{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"57 - The Different Faces of Identity: Navigating Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression","description":"The different faces of identity: Navigating sexual orientation and gender expression   Welcome back to Blended!   Today, we\u2019re talking about sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.   Discussions around these issues have been hitting the headlines more and more in recent months. And it\u2019s fair to say that many recent rulings and debates have felt like a step backward for a lot of different communities \u2013 they just want the freedom to be themselves. But there\u2019s a fundamental lack of understanding. A lot of people just don\u2019t understand what it means to have a different identity or expression. And a lack of understanding, the unfamiliar or unknown, is what often sits behind fear.   So today we\u2019re going to be opening up a conversation to encourage understanding, so we can fight that fear and create spaces that are safe and welcoming for everyone.   IN THIS EPISODE:   [01.02] Introductions to our Blended panelists.   \u00b7       Kai \u2013 Social Scientist, President of TransFocus and speaker \u00b7       Ross \u2013 Vice President at GLAAD Media Institute, author and speaker  \u00b7       Kiara-Kumail \u2013 Employee at White Ribbon and actor     [04.23] The group explore sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression and the many factors around these topics, from pronouns and labels, to authenticity and fear.   \u00b7       Sex vs gender \u00b7       Labels \u00b7       Evolution of labels\/identities \u00b7       Words\/identities mean different things to different people \u00b7       \u2018I am\u2019 vs \u2018I identify as\u2019 \u00b7       Asking open-ended questions \u00b7       Creating safe spaces o   What are they? o   How do we create them? o   Language o   Infrastructure o   Support\/listening \u00b7       We\u2019re more than just our identities \u00b7       Definitions becoming reductive \u00b7       Problems with identity becoming politicized  \u00b7       The growth of LGBTQIA+ \u00b7       Pronouns \u00b7       How we introduce ourselves    \u00b7       The nuance of curiosity and asking questions \u00b7       Respect \u00b7       Fear of making a mistake \u00b7       Being open to being corrected \u00b7       Acknowledging, and apologizing for, mistakes \u00b7       Making assumptions \u00b7       Internal vs external \u00b7       Control \u00b7       Cultural rules \u00b7       How gender expression relates to physical safety \u00b7       Masculinity and femininity \u00b7       Shifting gender expression to suit different environments \u00b7       Belonging \u00b7       Authenticity \u00b7       How anti-trans sentiment also harms cisgender people     \u201cLabels will never fully be able to capture everything, though they help people identify in certain ways. Ultimately, it\u2019s not about fully understanding everything, it\u2019s about respect and being a good human being. And labels expand and mean different things to different people. The community exists beyond a monolith, we all have different opinions \u2013 there\u2019s no one easy answer unfortunately.\u201d Kiara-Kumail   \u201cSexual orientation and gender identity are not just LGBTQ things, they\u2019re something we all have. We all have a way in which we know and understand ourselves, and share it out with the world.\u201d Ross   \u201cThere\u2019s no right or wrong\u2026 But the way we can be more expansive is to say: \u2018Tell me about yourself.\u2019 It\u2019s an open-ended question, and then people can feel free to share whatever they want... Sometimes people are hesitant, because they don\u2019t know whether it\u2019s safe to share.\u201d Kai   \u201cIf someone raises an issue, that\u2019s a big deal because it takes so much energy. Most people in the research we do, do not raise issues. About 75% have issues, but don\u2019t raise them.\u201d Kai   \u201cIntroducing yourself is a good way to do it. Because, if you\u2019re asking, be honest: Are you asking the only visibly trans person in the room, or are you asking everybody that? Sometimes inclusion can actually be exclusionary. It\u2019s good practice not to single one person out.\u201d Kiara-Kumail   \u201cFor trans and non-binary folks, people often misread them \u2013 we look at the exterior and jump to conclusions\u2026 They\u2019re misgendered about 70% of the time, it\u2019s on a daily basis, and that\u2019s a heavy burden to bear.\u201d Kai     [40.44] The panel share an overview of where the US currently is with gender and sexuality issues, why many feel that we\u2019ve taken a step backwards, and why it\u2019s so important to continue to talk about these issues openly and without judgement.   \u00b7       Similarity to the persecution of gay men during the AIDs crisis in the 1980s \u00b7       Modern radicalization of boys and men \u00b7       Manosphere \u00b7       Danger of discriminatory echo chambers \u00b7       Dehumanization \u00b7       Allyship \u00b7       Honest, open dialogue \u00b7       Separating fact from fiction  \u00b7       Combined vision \u2013 weaving in women\u2019s and men\u2019s issues \u00b7       Overlapping needs\/intersectionality \u00b7       Shared benefits \u00b7       Trying to turn negatives into positives \u00b7       Speed of change     \u201cWe\u2019d previously been making quite a lot of progress, especially on trans issues and rights\u2026 Now it feels like a reversal. But I think it\u2019s a pause, to allow more people to catch up\u2026 I try to understand many different perspectives and I hear time and time again: it\u2019s too fast. So, OK \u2013 let\u2019s regroup, restart the conversation, go back, and go through the basics.\u201d Kai   [49.40] The group discuss what organizations can do to support the LGBTQIA+ community in the current political environment.   \u00b7       Increasing millennial and Gen Z affinity with LGBTQ community \u00b7       Millennial and Gen Z groups are customers and employees \u2013 driving expectations \u00b7       Support grounded in values \u00b7       Difference between what organizations say and do (social media vs real policy) \u00b7       Need for larger systemic change, changing norms \u00b7       Appreciation of queer culture, not just people \u00b7       Analysis of biases \u00b7       Providing health insurance that covers gender affirming care \u00b7       Organizations pulling out of Pride\/removing certain stock from shelves\/pulling DEI programs    \u00b7       More inclusive parental packages, i.e. IVF and adoption \u00b7       Support for name changes \u00b7       Areas for active leaning, e.g. Role play   \u00b7       Intent \u2013 the importance of trying \u00b7       The importance of listening \u00b7       Kai\u2019s experience of working with two-spirit first nation people \u00b7       Trans folk are not new! o   They exist in every culture, throughout time o   Different names, e.g. \u2018third gender\u2019 in India o   Trans history has been erased o   Colonialism set certain parameters for gender, expression, marriage, etc. \u00b7       Calling in experts \u2013 and paying them! \u00b7       Context \u00b7       Consistency \u00b7       Self-reflection   \u201cIn the US, despite everything we\u2019ve talked about, peoples affinity with the LGBTQ community has only grown \u2013 it\u2019s tripled since 2012 when Gallop started measuring\u2026 And that growth is from Gen Z and Millennials\u2026 Which means, for companies and organizations, these are your customers, these are your employees and your future leaders.\u201d Ross \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a smaller group, but a more effective one. Because those are the ones that want to do the deep work.\u201d Kai \u201cPeople feel neutral to positive about things like Pride merchandise\u2026 the same way they think about a sports team brand. What\u2019s the difference between wearing a rainbow t-shirt or a Vikings jersey \u2013 to a lot of people, they\u2019re the same thing.\u201d  Ross \u201cIt\u2019s about showing up, it\u2019s about listening, and getting to know. Because when you have a depth of knowing, you can start to take more tangible action in a way that\u2019s connected with people. It\u2019s relational.\u201d Kai   [1.14.18] The panel sum up their thoughts from today\u2019s discussion.    RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED: You can connect with Kiara-Kumail, Kai and Ross over on LinkedIn.   ","author_name":"Blended","author_url":"https:\/\/blendedpledge.org\/podcast\/","html":"