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The global fight to end LGBTQ+ discrimination is far from over. Learn how We Create Space is improving the lives of LGBTQ+ people across the globe in this new film. Video by Stefan Chavarriaga / Swami Pro As the rights of LGBTQ+ people across the world increasingly come under attack, the need for vocal Queer leadership to end LGBTQ+ discrimination has never been greater. We must urgently examine and respond to the ways that societal and media narratives are challenging our notions of intra-community care and allyship. In recognition of our 4th birthday, we wanted to share a message, reflecting on our achievements and reinforcing the relevancy of our mission: creating a world that is accessible, inclusive and safe for LGBTQ+ people and other under-represented or marginalised identities to heal, develop and grow. "Community has been such a key element on my own healing journey - and I believe it to be fundamental to healing on a personal level and societal level." Michael Stephens, Founder and CEO of We Create Space We continue to connect thousands of LGBTQ+ people and allies with tools, knowledge and a support network to encourage their personal growth. We're proud that in the last four years... - Our global community and learning platform has acquired over 30,000+ members. - Through our consultive work we service 180+ corporate clients and have trained over 100,000 employees on topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion. - Our speaker collective is constantly growing, with over 300 members representing intersectional identities and experiences across the globe. - Since 2020 we've invested £1m+ back into the LGBTQ+ community through paid work opportunities alone. Join us as we build a brighter, more inclusive and sustainable Queer Future. 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 newsletters so you can stay up to date!

Guest writer Sayantani Chakravarty examines how rigid ideas around gender hold back LGBTQIA+ people in the workplace and impact their ability to thrive as leaders. It amazes me how often most of us struggle to introduce ourselves when asked to tell a little about ourselves. Yet our friends and colleagues are rarely as lost for words to describe us when asked to do so. In queer spaces, I would probably be described as the brown lesbian researcher of Indian origin. And there, those five words are usually enough for people to assign me a category with a certain look and a personality in their heads. The fact that we make such associations in our heads is not necessarily the problem, it’s something we cannot help as humans. The problem is how often we insist people mould themselves to fit our perception of them, rather than change our perception according to their being. Explicit biases are usually easier to deal with. If someone specifically tells me they hate me or my community, it is unlikely I will be able to change their mind. Implicit biases are harder to deal with, because implicit biases are not hate, yet they can hurt people quite the same. They require painstaking effort to be brought into awareness and a willingness to unlearn past conditioning. I used to think I was comfortable in my gender and sexuality until I took Harvard’s Implicit Association Test in my first year of PhD, where to my dismay I discovered how much easier it was for me to imagine a male CEO to a female CEO, even as I myself wanted to pursue an entrepreneurial journey. As a queer brown immigrant woman, living off my PhD stipend, I never really truly believed I had the risk appetite or the fortitude required to build something of my own. A simple fact such as in 2023, 37 of the top 50 Fortune 500 companies were white men and not one of them was a South Asian woman or a queer woman means that no matter how bold our dreams, our imaginations are often bound by the representation we see. Since then, I offer the test to anyone willing to take it, just to get a sense of how we find it easier to make certain associations more than others based on the conditioning and representation we have had access to. I have spent the past few years studying leadership and gender stereotypes and there are three things which make queer leadership particularly challenging. 1) At birth, we are not merely assigned a sex, but also gender roles we are expected to abide by to fulfill our responsibility as a member of a social category. (Eagly and Wood 2012; Eagly and Stefen 2000) 2) We tend to have leadership prototypes, i.e. beliefs about attributes we think a leader should possess (Xiao et. al 2020; Nye and Forsyth 1991), which narrow our vision of what an ‘effective’ leader may look like. 3) Individuals get penalised whenever they do not conform to societal expectations  (Eagly and Karau, 2002) This results in a host of problems. If you lead as a competent woman, you are unlikely to be liked. If you lead as an empathetic man, you are unlikely to be seen as confident. If you lead as a non-binary person with a nuanced worldview, you will be perceived as confused. Struggles of A Queer Leader Legitimacy: The appearance or behaviour of LGBTQIA+ individuals may not conform to people’s beliefs about what constitutes professionalism. Trans and non-binary people are more likely to be misgendered by their colleagues and subordinates which often serves to undermine their authority and legitimacy. Thus, queer folx must often spend a substantial amount of time establishing their own legitimacy as leaders. Intersectionality: While navigating intersectional identities is difficult for most individuals it can be particularly challenging for queer leaders, as for queer folx their queer identity is often perceived to be in direct confrontation with their other identities. Most salient among them being one’s religious and cultural identity. Queer leaders often have a harder time convincing their peers and employees that they might have a shared identity or sense of belonging whenever the shared identity seems to be in conflict with being queer. Furthermore, the layers of marginalised identities make traversing intersectionality even more difficult. Tokenism & Role Model Pressure: LGBTQIA+ folx are sometimes viewed as being promoted or hired only to fulfil diversity quotas. What is worse, even policies designed with affirmative action in mind to promote diverse leadership often fail as queer folx refuse to step up or participate in leadership due to the stigma attached to being seen as a ‘token’. Additionally, queer individuals who do go on to become leaders are then faced with the additional pressure of representing entire communities, with their every action being scrutinised, their every mistake more costly. "Being the 'token' queer leader often means carrying the weight of representation on my shoulders. The pressure to be a role model while striving to be authentically myself requires a delicate balance of vulnerability and strength." - Nancy Di Dia Queerness as one’s solo identity: Queer leaders often find themselves having to prove queerness is not the only identity they have. LGBTQIA+ leaders are often assumed to focus excessively on gender issues, potentially neglecting other important aspects of leadership. So often, one’s mere existence becomes a political statement. Queer leaders are quick to recognise and point out gender equity related problems. Unfortunately, when one points out a problem, one is often seen as the problem. At the same time there is an expectation from queer leaders to constantly take on the role of activists, advocating for LGBTQIA+ issues, which can be both a burden and a distraction from their primary leadership responsibilities. Too often queer leaders and executives find themselves exhausted by tight rope walking the double edged sword that is their identity and their advocacy. Many of us in leadership positions choose to show up in the spaces we occupy being the representation we never saw during our careers. The responsibility to consider, represent, and advocate for the voices and rights of all marginalized communities is the baseline definition of being a leader. It's not an addendum to the job description reserved for only those with lived-in experiences with marginalization. - MK Getler Mental Health Strain & Perceived Emotional Instability: The cumulative effect of all these challenges tends to put queer leaders under significant stress, leading to mental health issues. Constantly having to navigate non-inclusive environments can also take a significant emotional toll. The greater prevalence of mental health issues in LGBTQIA+ leaders is often perceived as lack of emotional stability. "The mental health strain of navigating corporate environments as a queer leader is immense, often compounded by the unjust perception of emotional instability that comes with being open about my struggles. My vulnerability, however, is a source of strength, teaching others that true leadership is rooted in empathy and resilience." - Nancy Di Dia Mental, social and cultural dysphoria: Queer individuals are often intimately familiar with dysphoria in a way cis heterosexual individuals might find hard to access. Nonetheless, most individuals have at certain points in their life experienced mental, social or cultural dysphoria if not physical dysphoria. Queer leaders can often invoke dysphoria among their peers and subordinates eliciting unexpected reactions or resistance from people. The discomfort stirred in one’s own being due to the apparent encounter with dysphoria is often seen as the queer leader’s agenda. What can we do? Creation of inclusive environments: Inclusive dress codes, gender-neutral restrooms, and non-binary options on forms and official documents can go a long way in making individuals feel they belong. Biases manifest in subtle ways, such as exclusion from social events which could eventually translate to being overlooked for a promotion. Provide access to queer vocabulary and emotions: So often the inadvertent hurt inflicted on queer leaders is due to a lack of access to the right vocabulary and an understanding of their journey. Hence, the more stories we hear and the more access people have to the queer lived experience, the easier it becomes to empathise. Build support systems, mental health provision and Queer mentorship opportunities: Given the lack of representation at the top and lack of access to welcoming environments, organisations and communal spaces which create a sense of belonging for queer individuals can prove to be crucial in their career advancement. Invite open dialogue on mental, social and cultural dysphoria: Whenever individuals encounter mental, social or cultural dysphoria, it is important to invite open dialogue and allow for self exploration. When we embrace ourselves in the entirety of our being, we often inspire others to do the same. Queer leaders are often uniquely positioned in this regard to offer help and value to an organization due to their experience. Fair Evaluation Mechanisms - Organizations need to ensure that leadership evaluations are based on performance and skills rather than one’s gender, race or sexual identity. References Eagly, A. H., & Karau, S. J. (2002). “Role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders.” Psychological review, 109(3), 573. Eagly, A. H., Wood, W., Van Lange, P., Kruglanski, A. W., & Higgins, E. T. (2012). Handbook of theories of social psychology. Handbook of Theories of Social Psychology, 2, 458-476. Eagly, Alice H, and Valerie J Steffen. 2000. “Gender stereotypes stem from the distribution of women and men into social roles.” Nye, J. L., & Forsyth, D. R. (1991). The effects of prototype-based biases on leadership appraisals: A test of leadership categorization theory. Small Group Research, 22(3), 360-379. Xiao, H., Wang, D., Liu, X., & Liu, Y. (2020). Effect of implicit prototype theory on employees' proactive behavior. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 48(5), 1-12. Sayantani Chakravarty (she/her) A behavioral economist by training, Sayantani is co-founding a healthcare platform in India. As a brown queer woman with a PhD in management she uses her academic background and lived experience to consult on a range of topics from behavioural biases in the workplace to gender pay gap and other inequities in outcomes arising due to a person's gender, sexuality or race and queer leadership. In her spare time, she enjoys spoken word poetry and photography. 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 speak to Employee Resource Group members at Omnicom about workplace allyship and how ERG membership has shaped their careers. As we enter Pride month many companies will be eager to show off their commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion, but fostering real inclusion can’t start or end during Pride season - shifting cultures and creating spaces where LGBTQ+ employees can thrive is a year round effort. It’s for this reason that we are thrilled to spotlight the partnership we have cultivated with Omnicom over the last 3 years, working closely with their LGBTQ+ employee resource group ‘OPEN Pride’, as well as their wider ERG network. Through working with Omnicom on a range of projects, we have witnessed how OPEN Pride continues to nurture genuine personal growth, connection and success for its members. We are only as strong as our support networks, and we believe this extends to ERGs too, which is why across our partnership with Omnicom we have encouraged and facilitated collaboration across ERGs, allowing for more intersectional conversations and discoveries to be made. In this interview between two members of ERG’s within Omnicon, we get to hear first hand how these groups are playing an active role in shaping allyship at the company. Omnicom is a global leader in marketing communications, providing services to over 5000 clients in over 100 countries. They believe that meaningful and mutually respectful relationships with and between their employees, clients and communities are central to the success of their agencies and the brands they represent. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Employee Resource Groups like OPEN Pride are essential tools for delivering on this promise. OPEN Pride’s mission fuels the personal growth, organisational inclusion and business success of Omnicom Group’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT+) employees and allies. Omnicom’s OPEN Pride ERG is one of the largest and most historied resource groups at the company, fuelling the personal growth, organisational inclusion and business success of Omnicom’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT+) employees and allies. Part of the Omnicom People Engagement Network (OPEN) - committed to inclusion and diversity across Omnicom and its agencies - OPEN Pride is dedicated to promoting acceptance and advocacy; creating opportunities for leadership, visibility, community involvement, networking and business. OPEN Pride aims to create alliances with other Omnicom ERGs and foster an inclusive and engaging work environment for Omnicom’s LGBT+ community. OPEN Pride facts – what OPEN Pride gives to the community and its allies and why it matters: OPEN Pride boasts 15+ chapters globally, representing in over a dozen cities and across seven countries with three agency-based chapters, as well. OPEN Pride holds partnerships with various LGBTQ+ organisations worldwide, including WE CREATE SPACE, to develop programs, education, volunteer opportunities. OPEN Pride has helped Omnicom score 100% on HRC's Corporate Equality Index for seven consecutive years. OPEN Pride facilitates relationships with local LGBTQ+ community centres and identifies opportunities for members to volunteer  and interact locally. OPEN Pride engages with LGBTQ+ talent organisations, like ROMBA, and initiatives to bring more diverse talent to Omnicom. Omnicom also offers global ERGs for Asian, Black and Latine communities, as well as for women and the disability community. OPEN Pride collaborates with these other Omnicom ERGs to develop intersectional programming, educational pieces, and social events, fostering community and bridging the gap for employees from all walks of life. Donna Bellamy (she/her) Group Account Director, Head of Diversity, BLQ Leadership Team KERN Agency dbellamy@kernagency.com How has being a member of your ERG impacted your professional growth and career journey? Being a member of an ERG has been an inspirational spark for my career journey. Most importantly, our ERG has provided a platform to connect with a broad cross section of people within the Omnicom network. From sharing emerging trends, to identifying new business opportunities, to having a conversation with someone who understands the environment, ERGs have provided connections and access.  Those connections tend to be more meaningful and enduring because of the foundational roles ERGs play in creating a nurturing and collaborative culture. Can you tell us about a time when a coworker at Omnicom has been an ally to you? Allies have been especially important over the past few years as women, and specifically Black women, continue to strive to have our voices heard in leadership conversations. Following a recent meeting where I felt my perspective was overlooked, I reached out to my trusted ally. This individual offered perspective and advice regarding the situation. Their counsel provided me with a sense of security and encouragement that allows me to persist in my efforts to express my viewpoints with confidence. How does the culture of belonging at Omnicom shape the work that you do? Omnicom's culture of belonging includes efforts to foster an environment where all can bring their true selves to work and are valued for their unique contributions. This focus on authenticity and appreciation allows us to discard the mask of perfection, encouraging a more open exchange of ideas. As a result, we benefit from a wealth of diverse perspectives, sparking innovation and fresh thinking across assignments and projects. Will Donnelly (he/him) Executive Assistant and Co-Chair of OPEN Pride SoCal OPMG will.donnelly@omcpmg.com How has being a member of your ERG impacted your professional growth and career journey? Omnicom is the first larger sized company I’ve worked for and being a member of an ERG has allowed me to find community within an overwhelming space. Starting a job from home during the pandemic was difficult but OPEN Pride introduced me to people that I would have never met or worked with. Being Co-Chair of OPEN Pride SoCal and working with the global board has impacted my professional growth by expanding my network across the entire global landscape of Omnicom. The connections I’ve made from OPEN Pride have yielded many opportunities for my career journey. Can you tell us about a time when a coworker at Omnicom has been an ally to you? Many coworkers have been allies to me. When faced with career uncertainty I was able to connect with many colleagues I met through OPEN Pride for guidance and further networking. I think the personal connections built through ERGs are so strong because they allow us to humanise our work and build bridges outside of the networking we do within our day jobs. How does the culture of belonging at Omnicom shape the work that you do? The culture of belonging at Omnicom has brought so much fulfilment to the work that I do. Being able to form and facilitate a local community in Los Angeles as well as getting on a huge virtual meeting with OPEN Pride members from around the globe makes everything feel more connected and personal. Click here for more information about Omnicom and OPEN Pride! 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!

