), economic status (classism), older age (ageism), religion (e.g., anti-Semitism), sexual orientation (heterosexism), language/immigrant status (xenophobism), etc. < Back to Glossary

Chromosome A threadlike structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information. 2 of the 46 chromosomes in the body (the X and the Y chromosome) are often used to determine sex as male or female when you are born. They are called sex chromosomes: Females typically have 2 X chromosomes and males have 1 X and 1 Y chromosome. However many other characteristics can also used to determine sex, including reproductive organs. < Back to Glossary

Sport Communities that participate in sport and recreation develop strong social bonds, are safer places and the people who live in them are generally healthier and happier than places where physical activity isn't a priority. See: Collaboration, Community, Movement and Play. < Back to Glossary

Surrogate A surrogate is a person who carries the pregnancy of another person or couple. This process usually includes a legal agreement between the surrogate and parent(s). Surrogacy is pursued by people and couples who are not able to carry their own children, such as AMAB couples or AFAB people experiencing fertility issues. < Back to Glossary

Polysexual A person who is attracted to more than one gender. < Back to Glossary

Community Care If self-care is about what you do for yourself, then community care is what you put into and what you are able to receive from the community you have built around yourself, as well as the community you live in. Practicing community care can look like cleaning for a friend who is going through a tough time, volunteering, donating to mutual aid efforts or getting to know (and helping out) your neighbours. It's essentially how we show up and create space for each other. < Back to Glossary

(they/them) Chris Chris is a trans neurodivergent Accredited Psychotherapist, Advanced Accredited GSRD Therapist, and DEI consultant. As the Founder and Managing Director of The Queer Therapist , a UK-based online therapy service, they provide GSRD (gender, sexuality, relationship diversity) therapy and neurodivergent affirming therapy. Chris is also the Lead Psychotherapist at Voda.co, the LGBTQIA mental health app, Clinical Associate for Pink Therapy , and Inclusivity Board Advisor for Soho House . They have expertise in topics such as language and terminology, workplace allyship, intersectionality, LGBTQ+ history and discrimination, mental health and wellbeing, identity, neurodiversity, culture change, activism, trauma, and sexual health. Chris Sheridan Looking for a Guest Speake r ? Get in touch Our Recent Articles... Community Building 101 | Trans+ History Week: Allyship Through Action. My Evolving Love–Hate Relationship With Burnout. 'Isn't Everyone a Little ADHD?': The Cost of Minimising Neurodiversity. Create Space for Change. We work with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke DEI solutions. Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce insights and craft content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Discover our bespoke corporate solutions... Work with us

Blaq/Blaqueer Folks of Black/African descent and/or from the African diaspora who recognize their queerness/LGBTQIA identity as a salient identity attached to their Blackness and vice versa. < Back to Glossary

(he/him) Esteban Esteban is a certified alternative therapist and yogi who has spent over a decade specializing in different techniques, including sound therapy, guided meditations and aromatherapy. His sessions focus on emotional self-awareness, relaxation, connection with your past and managing stress. He's passionate about helping people overcome emotional blockers and guide them to balance their energy. He developed his interest in alternative therapies after traditional medicine failed to provide a solution to a sports injury. Esteban Zamora Looking for a Guest Speake r ? Get in touch Our Recent Articles... Community Building 101 | Trans+ History Week: Allyship Through Action. My Evolving Love–Hate Relationship With Burnout. 'Isn't Everyone a Little ADHD?': The Cost of Minimising Neurodiversity. Create Space for Change. We work with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke DEI solutions. Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce insights and craft content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Discover our bespoke corporate solutions... Work with us

(they/them) Bachul Bachul is a queer Kashmiri-American trans/non-binary leader, passionately dedicated to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice. They work as a Director at Warburg Pincus , a global private equity firm. In addition, Bachul sits on the Advisory Board of the Public Rights Project, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization committed to bridging the gap between our laws and the realities of marginalized communities. Bachul's unique perspective allows them to be an advocate for intersectional inclusion in both their personal and professional lives. Bachul is also a dedicated advocate for gender-affirming care and body positivity, using their platform to promote greater understanding and acceptance of diverse gender identities and bodies. They strongly believe in the importance of culture change and workplace allyship to create safe and affirming environments for marginalized individuals. In their free time, Bachul enjoys surfing, swimming, music, and sharing their unfiltered trans/queerness in traditionally cis and heterosexual spaces. Bachul currently resides in San Francisco with their wife, Nicole. Bachul Koul Looking for a Guest Speake r ? Get in touch Our Recent Articles... Community Building 101 | Trans+ History Week: Allyship Through Action. My Evolving Love–Hate Relationship With Burnout. 'Isn't Everyone a Little ADHD?': The Cost of Minimising Neurodiversity. Create Space for Change. We work with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke DEI solutions. Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce insights and craft content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Discover our bespoke corporate solutions... Work with us

