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DEI, Leadership, and Allyship, and providing tools, resources, and knowledge to a global community of Queer

writer Shannon O'Rourke breaks down the findings of her PhD research into the leadership experiences of Queer Coming out as bisexual often felt like a confession, as I had some hang ups around not being “queer enough Journal of Homosexuality , 67(8), pp.1164-1172. Journal of Applied Psychology , 104(10), pp.1266-1282. Journal of Vocational Behavior , 103, pp.23-39.

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!

of belonging, improve the mental health of marginalised employees and develop the next generation of Queer gender identity exploration, dealing with disenfranchised grief and reproductive loss, and exploring queer panel discussion will feature leaders who are living with HIV sharing their personal experiences and journeys This trauma-informed session will guide LGBTQ+ participants through a journey of exploration and self-discovery Building Queer Resilience. Part 6. Shaping My Purpose. Request more info. While you're here...

Michael Stephens, Founder of We Create Space, speaks about the career and mental health journey that platform and consultancy that addressed both the personal and professional needs and challenges of queer we explored topics such as identity, purpose, values, self-awareness, body-image, story-telling and queer What have you learnt about creating queer-inclusive spaces? What do you mean by 'Queer Leadership'?

A retreat experience supporting Queer Leaders in their roles as change-agents, during Pride season, and A transformational space for Queer Leaders and change-makers to rest, reset and re-connect. Social Innovation, Year Here We believe mental health and wellbeing need to become a priority on the journey of every Queer Leader. I'm still on a journey, but it's helped me realise what I need to focus on.” – Dominic Arnall (he/him

down with diversity, equity and inclusion specialist Char Erskine, an attendee of our Pride & Beyond Queer around setting healthy boundaries and ensuring that my wellbeing comes first so that my work for the Queer The Queer community is so diverse, and we all carry different experiences with us, but knowing that everyone How was the content relevant in your role as a Queer Leader? I no longer feel like I have to be anything other than myself to prove that I belong in Queer spaces,

Lesbian and Queer Representation - what's missing. What is missing is good LGBTQ+ porn. Besides the amateur porn shot by couples or queer people, it was the lack of genuine representation that It’s by making these movies and watching the work of other queer directors that I realised that truthful in the media, movies and tv shows… but so much still needs to be done and porn made or inspired by queer can also look like, here is where you can check my movies as well as the ones of many other talent queer

Bringing Queer perspectives to an international audience at the Festival of Consciousness in Barcelona events for FoC with the aim of exposing their audience to the new ideas and fresh perspectives that our Queer this experience led to him changing career paths to champion wellbeing and self-leadership for the Queer We also brought two WCS staples to FoC in the form of a Queer Speed Networking event and an invigorating We Create Space x Festival of Consciousness Conversation with  Michael Stephens   | Inspiring Dome Queer

By doing so, we can open pathways for every employee to advance in their professional journey. “My experiences as a queer, trans, nonbinary, neurodivergent, second-generation Chinese American (it's Here are 5 steps to help you on your journey: Educate Yourself: Instead of burdening your marginalised 101: LGBTQ+ Anti-Racism Queer Perspectives: Myths of the Black Monolith Queer Allyship 101: Intersectional Networks Our Library Through My Lens: Crippled, Queer and Femme at Work What’s in a name?

Guest Writer Zee Monteiro lets us in on how Queer iconography has shaped their journey of self-understanding In the following years I became focused on finding more about the history of queer culture and it led In 2018 I set out to create a Black Queer Library, Qingsland became a website focused on Black and Brown of all of this, I felt ready to come out as non-binary, I accessed private Trans care and started my journey

We Create Space is all about sharing the unique, lived experiences of queer people to a wider audience Just Like Us recruit young queer people and train them to become queer ambassadors, championing LGBT+ In these three livestreams, we’ll be talking about experiences growing up as a person of colour, the journey to find your queer identity, and using your voice and story for change. , but why queer representation and visibility is so important.

I am intersex, I am disabled, I am bisexual, I am queer, I am a Person of Colour, and a bunch of other What have you learnt throughout your journey? I describe myself as Queer online – but it’s not necessarily how I identify in person. However, outside of specifically queer spaces, I don’t always like to bring it up my queerness because At the moment, I believe I can only do that in queer spaces.