The fight to end LGBTQIA+ discrimination is far from over. We speak to members of the WCS Collective about their experiences with homophobia, biphobia and transphobia across the globe. IDAHOBIT or International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia is an international awareness day that serves as a time for the LGBTQIA+ community to stand together, organise and raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ discrimination across the world, including violence, oppression and other violations of our human rights.  Progress towards the eradication of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia are not linear, and countries which have previously led the way for LGBTQIA+ equality are not exempt from backsliding. The UK, which in 2015 held the top spot on ILGA-Europe’s ranking of European countries upholding LGBTQIA+ rights, has fallen to 16th place , in large part due to the government’s continued hostility towards and refusal to protect trans people. In 2023, 600 anti-trans bills were introduced   across the US, targeting transgender legal recognition, healthcare access and the right to exist in public, with an additional 550 bills having been introduced in 2024 so far. The legalisation of same-sex marriage is sometimes treated as the final obstacle in a country’s journey towards equality for the LGBTQIA+ community, but it is only the tip of the iceberg. Some of the multitude of issues that Queer people continue to face globally include:  Conversion Therapy: Despite scientific consensus that conversion therapy causes great harm and can amount to torture, it is still legal in most countries. Legal Gender Recognition: While it varies between countries, transgender people broadly face dehumanising, invasive and costly processes to having their gender legally recognised - or lack the option entirely. In some places, recognition requires that trans people be forcibly sterilised.  Healthcare Inequalities: Gender affirming care reduces the risk of suicide in transgender young people by 73%  but we are continuing to see bans and restrictions placed on it. The LGBTQ+ community also experiences disparities in other areas , including sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, substance abuse, mental health conditions, eating disorders, breast and cervical cancers, and heart disease. The Right To Adopt: Same sex adoption is currently only legal in 53 countries , so there is a long way to go until queer couples have equal rights on a global scale to build their families the way they see fit.  Violence & Murder: Hate crimes  against LGBTQ+ people are rising, with trans women of colour continuing to be the demographic most at risk of experiencing fatal violence. Our community in Barcelona is made of LGBTQIA+ people from all over the globe, each of whom has had to learn how to embrace their identity while moving through a Queer-hostile world. We asked a handful of them to share their perspectives on how homophobia, biphobia and transphobia have impacted their lives as global citizens: "Homophobia to me represents that constant state of alert that is activated in my brain when I am in any public space while embracing my identity as a queer person. No matter how inclusive the city is, I can never fully relax and let my guard down.. because that could mean that I end up verbally or physically attacked by intolerant people. Living in places, like Barcelona, where there is a strong sense of queer communities makes it easier as we look after each other to ensure that we are all safe." - Gonzalo Parra “Anti-queerness has made me more proud of who I am and more confident in showing it - I like making bigots uncomfortable! I selectively hid parts of myself in my 20s but now I'm 36, I can't be bothered anymore - 'take or leave it' is my attitude. I love seeing that approach in our community too, being unapologetically ourselves. Queer movements in India inspire me the most - and that's made me even more proud of my heritage.  On the flipside, having intersecting identities and growing up in many cultures exposed me to our community's ignorance about each other's realities. Biphobia is worse coming from our community than from straight people, because we assume we'll be each other's allies - and that's not always the case sadly.“ - Sanjukta Moorthy “The global fight to end LGBTQIA+ discrimination is sadly far from over. We must urgently examine and respond to the ways that transphobic narratives are challenging our notions of intra-community care and allyship.” - Michael Stephens “Homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia have deeply influenced my life as a trans woman from the Philippines who moved to Barcelona initially to study. My transition began unexpectedly after arriving here, revealing my true self in an environment where discrimination persists. In the Philippines, societal disapproval, particularly influenced by religious and family norms within a Catholic society, shaped my experiences before coming to Barcelona. Here, navigating transphobia remains challenging, especially in social interactions. Despite these difficulties, I proudly assert my identity and find support within Barcelona's LGBTQ+ community, advocating for acceptance and positive change. This journey of self-discovery continues to shape my experiences as a global citizen.” - Shimar Guyo “As a queer global citizen and a third culture kid, I’ve been impacted by homophobia through pain dialogue, attacks within my family, and roadblocks for my career. It’s given me a deeper empathy for others which pushed me into my work as a community organizer, public speaker, and socialite. I decide to be a beam of bright light to counteract the negative energy put out in the world to harm us. It makes me bold, outspoken, and fearfully motivated to move society forward, one connection at a time.” - Kevin Hawkins Queerphobia (and weight stigma, racism, sexism, misogyny) used to be pretty hard on me, regardless of the country I lived in. The impact was especially devastating when I witnessed it directed at others or when it lingered silently rather than being loud.  I've turned this adversity into a strength by cultivating supportive networks through intersectional advocacy and activism, promoting art, and improving representation in mainstream spaces, for queer women and minorities within our community. Instead of seeking validation in a society that demands conformity to masculine, heteronormative, or patriarchal norms, I shifted my focus inward. Through this journey, I discovered that I am not alone — I am present, I am thriving, and I am part of a vibrant and resilient community.” - Sevi Koppe “The never-ending threat of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia mean that I’m forever reminded of the need to do a safety check for myself and others in many everyday situations. Sometimes this takes the form of calling out and challenging the language and views of others and unfortunately almost as frequently, this includes making sure that the physical safety of myself and others around me is as assured as possible. Whilst the queer community have made many gains in the fight for recognition and equality, almost as soon as a gain occurs, an act of oppression occurs somewhere else to remind us of the fragility of our situation.” - Chris McDonnell “[Homophobia] makes me aware that I am even more of a minority when I look around the world. On the other hand, slowly things are changing, which is a positive. Not fast enough,  but change takes time!” - Frank Johnson "I lost 12 years of my life to worrying about whether or not the people I love will be capable of loving the person I needed to transition into. Eventually I immigrated to a country where no one knew me and therefore no one was attached to who they thought I was, only then did I allow myself to transition." - Elliot Theodor “Being a bisexual woman of color has meant moving through a lot of spaces over the course of my life where I didn’t fit in and could never belong. It wasn’t until I moved to Spain in 2008 from Detroit, Michigan that I was able to fully explore my sexuality and come out as bisexual to my mom. Living in a queer friendly city like Barcelona has really helped me make connections and form relationships with people who accept me for who I am. I still encounter biphobia from time to time, but I always feel safe to speak openly about my identity here. The only place I’ve felt even more at home is Melbourne, Australia. Everywhere I went was so visibly welcoming and inclusive to the LGBTQ+ community. It’s unlike anything I had ever experienced before, and I wish it were the norm for us all.” - Jolinda Johnson Final Thoughts As you can see, the fight against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia is far from over, but what can we all do to make the world a more inclusive and hospitable place for LGBTQIA+ people? Get informed: Understand the state of legal protections for LGBTQ+ people in your country. Check out this helpful page by the Human Rights Watch on the Current LGBT Laws from Around the World . Further LGBTQ+ rights: Protest, vote and campaign for better protections for LGBTQ+ people. Practise Queer Allyship: Have a zero tolerance approach to homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in your workplace, social circle and family life. Take our LGBTQ+ Inclusion Course: As an ally or LGBTQ+ community member, our LGBTQ+ Inclusion Course is designed to strengthen your understanding of issues facing the LGBTQ+ Community on a global scale and how to advocate for inclusion in your workplace. Reach out: Ask the Queer people around you what they need and how you can best help them. Get involved: Continue to educate yourself about issues facing the LGBTQ+ community. Why not attend a We Create Space webinar or even bring us into your workplace  to educate those around you too? Keep learning: Utilise our resources page  where you’ll find valuable information and tools to support you on your journey of self-discovery, well-being, leadership, and allyship. 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!