(he/him) Luca As a father of twins and a seasoned global leader, Luca possesses a proven track record of managing complex programs and stakeholders with diplomatic finesse. He has a data-driven approach to team management, and his inspirational leadership style empowers teams to achieve their goals. Currently, as the Global LGBTQ+ Program Lead at ABB , Luca partners with the Head of DEI to drive the organization's journey towards LGBTQ+ inclusion. Luca's journey involves raising awareness, reviewing policies, and building a sustainable framework. He also implements reverse mentoring programs and LGBTQ+ leadership enhancement education pathways. Luca has successfully established and scaled up employee resource groups (ERGs) to 900 members in a year, covering regions such as the US, Latin America, Europe, and Poland. In the first company pride, Luca mobilized 2.5K people internally, followed by 3.5K in the second year. With his extensive experience in setting up global programs, Luca is a change agent in shifting company culture. Luca can also speak on topics such as recruitment, workplace allyship, self-empowerment, community building, and parenting. Luca Condosta Looking for a Guest Speake r ? Get in touch Our Recent Articles... Community Building 101 | Trans+ History Week: Allyship Through Action. My Evolving Love–Hate Relationship With Burnout. 'Isn't Everyone a Little ADHD?': The Cost of Minimising Neurodiversity. Create Space for Change. We work with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke DEI solutions. Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce insights and craft content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Discover our bespoke corporate solutions... Work with us

Genderqueer Denoting or relating to a person who does not identify themselves as having a fixed gender. (syn. Genderfluid) < Back to Glossary

(he/they) Dan Dan is an educator, performer and film presenter recognised as 'Activist of the Year,' ‘campaigning role model’ and 'BBC Greater Londoner' for founding ‘Queer Tours of London’. His book(s) ‘United Queerdom’ won Observer book of the week and is now touring ‘Queer Footprints’. Dedicating his life to transformational leadership influenced by his Grandparents stories surviving the Nazi Holocaust, Dan is now on the international committee of Training for Transformation and an artist with ‘In Place of War’, catalysing empowerment programmes in Uganda, Poland and beyond. Dan recently founded Queer/Trans Muay Thai & Self Defence movement Bender Defenders. Dan Glass Looking for a Guest Speake r ? Get in touch Our Recent Articles... Community Building 101 | Trans+ History Week: Allyship Through Action. My Evolving Love–Hate Relationship With Burnout. 'Isn't Everyone a Little ADHD?': The Cost of Minimising Neurodiversity. Create Space for Change. We work with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke DEI solutions. Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce insights and craft content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Discover our bespoke corporate solutions... Work with us

(they/them) Dee Dee Whitnell is a multi award winning sex educator, content creator, journalist, activist, founder of Trans Kids Deserve To Grow Up and the author of Beyond Bananas and Condoms. They have worked for several years now delivering inclusive RSHE to young people across the country, training sessions for companies and organisations and fighting for trans youth rights. They are currently the Audience Development Producer at QueerAF, as well as a Young Person Trustee for Brook, facilitator at Split Banana and Fumble and The Proud Trust Ambassador. Dee Whitnell Looking for a Guest Speake r ? Get in touch Our Recent Articles... Community Building 101 | Trans+ History Week: Allyship Through Action. My Evolving Love–Hate Relationship With Burnout. 'Isn't Everyone a Little ADHD?': The Cost of Minimising Neurodiversity. Create Space for Change. We work with 100+ Businesses, ERGs and Change-Leaders providing bespoke DEI solutions. Through consultancy we design shared learning experiences, produce insights and craft content that support individuals with strengthening their roles as change-agents within their communities and organisations. Discover our bespoke corporate solutions... Work with us

Identity The term identity itself was coined in the 1960’s and it was originally described as 'relating to the self'. Identity is often described as a construct. What that eludes to is that it’s made of different elements, characteristics, affiliations, and social roles. Elements or characteristics of identity would include race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, political affiliations, religious beliefs, profession, and so on. Some of these aspects we are born into, some we have learnt (behavioural), some we’ve chosen, and some even change over time. It's important to remember that identities are self-determined, and always intersectional. One identity does not exist on its own, but continuously overlaps with others. We are not single-identity beings, but multi-hyphenate individuals. It's also worth recognising that we’re not portraying the same identities in every situation. As members of a minority group, sometimes in public this is for safety and security. We can also choose to apply varying levels of importance on each of our identities in different environments. For example certain aspects might play out more with family Vs with friends Vs at work. See: Intersectionality. < Back to Glossary