Microaggressions negatively impact our workplaces every day, but we can all contribute to eradicating them. We've come up with five powerful steps for allies to take action. Microaggressions are defined as ‘subtle, often unconscious acts, words or behaviours that can communicate negative messages’ - often directed towards minority or marginalised groups. While they may seem like small, throwaway comments or innocuous statements, microaggressions can have a big impact when you are on the receiving end of them. These individual prejudiced comments accumulate over time and contribute to minority stress, where being part of a marginalised group impacts a person’s mental health and well-being. Left unchecked, microaggressions will negatively impact a workplace’s culture, creating an environment where employees from marginalised groups don’t feel psychologically safe or able to bring their full selves to work. In this guide, we’ll discuss some tangible advice on how to spot, interrupt, and speak up against microaggressions - as we strive towards creating a more inclusive, respectful and welcoming workplace for everyone. “I’m trying to be open and honest about the micro-aggressions and barriers that I may face within the workplace… If we don’t have these conversations in the workplace, then I can’t show up for myself, which then will allow me to show up for others. So I have to bring [all of my intersectional life experiences with me, as much as I possibly can.” - Chloë Davies 1. Spotting Microaggressions Microaggressions can come in various forms, such as jokes or comments that rely on stereotypes, exclusion from group activities or discussions, or using language that makes assumptions about someone’s identity. These can be directed towards individuals or groups, and are often said by people who are ignorant to the fact that what they are saying is harmful or discriminatory. “[My allies at work always remind to do this] work of explaining, patiently teaching, and transforming unconscious biases into conscious inclusion – or at least into consciousness.” - Jen Polzin 2. Self-Reflection Creating a better work environment starts with ourselves: we must reflect on our own conscious and unconscious prejudices. Take some time to think about your past actions and language and identify times where you may have been insensitive to a colleague or contributed to a negative working culture. Having noted these instances, you can mindfully correct your own behaviour in the future and notice when others make the same mistakes. Let your experience shifting your own mindset inform how you address inappropriate behaviour in colleagues. “No one is perfect, and we all have a duty to continuously learn and educate ourselves by considering how others may feel in specific scenarios. While we may not get it right every time, instances where have got it wrong present incredibly important learning opportunities.” - Ryan Zaman 3. Upstander Strategies Interrupting microaggressions can be challenging, but there are several upstander strategies that you can use to speak up effectively: Try being direct by speaking up and addressing the issue head-on. When using this strategy you should be mindful of your tone and delivery. If the person saying the microaggression feels judged or called out, they are more likely to react defensively and not take on board what you have to say. You can reference our calling in examples to ensure that being direct results in a teachable moment. Distracting involves changing the topic or using humour to redirect the conversation. While this can be a useful method to stop harmful conversations in the moment, it is important that some further action is taken to address the behaviour afterwards, whether it’s calling in the person yourself or asking the victim if they would like to report the situation to HR. Discussing invites others to engage in the conversation to share their perspectives. Inviting in additional external perspectives will also lend credibility to your criticism of a microaggression. You can also delegate the responsibility of addressing the issue to someone else. This strategy may be necessary if you don’t feel well enough educated on an issue to speak about it or if the comment has personally affected you on a personal level. Having allies you can rely on in your workplace allows you to spread the weight of responsibility for addressing bigoted behaviour. Sometimes you may want to delay and take time to reflect on the situation, before addressing it later when you feel ready to do so. 4. Using a catchphrase Having a catchphrase prepared can make it easier to jump in and neutralise a harmful conversation quickly. There are several different approaches to catchphrases you can try: Ask for clarification. e.g. “What leads you to that conclusion?” Create a learning opportunity. e.g. “Let me offer some perspective on why that language can be harmful…” Refer to company values. e.g. “That type of behaviour doesn't align with our company culture.” 5. Deescalating While upstander strategies can be effective, they may not always work, and people may react negatively to being called out for their behaviour. In such instances, try to respond thoughtfully and with compassion. Stay Calm: Remain calm and professional when someone reacts negatively to your intervention. Getting angry or defensive may escalate the situation and make it more challenging to resolve. Refusing to meet their anger may also help to diffuse their emotional reaction more quickly. Validate Their Feelings: Listen to what they have to say and acknowledge their feelings. Even if you don't agree with their perspective, making them feel heard will encourage them to take on board what you have to say. “No matter how we ourselves feel about a situation, there are always the feelings of others involved too. In the same way that you want to be heard, it’s important to show them that you’re making an effort to see their side, and not responding purely from a place of emotion.” - Tolu Osinubi Circle Back Later: Offer to discuss the issue further at a later time. This allows them to reflect on their behaviour and may lead to a more productive conversation. Seek Support: If the situation becomes too tense or the person continues to react negatively, seek support from a manager, HR representative, or another colleague. Conclusion Everyone has the power to shape and influence the dynamics and culture of their workplace. While it may require some practice, interrupting microaggressions is a valuable skill that allows you to support your colleagues from marginalised communities and ensure they feel safe and respected at work. If you’re looking for more ways to create an inclusive workplace why not check out our guide on how to better your pronoun skills or 7 steps you can take to become an active ally? 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 spoke with five inspirational Queer Leaders to understand what it's like to navigate professional contact us through email: hello@wecreatespace.co About our contributors: Jason Kwan (he/him) Jason is a queer member of TransActual UK, he works to change UK legislation for non-binary equality and raise the Black Queer

+ rights." " The sheer range of subjects and speakers demonstrates your understanding that we, as a queer

Our guest writer Thokozani Mbwana reflects on the internal and external challenges faced on their journey It has mostly been a journey of ‘what ifs’ and ‘what could bes’, ten years of self interrogation - ten ''Do I think if I was thin and white this journey would have been different? Yes, absolutely.'' I try not to be bitter about some parts of my top surgery journey. Do I think if I was thin and white this journey would have been different? Yes, absolutely.

Lazarus Lynch (he/him) Lazarus is a celebrated African-American queer chef, entrepreneur, musician, model

This Transgender Awareness week, we spoke with Jack López and Tate Smith to ask them about their journeys

My name is Natasha Porizkova and I am a queer, Latinx woman with hidden mental health disabilities and I identify as lesbian or queer. but as a straight-passing individual, I'm most keen on people knowing that I'm a proud member of the queer There isn’t just one-way to look queer, be queer and live queer, and I want to show that.