Giving LGBTQ+ community leaders and queer activists a chance to reflect, reconnect and reset after Pride season. Pride has become a fleeting moment of celebration in the calendar for many within the queer community. But for those queer leaders actively driving change it’s a very busy and stressful period. Community leaders and activists give so much of themselves to the season; often sharing incredibly personal stories and experiences - and not always being financially rewarded for doing so. All in the hope of educating and informing wider society on the issues facing our community and to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people. This pressure to perform and deliver can be exhausting, and more frequently now even leading to burn out. So how can we care for the carers and help them reset after Pride season? We first need to acknowledge that work within the community doesn’t stop at Pride. Secondly it's recognising that wellbeing and mental health have to become a priority on the journey of any queer leader if we want to make long-lasting impact and change within our organisations and communities. We can't pour from an empty cup as they say. That’s why we created our post-Pride retreat - to give queer leaders a space to breathe and reflect once Pride season is over. Our bespoke programme offering wellbeing sessions, workshops for reflection and facilitated important conversations; designed to not only help our attendees embed vital self care practices, but also reconnect with themselves and others. Our retreats take place in beautiful locations within the English countryside, which we strive to make as accessible and safe as possible. This is so everyone who attends one of our retreats gets a true chance to unplug. Not only that, but each retreat is catered with good, nutritional food, so we take care of our attendees both physically and mentally. These are highly experiential environments, where each person takes away practical and sustainable self-leadership tools for them to become even more impactful. By investing in this kind of support businesses not only become active in their allyship but also demonstrate that the mental health of LGBTQ+ leaders is a priority. It's wonderful to see organisations committed to building a brighter, more inclusive queer future together. If you would be interested in attending or sponsoring our next retreat (4th-6th July 2022), please get in touch for more information or to receive the full brochure. Please note we also offer subsidised places for those working at charities and non-profits. Special thanks goes to Pride at JTI and lululemon who kindly sponsored the 2021 retreat. And to Char Bailey and David Kam who facilitated the retreat, Dr Sunni from Dish Dash Deets who provided the wonderful catering, Kiran Kiani who produced our film, and Andrew Urwin who took these photographs. How else can you get involved? Our work doesn’t stop at the retreats. We continue to provide support for queer leaders all year round, whether it be through our corporate partnerships or free events within our own global network. So however you choose to engage with us, you’re standing in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community and facilitating actual positive change in the community.

A virtual experience designed to equip LGBTQ+ leaders with tools and knowledge for building a more inclusive, healthier, and sustainable Queer Future - supporting individuals in their roles as change-agents, during Pride and beyond. Navigation Menu: Introduction 1. The Opening Panel : Be The Change 2. Workshop : My Voice, My Story 3. in-Conversation : Navigating The Media 4. Mindful Reset : A Guided Practice 5. Panel : Resilience and Allyship 6. Workshop : Healthy Boundaries 7. Workshop : Emotional Regulation Introduction. Advocating for marginalised groups is far from easy, but especially during ‘peak seasons’. It comes with added pressures, responsibility and often hidden personal costs. We launched our ‘Pride & Beyond’ events because we believe that well-being and mental health have to become a priority for any Queer Leader. If we want to make a long-lasting impact and change within our communities, it’s imperative we take care of ourselves, and each other. It was also an opportunity to connect our global LGBTQ+ network, across corporate and the wider community, and support those driving forward change within their organisations during Pride, and beyond. With an exciting mix of creative workshops and inspiring talks, we invited our community to explore what authentic and inclusive leadership means to them. 1. Panel Discussion: Be the Change. with Ben Pechey (they/them), Chloë Davies (she/her), Eva Echo (she/they) and Geff Parsons (he/him). Though we stand on the shoulders of giants, the actions we take as Queer Leaders will also inform our legacy. Being the change we want to see in our communities and organisations calls us to draw on the very essence of our values, beliefs, unique expression of our /identities, without losing sight of our wellbeing needs. Being the change doesn’t mean being perfect, and being a role model doesn’t have to involve being on ‘that’ list. Understanding that we all have a scope of agency and influence is so important. In this panel we discuss what it means to show up in the ‘fullness of ourselves’ – how authentic leadership can help sustain our drive for change. 2. Workshop: My Voice, My Story. with Shiva Raichandani (they/them) and Andrew Seedall (he/him). Being a change-agent, improving where we are today to create belonging and inclusivity are no small tasks. And on this journey, we are often asked to ‘tell our story’. Storytelling is a transformational tool for activism, it has the power to educate informally and humanise the reality of our lived experience through emotional connection. In that respect, the stories we choose to tell can bring our purpose to life, or they can sometimes hold us back. In this session, we explore how to find confidence in storytelling and lean into the wisdom of our voice to help us get out of our heads, and into our hearts. 3. in-Conversation: Navigating the Media. with Ben Pechey (they/them), Yasir Mirza (he/him) and Chris Kenna (he/him). The media plays an important role in shaping public and political attitudes towards minorities in general. Discourse around LGBTQ+ issues may have evolved, and in some instances, led to constructive change but this has yet to be said for Transgender, Queer and Non-Binary folks who still find themselves at the centre of hate rhetoric and controversy. As Queer Leaders we’re regularly being called to speak out for our community, especially within the organisations we work for, and during Pride season in particular. Our statements and stories are sought after by the press; just as we freely use our social platforms to shed light on the issues we stand for. In this discussion, we explore how to pitch ourselves authentically and navigate the media to have meaningful impact. 4. Mindful Reset: A Guided Practice. with Char Bailey (she/her) and David Kam (he/him). Challenging the status quo takes grit (with grace). And sometimes, our words and our actions can fall short. Whether we lack the grounding or the confidence in what we're doing – doubt and fear can prevent us from truly expressing ourselves. Mindfulness is an essential tool for self expression. It also helps cultivate creativity by growing our experience with self-awareness. In this session, we explore short mindfulness practices to help focus our attention and tune into our own intuitive process. 5. Panel : Queer Resilience and Intra-Community Allyship. with Eva Echo (she/they), Rico Jacob Chace (he/him), Yassine Senghor (she/her) and Tatum Karmen Swithenbank (she/they). Pride season offers us a platform to share our history, our journey, our resilience – the unique strengths and qualities that derive from our lived experiences of being queer in a heteronormative world. As leaders within our organisations and communities, we often hold the power and privilege to lead our ERG networks, or our company’s DEI objectives. But when our bias is left unchecked, we can unconsciously become gatekeepers to those of us whose intersecting identities create more barriers to representation – their voices matter and are invaluable to our growth as a community. In this panel we discuss how to become better allies – who empower and create space for the most marginalised folks within our community to tell their stories. 6. Workshop: Finding Your No: Nurturing Self-Compassion and Healthy Boundaries. with Dr Paul Taylor-Pitt (he/him) and Tash Thomas (she/her). Being a visible Queer Leader during Pride comes with added pressures, responsibility and often hidden personal costs. Authentic Queer Leadership is about challenging the status quo, but it’s also about honouring the energy we invest as change-agents by listening to our bodies and making a conscious effort to look after ourselves. Setting boundaries is an act of radical self compassion. Studies show that self-compassion helps foster the resilience we need to effectively help and lead others. In this session we share some essential tools and practices to sustain our activism and preserve our wellbeing. 7. Workshop: Emotional Regulation and Integration. with Jamie Clements (he/him). Pride gets us to reflect. We're often looking back to look forward. When we’re listening to people’s stories and sharing ours, emotions can often come to the surface. Throughout this busy and intensive period, we’re also probably going to be challenged. We’re going to feel frustrated at times… In this session you will experience how breathwork can be used as a tool for self regulation. Together, we explore a short practice to support us in having better influence over our internal state of being (how we think, feel, behave, and react) – which equips us to face more confidently the complex dynamics of transformation and change. We hope that the sessions inspire you and cultivate more confidence in knowing, connecting and sharing your story as a change-maker. Want to join us next year? Be sure to sign up to our newsletter here. And if you want an opportunity to come together as Queer Leaders and Change-Makers in person, check out our Queer Leadership Retreat happening in Norfolk on 04-06 July. Queer Leadership Retreat 2022 This is an opportunity to pause and reflect, acquire some new sustainable leadership tools and create space for personal and professional growth. Connect with other LGBTQ+ activists and learn from those driving forward change within their organisations and communities. You can find more information on how to join here. We hope to see you there! At WE CREATE SPACE we love to create meaningful and engaging content dedicated to helping organisations become more inclusive for all their employees. To learn more about how we can create bespoke videos, articles, research reports and more, check out our corporate DEI solutions or contact us through email: hello@wecreatespace.co

A retreat experience supporting Queer Leaders in their roles as change-agents, during Pride season, and beyond. A transformational space for Queer Leaders and change-makers to rest, reset and re-connect. Pride season can be challenging for many LGBTQ+ leaders, DEI advocates and community activists. This added pressure to share personal stories, perform and educate wider society can be exhilarating, but also exhausting. This is why we created the Pride & Beyond Summit and Retreat - to not only support change-makers with their wellbeing and mental health, but to also to equip them with sustainable leadership tools to build a more inclusive and healthier Queer Future - during Pride season, and beyond. We brought together our global network of LGBTQ+ change-makers. This year we saw dozens of Queer Leaders gather to reset, reflect and re-connect amidst a long and busy Pride season. We brought together community activists with corporate change-makers from our global LGBTQ+ Network - because we know that cultivating meaningful connections is a cornerstone of the wellbeing of any Queer Leader. "Each person I met, and every conversation I had, left me feeling more connected and embodied than I did when I arrived. I’m grateful for the queer utopia that was created." - Josh Lavra (he/they), Creative Lead, Hope Lab We focused on building connection and intra-community support networks. Connection was one of the main threads weaved throughout our Programme and our evenings together. It allowed us to understand commonalities and differences across sectors and identities, strengthening the intra-community bonds and support networks we need to thrive as Queer Leaders. “The biggest thing that I took away from the retreat was the affirmation of being a part of a queer leadership community. This was the first time in my life where I felt full psychological safety in exploring topics like leadership, strategy, culture and work within the confines of a community that represented or understood each of my identities.” - Andre Johnsen (he/they), Head of Social Innovation, Year Here We believe mental health and wellbeing need to become a priority on the journey of every Queer Leader. The retreat took place in a beautiful, converted farm in the Norfolk countryside. The perfect environment to reset and reconnect. We offered a daily mix of wellbeing sessions; including a morning movement practice and meditation, and workshops on mindful eating and breathwork. All powerful yet simple holistic tools that leaders can continue to use for effectively understanding their mental health needs and addressing them. “It's definitely helped teach me the value of rest. I'm still on a journey, but it's helped me realise what I need to focus on.” – Dominic Arnall (he/him), CEO, Just Like Us Through the cultivation of brave spaces we explored the impact and importance of authentic leadership and queer resilience. Through creative workshops and inspiring conversations, we invited Queer Leaders to explore what authentic and inclusive leadership means to them and how to cultivate more confidence in knowing, connecting, and sharing their stories as change-makers. We offered tools to overcome imposter syndrome and facilitated deep conversations around resilience and emotional intelligence to navigate the challenges and barriers faced in the workplace and public spaces as authentic Queer Leaders. “The experience to meet and connect with so many people who have different identities and lived realities within the Queer community was a turning point for me. I no longer feel like I have to be anything other than myself to prove that I belong in Queer spaces, which is something that has come through a number of WCS events that I have attended. This has really helped me feel more confident in my own identity and I feel that I can own the title of ‘Queer Leader’ now, which is something I struggled to call myself before this experience.” – Char Erskine (she/they), DEI Manager, Taylor Wessing Special thanks go to Pride at JTI who kindly sponsored a number of community spaces; to our brand partners Aesop, lululemon and Papier for your support; to all the facilitators and speakers; to Kiran Kiani who produced our film, and Andrew Urwin who took these beautiful photographs. Want to sponsor our Pride & Beyond events? By investing in this kind of support, businesses not only become active in their allyship but also demonstrate supporting LGBTQ+ leaders in making long-lasting impact and change during Pride and Beyond is a priority. If you would be interested in sponsoring our Pride & Beyond events, including our Pre-Pride Virtual Summit please get in touch for more information. 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!

Sophia Emmerich and Lisa Kempke's visual essay on the importance of Queer Platonic relationships continues on its world tour. At the end of 2022, we were lucky enough to host the launch event for Emmerich and Kempke's Queer Platonic exhibition in London. Along with the showcasing of the images in London for the first time, this represented an opportunity for people who are part of the We Create Space community to network and socialise, and enjoy each other's company. In February of 2023, the Queer Platonic exhibition returns to Locke Hotels in London. And we're just such big fans of this project that we wanted to take the opportunity to remind you to go and see it while you can! About the project. Over the course of 18 months, photographer Sophia Emmerich (who is part of the We Create Space Collective) collaborated with Lisa Kempke to capture the power and importance of Queer Platonic Relationships. This project stimulated a lot of internal conversation within the team at We Create Space, where we thought about how perceptions of LGBTQIA+ people in wider society means the idea that we have platonic friends who also belong to the community, is almost totally ignored. There is a lot of power in queer friendships, as people who have similar experiences to yourself when it comes to more difficult times, as well as learning from people who are different. One thing that cannot be mistaken is the importance of Queer Platonic relationships is the idea of "Chosen Family" - an idea that a lot of us are now familiar with. Why is this important? As Emmerich and Kempke say, many queer people can experience exclusion not just from the outside, but also their inner circle - from their family. "Chosen Family" is especially vital for those who don't have the support, or don't feel able to be fully open with those who are closest to them, as it allows them to feel a sense of belonging with people who have also been subject to the same exclusion. This project goes some way in dispelling the misconceptions that the entirety of queer people's relationships and identity are based around intimacy and sex, and this is why we are so happy that we could support this project and its creators. Emmerich and Kempke will continue to add to this project over time. Asking Lisa Kempke about the deeper significance behind the project, this is what she had to say: "When we see queer narratives portrayed in the media, there are three main topics: love, sex and discrimination. With our series, our goal was to show that queer life is – obviously – more nuanced than that. We also felt that the platonic relationships within queer circles held a different value and importance that needed to be highlighted. We wanted to translate our own experience as queer people that bonded deeply with other queers into a series that captures this wonderful feeling of security and support." You can find out more about the project by visiting this website. Queer Platonic is on display now at Bermonds Locke - 157 Tower Bridge Rd, London SE1 3LW Members of the WCS Collective who took part in the project. We are really proud to say that as well as hosting the launch of the exhibition in London, that some of our very own Queer Leaders were captured as part of this visual essay. From Left to Right: Yaz Senghor and her friend Alisha Char Bailey and her friend Rico Jacob Chace Tatum Karmen Swithenbank and their friend Anick Soni Would you like to book any of these speakers for a webinar or panel event hosted by us? For more information, please get in touch with us via email at hello@wecreatespace.co About the launch event. At the end of 2022, we were lucky enough to host the launch event for The Queer Platonic exhibition in London. Along with the showcasing of the images in London for the first time, this represented an opportunity for people who are part of the We Create Space community to network and socialise, and enjoy each other's company. This was one of our most popular community events to date, and we can't wait to host something in London again soon! For now though, make sure to check our upcoming in-person events, and sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date 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 sat down with diversity, equity and inclusion specialist Char Erskine, an attendee of our Pride & Beyond Queer Leadership Summit and Retreat, to hear about her experience and how she's using our teachings to drive change in both her professional and personal life. What was one thing you learned from the Pre-Pride Summit? One of the key things I learned during the Summit was around setting healthy boundaries and ensuring that my wellbeing comes first so that my work for the Queer community is sustainable. Finding my guilt-free “no” when an opportunity or piece of work is not right for me is something that made this year’s Pride season slightly easier to navigate following the Summit and I have continued to work on holding those healthy boundaries, which is so valuable as someone working in the DEI field. What was one thing you enjoyed from the Beyond-Pride Retreat? The most enjoyable part of the Retreat was the overwhelming sense of safety within the space. Going into the Retreat felt like I had entered a safe bubble away from all of the negativity that can come with being visible and vocal about LGBTQ+ inclusion. The Queer community is so diverse, and we all carry different experiences with us, but knowing that everyone arrived with similar intentions to relax, re-energise and connect as a community of changemakers was very reassuring. As an anxious introvert, I have never felt myself open up and breathe so easily as I did throughout the retreat. How was the content relevant in your role as a Queer Leader? The content was great for helping me recognise the type of leader that I would like to be and how I can be a resilient and compassionate leader through the work that I do. As a leader, I’m in a privileged position to be able to connect with people from such varied walks of life and share stories and experiences that are unique to this community. The focus on connection throughout the Retreat was something that I feared on day #1, but had embraced and learned so much from by the final day. "Connecting with people is a vital part of the role we play as Queer leaders, so embracing that vulnerability and opening up to others is something that will make me a better leader in the future." - Char Erskine How has the experience supported your work and impacted other areas of your life? The experience to meet and connect with so many people who have different identities and lived realities within the Queer community was a turning point in the way I see myself as part of this community. I no longer feel like I have to be anything other than myself to prove that I belong in Queer spaces, which is something that has come through a number of We Create Space events that I have attended. This has really helped me feel more confident in my own identity and I feel that I can own the title of ‘Queer Leader’ now, which is something I struggled to call myself before this experience. About Char Erskine. Char (she/they) is a Senior Inclusion Manager at Taylor Wessing and has worked in DEI and early careers in the legal sector for a number of years. She is proud of her Afro-Caribbean heritage, to be the first in their family to attend and graduate from university, and subsequently build their career in the corporate world. As a Black, Queer person, who lives with anxiety and depression, they have a particular passion for intersectionality in their inclusion work, and she strives to be the positive representation that she could not see while growing up. Special thanks go to Pride at JTI who kindly sponsored a number of community spaces; to our brand partners Aesop, lululemon and Papier for your support; to all the facilitators and speakers; and Andrew Urwin who took these beautiful photographs. Want to sponsor our Pride & Beyond events in 2023? By investing in this kind of support, businesses not only become active in their allyship but also demonstrate supporting LGBTQ+ leaders in making long-lasting impact and change during Pride and Beyond is a priority. If you would be interested in sponsoring our Pride & Beyond events, including our Pre-Pride Virtual Summit (10-11 May 2023) please get in touch for more information.

The results from our series of free community wellbeing classes in Barcelona and our plans to expand the programme with online sessions via WCS | Campus. Overview: In our 2023-2024 Community Survey, Mental Health emerged as the top concern for Queer professionals in our community for the second consecutive year. As an organisation we’ve always been passionate about improving the mental health of LGBTQIA+ people, but we entered 2024 determined to answer the needs of our community better than ever before through our new series of Queer Wellbeing programmes. Core Challenges: With the knowledge that LGBTQIA+ people are more likely to suffer from poor mental health than the rest of the population, coupled with increasing hostility towards the LGBTQIA+ community across the globe, doing what we can to improve the wellbeing of queer people is essential. We recognised the need for wellbeing programming that was specifically Queer focused and built it into our 2024 Community Action Plan. Taking into account the intersectional realities of our community by engaging with facilitators across a range of identities and lived experiences and ensuring our sessions are trauma-informed. "As queer people, it feels comforting and reassuring to find understanding. Mindfulness spaces are overwhelmingly white and straight, and finding a place in there is difficult. It’s difficult to allow yourself to be vulnerable in places you don’t feel safe in." - Community Member Solution: Our initial Queer Wellbeing trial encompassed 12 completely free wellness oriented classes with 12 different facilitators. We ran the sessions out of Sarana, a queer-owned wellness centre in Barcelona, running from mid February to the end of March. Partnering with Sarana allowed us to offer these classes out of a space that was accessible, inclusive and aligned with our values. We provided a wide range of class types including a sound bath, breathwork sessions, Power and Prana Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Qi Gong, meditation, affirmations & journaling, with the aim that any potential participant would be able to find a session that appealed to them and fit where they are on their own wellness journey. Many facilitators tailored their sessions to specifically speak to the Queer experience, exploring themes of self-love, self-empowerment and Queer resilience, providing participants with the tools to grow and understand themselves better. “My first ever yoga class and I had an experience I will always cherish. Afterwards I felt brand new and am now excited to take better care of myself mentally and physically.” - Community Member Results: Out of the 51 people surveyed... 98% rated their class 4 or 5 stars. 93% felt a sense of community in their class. 63% said it was important sessions were LGBTQ+ only. 72% said we offered something they couldn’t find elsewhere. 84% plan to attend future experiences and events with WCS. 80% turnout from registered attendees. "I learned new breath-work techniques that helped me to feel open and vulnerable. I’ve attended many breath-work classes but because of the instructors and the openness of the room and people I felt so safe to go deep and reflect." - Community Member Based on the overwhelming success of our initial WCS Queer Wellbeing trial we are excited to expand the initiative by offering online sessions via the WCS | Campus in addition to continuing to offer in-person classes in Barcelona and London. Join the WCS | Campus Global Hub and access our free wellbeing sessions. 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!

To celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month we're sharing another edition in our series of stories about Queer migration and the unexpected journeys we follow in search of ourselves, and community. Video by Stefan Chavarriaga / Swami Pro A Queer Journey can often take us far from the places we once called home, but it's in the nature of LGBTQIA+ existence that we seek out and build new family wherever we go. David Kam is a movement facilitator and We Create Space collective member who grew up in Malaysia, where homosexuality is still illegal, and moved to the UK to study. He shares his story, the challenges of navigating one’s cultural identity as a Queer person and how the power of movement has grounded him throughout his life. 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 newsletters so you can stay up to date!

For Mental Health Awareness Month, Neil Hudson-Basing shares how he overcame self-limiting beliefs and fell in love with running as a Queer person. Running is my happy place. It’s my way to relax, destress or vent. To think, to breathe, to feel free. It’s my therapy, medicine and escape all in one. It’s my time. Whether that’s blasting a banging album in my ears, listening to one of my favourite podcasts, planning an event in my head or working through a personal problem. It’s a non-negotiable for me. Let’s rewind a bit though, because I didn’t discover my love for running until a little over a decade ago as I tipped into my 30s. I was never a very active or sporty kid. I took part in the odd sports day and even a game of rounders every now and then, but I never enjoyed it. By secondary school I hated it. I didn’t like getting dirty or playing rough. I couldn’t kick a ball, I wasn’t strong enough for the gym and I couldn’t run. Or so I thought, and everyone around me assumed. All of this, coupled with being keen to avoid getting hurt and being called every homophobic slur under the sun, meant that I steered well clear of any physical exercise of any kind. Only now I know that’s not uncommon for many other gay people, particularly as teenagers. I was quite effeminate and most of my friends were girls which came with some intense bullying around the way I spoke and moved. Whether a sports hall, field, or even the changing rooms, each elicited fear and dread. I carried this fear with me into adulthood, both the fear of abuse and fear of trying held me back. I believed that I simply couldn’t do ‘sport’, wouldn’t be any good or that I’d look stupid trying. I see now how wrong this was and was undoubtedly the result of the limiting self belief that queerphobia has on many of us. It’s no surprise that LGBTQ+ people generally feel that sport isn’t for them. A study by Out on the Fields and OutSport, considered to be one of the largest pieces of research in this area, found that 80% of participants have witnessed or experienced homophobia in sport, with homophobic language being the most common. Any queer person travelling in a big city on a match day can probably attest to feeling an element of threat when getting mixed up with rowdy football crowds. My university life was no different. No sports clubs or societies for me, just the LGBTQ+ society and the student union. Hitting the dancefloor and running around London drunk was as much cardio as I got. Until I turned 30. The reason I started running was pretty vain. A friend of a friend once said, “The body you have when you turn 30 is the body you have forever”. Gulp. As someone with body issues and low confidence, this wasn’t a fun thought. Thankfully, I’m old and wise enough to know now that: a) that isn’t particularly body positive or helpful and b) It’s a crock of shit. However, whether good or bad, this gave me a kick up the ass to MOVE. So I thought I’d give running a whirl. And guess what… I hated it. Until I didn’t. I stuck with it and despite not being able to run around the block at first, I built up my distance creeping into double digits. I did a few ParkRuns. I got faster. Like, really quite fast. And it felt good! Learning to love running is a process, I know many who find it boring. Some people never get the runner’s high but they feel great once it’s over so they persevere. I’ve experienced utter euphoria when running albeit not every time. Even when I don’t, every run is an adventure - it’s different every time. You can be creative with your routes, explore new places and get lost. All of this helped me to push past the ‘I hate it’ stage. Next stop: the gym. Another place that I didn’t think was for me either and for sure, this was due to a fear of being gay in an environment dominated by straight men and all that comes with that. I went with a friend at first and having an ally by my side helped me work through the discomfort. As I gained confidence I discovered that I loved HIIT classes and lifting weights too. I could definitely feel the physical benefits of my new found hobbies. What I didn’t expect was everything else that came from it… everything in my first paragraph. I loved challenging myself. I entered a half marathon and despite being hungover, I scored a personal best that I am still proud of to this day - and haven’t been able to beat! Whether hitting the gym, pounding the pavement or taking on trails, I was in my element, and in places I belonged. In 2019, I decided to give up drinking, drugs and smoking whilst I trained for an ultra marathon - running 100km from London to Brighton. I know I’d never be able to give it my all without properly throwing myself into it. Five months of gruelling training gave me a real focus and a much needed lifestyle shift. My anxiety dissipated. I was happier. I even decided to attempt to conquer my fear of public speaking. A five month booze snooze didn’t seem long enough and it soon became six months. Then a year…. It’s 2024 and I’m now over five years sober and if I hadn’t set myself that intense physical goal, my life would look very different. My mental health has always been up and down throughout my life. But in moving my body, and especially running, I am able to manage it so much better. Especially when teamed with a clear, sober head. I began with saying that exercise and moving my body is non-negotiable… and it is, now. Last year, I experienced the worst mental health dip I’d had in years in the form of severe burnout. I’d let my exercise slip as work got too much and I compromised my wellbeing by neglecting the way I keep on top of it. I now know research shows that movement is good for avoiding and working through burnout. So whether it’s getting up early for a workout, taking a slightly longer lunch break to walk the dog or blocking out a whole day over the weekend for a longer run, I make moving a priority. Keeping myself accountable in this way keeps everything else in check - my mood is better, I am more productive and the day feels correct. Scheduling walks & runs with friends mixes things up and leading our new WCS LDN Queer Hikes has provided another way to get my body moving! I’m not saying running or exercise is the answer to everyone’s mental health problems but for me, it’s both preventative and healing. The headspace, being in nature and moving my body brought me back to where I needed to be. It’s a lifeline, source of joy and a fundamental part of who I am. The kid who hated PE but now runs for fun, fulfilment and a happier, healthier future! With today’s current anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, engaging in physical exercise can provide a much needed release, focus and community. Fitness and sport is for everyone, including us queers. There’s groups, teams, organisations and individuals striving to make fitness spaces more inclusive, accessible and representative. Do a bit of research and see what and who is out there to help you on your way. Ask a friend to accompany you to a class perhaps? Or simply buy a pair of cheap running trainers and hit the streets. Gone are the days where a football flying towards me elicits a scream-and-run-away response. And whilst I still can’t kick one to save my life, I’ve learned that I get to decide what my body is capable of, which spaces are for me and where I’ll run to. Neil Hudson-Basing (he/him) With over 18 years experience in the events industry, Neil has a real passion for bringing audiences together. He is an experienced emcee & public speaker. Neil has hosted events, spoken and written about a broad range of hard-hitting & sensitive topics including violence against women & girls, male allyship, racism, sustainability, LGTBQ+ inclusion, menopause and sobriety. He is the co-founder of alcohol and drug-free clubbing event "The House of Happiness", a venture, to help address the lack of LGBTQ+ sober spaces. Find more information about Neil here. 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 delve into our partnership with Coventry City Council, delivering "Amplify:Be The Change", an LGBTQ+ talent development programme designed to empower employees and influence change across the organisation. Overview A six-part series by We Create Space to empower LGBTQ+ leaders at Coventry City Council to strengthen their ability to influence and create sustainable change across the organisation. The LGBTQ+ talent development programme was delivered through 90 min interactive workshops, where theoretical knowledge was accompanied with best practice tools and holistic strategies for building leadership skills and influencing in the area of career development and progression, as well as advocating for other LGBTQIA+ employees. Brought to life by sharing lived experiences by a range of guest facilitators and speakers from our global LGBTQ+ Leadership collective. This was accompanied by additional 60min workshops for line managers and mentors with resources, surveys and check in throughout. Programme Overview 1. Shifting Systems, People and Mindsets 2. Having Courageous Conversations 3. Developing Compassion and Emotional Intelligence 4. My Intersectionality, Power, and Privilege 5. Building Queer Resilience 6. Shaping My Purpose. “My experiences of being LGBTQ (sensing allies, having difficult conversations, going through a process of shifting my own mindset over time regarding my own identity) can be used as a powerful way to create change in other ways / within multiple systems - experience is power!” - Participant feedback on Session 1: Shifting People, Systems and Mindsets. Core Challenges As part of Coventry City Council’s Workforce Diversity & Inclusion Strategy, WCS was selected and commissioned to design, deliver and evaluate a bespoke Talent Development programme for their LGBTQIA employees. As a DEI provider with extensive experience in the delivery of Talent Development programmes for LGBTQIA employees within the Public, Voluntary or Private Sectors, we were tasked with curating a programme to engage a diverse audience and develop rapport and credibility with a clear understanding of intersectionality. Our first-hand experience and understanding meant we were able to address the challenges around barriers faced by LGBTQIA+ employees in the area of career development and progression. "Whilst attending the managers sessions I was able to reflect on what an inclusive workplace should be like, how I can be a better ally to those who are LGBTQ+ and refresh my understanding of what good leadership and management looks like." - Line Manager Feedback. Solutions: Consultancy Needs assessment conducted with Coventry City Council project leaders. Collaborative and iterative content negotiation. Identified learning styles with realistic timelines to achieve outcomes. Design of a bespoke programme to ensure participants have ample opportunity to learn and reflect. Inclusive Leadership Programme Line Managers and Mentors of participants were provided with coaching to help participants through the programme and beyond. Feedback surveys built into every session for participants, line managers, and mentors for continuous improvement. Utilisation of We Create Space global collective to provide intersectional conversations and expertise throughout. Post programme reflection and celebration in the office to foster additional engagement, continued learning, and allyship "I found that this was the session that has made me really, really think and re-assess my own world view about myself… and I actually came away feeling emotional in a really positive way.” - Participant feedback on Session 6: Shaping My Purpose. Outcomes: LGBTQIA employee participants scored the entire programme with 100% satisfaction as a professional learning curriculum. 97% of the participants responded the content was very to extremely relevant to their role as a leader. 60% of participants said they feel extremely confident in their ability to use the skills they learned across all sessions vs 16% at the start of the programme. 91% of line managers and mentors rated the programme good to excellent. Fairness and Justice was the most common reason amongst line managers and mentors to be allies. 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!

An evening of discussion, sisterhood and solidarity at WeWork in Barcelona. Take a peek into our Queer Women in Business Meet Up in Barcelona, where we bring together LGBTQ+ women living across different identities and generations to network, build lasting and nurturing friendships, reflect on challenges, and inspire each other! This month we explored the pros and cons of coming out at work, how to remedy funding issues as Queer entrepreneurs and breaking intersectional biases. Our Speakers: Sevi Koppe (she/her) Yassine Senghor (any pronouns) Sanjukta Moorthy (she/her) Shimar Guyo (she/her) We'd like to extend a special thanks to WeWork for their support and allowing us to use their space in Barcelona for this event. Photos by Emiliano Del Piccolo 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!

WCS Community Director Sevi Koppe writes about the importance of creating intersectional and intergenerational spaces where Queer women can come together and learn from each other. Throughout my experience of living in over 10 countries, the support I have received from women, especially Queer women, has been an invaluable asset. It took me a long time to come out as despite my somewhat comfortable French upbringing and having access to education, I was repeatedly told that I didn't belong and so worked hard to shield myself from further isolation. At four years old I kept trying to clean the colour of my skin with an eraser, by eight years old I was straightening my hair, and at twelve I was hiding my height. Coming out as queer was not a priority. As an adult, in my efforts to collaborate with mainstream venues, festivals, producers, and promoters to showcase queer performers, I still often found myself navigating the need to downplay aspects of my intersectionality. Beyond being an immigrant and a woman of colour, openly acknowledging my identity as a queer woman felt challenging. Engaging in business dealings with predominantly male counterparts further underscored the importance of focusing on broader LGBTQIA+ inclusion, rather than my own experiences. The objective was to create space, not to assert my personal presence. Finding open-minded, progressive spaces for Queer women while constantly travelling presented a significant challenge to me, underscoring the necessity for initiatives like We Create Space. Establishing and nurturing such a platform presents a rare opportunity to address a critical global need within our community. By crafting environments that centre Queer women we engage in an act of sisterhood, fostering a culture of radical care amidst profound uncertainty. Intersectionality and impact. Intersectionality exposes how systemic inequalities intersect to exacerbate how individuals experience oppression. Queer women must navigate the dual discrimination of queerphobia and sexism, but may also face additional oppression along the lines of race, ethnicity, class, disability, geographic location, etc. All of these factors may impact one’s ability to access community with other Queer women. Speaking with women at We Create Space’s Queer Women in Business meet-ups, I often hear how factors such as geographic location can exacerbate isolation. Considering my own story, I know that living in rural areas made it harder to find Queer connections and if I did find them, I didn’t always have the money to take transport! By moving to an urban area I found more opportunities. Economic disparities profoundly impact access to LGBTQIA+ friendly services and community support. Cindy Nehme, a business owner from Lebanon, explained to me how living in Beirut rendered her unable to access healthcare and multiplied the difficulties of accessing social support. Trans women especially are often juggling astronomical healthcare costs when trying to access gender-affirming care. Creating intersectional spaces for Queer women necessitates that we embrace an expansive definition of womanhood, embracing trans women and trans feminine people who are too often excluded from women’s spaces. Additionally, we must open the door to others who are impacted by being perceived or socialised as women in society but who may not identify entirely as cis women, whether they are non-binary, butch or genderqueer etc. "As a Black queer entrepreneur, who is further impeded by being perceived as a woman, support from other women, of all backgrounds and generations, has been integral and essential to my work. They have been my mentors, my sounding boards for ideas, my coaches and guides, my role models. Being able to relate to those who navigated similar experiences, shared pressures, frustrations and also celebrated success, has allowed me to feel less isolated and to trust my intuition. With Barcelona being such an international city, it felt empowering and truly necessary to bring together so many brilliant women with a range of expertise and both life and work experience in order to create a community imbued with the spirit of sorority." - Yassine Senghor Generational Disparities. Ageism in LGBTQ+ spaces is rarely addressed, because queer spaces are almost always youth-centric. Living at the intersection of queerphobia and misogyny, older queer women often experience a sense of invisibility both in broader society and within the LGBTQ+ community itself, leading to isolation, loneliness, and a lack of community support. Accessing healthcare that is sensitive to the needs and issues faced by LGBTQ+ elders is a significant challenge. Overcoming historical mistrust towards medical institutions is a challenge on its own, but they are often also dealing with trauma related to facing intense discrimination and criminalization of their identities. Older queer women may also face financial instability due to lower lifetime earnings, lack of access to spousal benefits and insufficient legal protection, exacerbated by the fact that they commonly lack support from their families. Creating spaces where these women can share their stories is crucial; they hold so much knowledge and power as potential mentors for younger Queer women. We often forget that our older community members have fought so many battles on our behalf, breaking barriers and paving the way for progress. “I personally feel a lot of gratitude for maturing because growing old brought me closer to myself. A certain amount of life experience is necessary (in my opinion) to find peace and stability within ourselves and self reconciliation with our identity so that we can be kinder individuals and healthier members of society. Another reason why I feel blessed to age is because I am very active. I build, I create, I have the wisdom to navigate projects, businesses, ventures and that is primordial to staying healthy and sane.” - Cindy Nehme Importance of Intersectional and Intergenerational Spaces. Intersectional spaces are necessary for the well-being and advancement of marginalised queer women. It is crucial that we have environments where individuals can express their lived experiences and troubles, knowing they are surrounded by people who experientially understand what they are going through. They are a source of safety and affirmation that may not be present in other areas of these women’s lives. By bringing Queer women together under one roof, we can offer tailored resources and support that effectively address the unique challenges they face, whether that’s through signposting each other to Queer inclusive healthcare providers, providing advice for coming out at work or sharing strategies for building our businesses when we have less access to traditional funding. Intersectional spaces can also highlight the diversity of experiences within our identity group, which is crucial for building empathy, allyship, and more comprehensive advocacy strategies that encompass the needs of all community members. By listening to each other and sharing our stories, we can more effectively fight for not just our own needs, but the needs of the most vulnerable in our communities. “Adopting an Intersectional approach is key because our community is not a monolith and we have to understand that there are as many facets to intersectionality as there are individuals. When I understood what intersectionality was, I started to see a lot of pride in the Indian queer rights movement as well , and what they're doing in terms of cultural representation and putting forward a very Indian way to be queer. Without intersectionality, queerness becomes a Western dominated, white dominated space where only one group is visible.“ - Sanjukta Moorthy Challenges and Considerations. Creating truly intersectional spaces can be challenging. As an organiser, you will never embody all of the identities of your participants, so consulting with your community on their needs is essential. Accessibility: Finding a venue that is accessible for everyone, including those who are disabled or have accessibility needs. WCS Resource: The future of accessible workplaces. Diversity: The sheer diversity of these spaces can lead to potential conflict arising from differing priorities, experiences, and identities. Balancing the needs and interests of various intersecting identities within the community requires careful navigation. WCS Resource: How to create intersectional networks. Responsiveness: The needs of your community will evolve over time and so must your space. WCS Resource: Learn how to use survey insights to build community engagement strategies. Communication: Within the community, it’s important that everyone understands their role and feels able to voice concerns, so we can learn together and do better. Fostering authentic engagement is key. WCS Resource: Learn how to foster psychological safety. Power Dynamics: Creating truly inclusive spaces requires actively addressing and challenging power imbalances triggered by race, gender, class, background and age. WCS Resource: How to shift the mindsets of others. A better future. I have found happiness creating and nurturing inclusive spaces for Queer women, as it allows me to look after my inner child. I look back and realise what a positive impact it would have had on me to have access to spaces like these throughout different places and times of my life. Being in community with other Queer women like this, I believe that we all truly mean each other well. We want to get to know other Queer women and treat them with the respect we have not always received ourselves. By bringing what we have learned to the conversation, we hope our experiences might be of use to someone else. In a world where Queer women often go unheard, intersectional and intergenerational spaces can amplify their voices, fostering a sense of belonging and strength. Every step of the way we remember that there is a long way to go, but we are also appreciating just how far we’ve come! Sevi Koppe (she/her) Sevi Koppe is Community Director at We Create Space, as well as an international creative director and producer. She's worked for films and music festivals around the world, as a creative director, booking agent and a production manager. Her vision is queer and she's been curating international events since 2000 to promote LGBTQ+ visibility to mainstream audiences. Find more information about Sevi here. 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!

Transgender activist Eva Echo poses questions to lesbian executive Nancy Di Dia on gender equity in the workplace, trans allyship and finding new life in retirement. At We Create Space we're passionate about forging connections and solidarity across different identity groups. In this new series we're pairing together different change-makers from our Global Leadership Collective and asking them to interview each other, sharing wisdom from their careers, personal lives and lived experiences as Queer Leaders. Nancy Di Dia is a highly accomplished corporate executive with over 25 years of experience in the field of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging (DEIJB). Nancy is known for her leadership and expertise in creating inclusive workplaces. Throughout her career, Nancy has been a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, particularly as it relates to patients and healthcare. Eva Echo is a highly respected trans activist, writer, and public speaker with a passionate focus on transgender rights and mental health. Eva is well-known for their courageous legal action against NHS England in the High Court, challenging the unlawful waiting times for trans patients, and for her vital role on the Crown Prosecution Service’s hate crime panel. Read part one, where Nancy interviews Eva on workplace allyship, sexism and the common struggles cis and trans women share. Eva: You’ve had a long and distinguished career, where you’ve no doubt inspired so many but who or what was it that inspired you to commit to wanting to pave the way for so many? Nancy: During the late 80s and early to mid-90s, discussing one's identity as a lesbian was taboo in many corporate environments, unlike being gay which was more readily accepted. In the financial services institution where I worked, the mandated dress code of dresses and heels felt restrictive and didn't align with my personal style. I often felt like a "peacock in a penguin suit". Encountering other trailblazers early in my career who defied norms, challenged biases, and carved out spaces for marginalised voices is what inspired me to commit to paving the way for others. Though the journey has been far from easy, I take pride in the strides made towards a more inclusive society. My commitment to supporting underserved, underrepresented, and marginalized communities remains unwavering, fuelled by the belief that every voice deserves to be heard and valued. We all want to belong. WCS Resource: Learn how to find inspiration in others without getting caught in the comparison trap with our Queer Leadership 101 webinar featuring Nancy Di Dia. Eva: As a trans woman, my internalised transphobia tells me I have no place on IWD.  As an ally, how do you see trans women not only fitting in but playing an integral part in equality and equity for all women? Nancy: As an ally, and lesbian woman, I see trans women as essential contributors to the fight for equality. Our struggles intersect, and our victories are intertwined. Trans women bring unique perspectives, resilience and strength to the table. When we embrace their voices, we enrich the mosaic and tapestry of womanhood and unity. Being allies to each other is so crucial, it allows us to maximise our impact. WCS Resource: Learn how to forge intersectional networks to scale your impact. Eva: Workplaces are environments where complete strangers are essentially thrown together and expected to thrive. What do you see as being the key ingredients to ensuring the workplace culture nurtures gender equity? Nancy: I often say workplaces are microcosms of society from a socio-economic, educational and cultural perspective, to name a few. That means we will come up against a variety of similar and conflicting perspectives, opinions, and experiences. To me, no one experience is the best or the right experiences, the collective of all those experiences is what makes a highly functioning culture and place of belonging, knowing you’re valued, appreciated and heard. Creating a workplace culture that nurtures gender equity requires deliberate action. Here are the key elements I have learned that have an impact. Inclusive Policies: Organisations must adopt policies that address pay gaps, parental leave, and flexible work arrangements. These policies need to benefit everyone, not just women. Education and Training: Regular, immersive and experiential workshops, not training, on unconscious bias, diversity, and inclusion work to sensitise employees. Knowledge empowers change. Does your culture invite differing perspectives? How are those who do not know the unwritten rules treated? You can tell a lot about a culture based on how employees feel about their identity, expression, and authenticity. Leadership Accountability: Leaders must champion equity and be a role model through their actions and words. When they prioritise diversity, it sends a powerful message of commitment, accountability and allyship. Mentorship and Sponsorship: Women need mentors and sponsors who advocate for their growth. Allies play a crucial role here. Transparent Metrics: Organisations should track progress and hold themselves accountable on employee life cycle metrics such as promotions, hires, turnover, etc. WCS Resource: Geffrye Parsons explains why inclusive leadership is the key to organisational success Eva: Why do you think some organisations are still reluctant to fully commit to creating gender equity even though the solutions are relatively simple? Nancy: When organizations are still reluctant to fully commit, this indicates to me they were always wavering and just doing what they thought they should do, rather than believing the real benefit to their business, their clients and above all their staff. Change disrupts comfort zones. Organizations that understand their business, their customers and the incredibly competitive marketplace and landscape of talent, lean in to creating cultures of belonging, inclusion and walk the talk. WCS Resource: Global DEI Leaders on how to turn DEI Talk into Action. Eva: You’ve done so much for others, and even though you’re retired, you keep going. You’re an absolute inspiration! But what do you do for yourself, to celebrate your womanity and how far you’ve come? Nancy: Sometimes, I have to pause and say ‘wow” I really did accomplish a lot. I now find myself having more time to write, reflect and transfer my wisdom of the years. Retirement has not dimmed my light, instead, it has brightened my commitment to wellbeing, health and always making time for the garden. A garden represents a chance to replant, to cultivate, to grow, to weed, and dig out.  I love that metaphor, because my career was like a garden, it needed care, at times it flourished, other times, it needed to be raked and dug up and newly planted seeds to start over where needed.  Like life, I will always be my own gardener. WCS Resource: 3 Key Strategies to Safeguard the Mental Health of Queer Employees. Eva: What can be done to continue conversations about women’s rights outside of Women’s History Month and IWD and to deepen allyship between cis and trans women? Nancy: Every day is IWD, we just don't call it out.  Women keep this world revolving in our ways of loving, giving, and advocating for our bodies, each other and our human rights.  The challenge is that the topic is not always top of mind. We need to celebrate our womanity every day, independently and collectively. Use your platform to uplift women, share their stories, achievements, and struggles. Have  a “no competition” mindset and welcome those who may be even more successful than you to the table too. I like sending a note to a variety of woman friends a couple of times a week to let them know how awesome they are, the impact they're having on the world and my pride in holding them near as friends and loved ones, Showing appreciation for each other is an act of collective love and support we need to continue to share and amplify. In this journey, we are not alone. We’re symphonic, harmonising for a more equitable world. Let us keep expressing ourselves with our voices and hearts and pave the way for the needed change in our future. Nancy Di Dia (she/her) As a gay female, Nancy has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community and served as a Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for over 20 years. Her extensive experience and expertise make her an invaluable resource for organizations looking to improve their DEIJB efforts and create more inclusive environments. Find more information about Nancy here. Eva Echo (she/they) Eva is an accomplished leader, serving as the Director of Innovation at Birmingham Pride and Trans In The City. Eva is passionate about workplace allyship, intersectionality, and mental health, and has a wealth of knowledge on language and terminology, identity, trans rights and healthcare. Find more information about Eva here. 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 newsletters so you can stay up to date!

We delve into our partnership with JTI, where through their WCS Annual Membership we've provided content production, event delivery and consultancy to support the growth of their global PRIDE Employee Resource Group. Overview As part of the LGBTIQ+ Inclusion pillar at JTI, they were looking to develop strategies, professional development opportunities and LGBTIQ+ inclusive policies in order to create workplaces which are inclusive of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions - embodying their values of being a people-centric organisation where employees can be themselves everyday. Core Challenges As a large international company, JTI recognised the need to distil a key priority for their PRIDE ERG and build a growth strategy that would encourage global awareness and participation. Creating a sustainable and ongoing safe space for ERG members was paramount, as well as finding fresh ways to drive engagement and create new PRIDE ERG chapters across the 127 countries they operate within. We Create Space developed a four-pronged strategy to address JTI's goals, focusing on Wellbeing & Community Building, Regional Development & Chapter Growth, Diversity within Diversity and Expertise & Thought Partnership. “We reached the conclusion that the well-being of the LGBTQ+ community was the number one priority... We are employees for employees, we are not the corporation. And sometimes members of the LGBTQ+ community can be protected by the corporate policies. Saying there is no discrimination here and having it very beautifully written in a document is nice. But then when you actually live it, in the day-to-day work, it's it's completely different. So what we wanted to create was this safe space for the employees to be to be able to approach us in a different way.” - Edgar Martinez (he/him), Senior Legal Director and Global PRIDE ERG Co-Chair at JTI Solutions: Wellbeing & Community Building Full event programming covering intersectional topics like LGBTQ+ Parenting, Trans Allyship, Living as HIV+, Intersex Awareness and Hidden Disabilities. Showcasing internal Queer Leaders as part of our My Ally & Me content series. Sponsorship and attendance at our Pride & Beyond Queer Leadership Retreats in 2021 and 2022. Regional Development & Chapter Growth International Pride ERG Summits in person to build community and provide upskilling. Regular global virtual events to encourage the development of new ERG chapters. Who Am I? Leadership training to encourage and enable ERG succession planning. Diversity within Diversity Supported with the creation of PRIDE ERG's "Women of Pride" sub-group to encourage more women to join the ERG and engage with events. Sponsorship of our intersectional glossary to encourage continued learning and development amongst members. Showcasing internal Queer Leaders as part of our Through My Lens content series exploring the intersection of LGBTQ+ and Disability. Expertise and Thought Partnership/Leadership WCS consultancy and strategy development to long-term goals and action plan. Bespoke content creation covering topics like being trans in the workplace. Regular consultancy sessions to track the progress of initiatives. Outcomes: More local chapters of PRIDE ERG have been created each year across the globe. Increased participation by women employees across PRIDE's chapters. Continued Senior Leadership involvement and public support, including a new commitment to ensuring Pride is celebrated 365 days a year. Higher levels of ERG community engagement and participation. JTI's PRIDE ERG placed on the 2023 Global Diversity List and has been named a Top 10 LGBT+ Employee Network. Won Gold from the Internal Communications and Engagement Awards for Best Internal Communications Campaign. JTI Germany has received the Global Equality Standard (GES) certification from Ernst & Young, one of the first global DEI awards allowing companies to assess the extent to which DEI is embedded throughout their global operations. Jen Polzin (Board Assistant Germany & Global PRIDE Co-Chair) and Rene Staebe (Corporate Communications Manager) both placed on the 2023 Top 100 LGBTQ+ Future Leaders List. "I think of my role as making sure that the company lives by the promises they made. We are trying to expand our ERG presence globally to know what the markets need, you can imagine the type of challenges as an international company operating in 127 countries, which is why we have been a partner with We Create Space since 2021 " - Edgar Martinez (he/him), Senior Legal Director and Global PRIDE ERG Co-Chair at JTI 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!

To celebrate Trans Day of Visibility we're sharing another edition in our series of stories about Queer migration and the unexpected journeys we follow in search of ourselves, and community. Video by Stefan Chavarriaga / Swami Pro A Queer Journey can often take us far from the places we once called home, but it's in the nature of LGBTQIA+ existence that we seek out and build new family wherever we go. Shimar Guyo is a We Create Space collective member who moved from her home in the Philippines to study and fell in love with the culture and lifestyle of Barcelona, where she continues to live to this day. Through the challenges of learning a new language and trying to find Queer Community, moving across the globe gave Shimar the courage to transition and live her life as a proud trans woman. 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 newsletters so you can stay up to date!

For Lesbian Visibility Week guest writer Tash Koster-Thomas shares the challenges of navigating pregnancy as a lesbian couple in a heteronormative world. The moment we saw the little message, ‘2-3 weeks’ our entire world shifted. It was a wave of mixed emotions, disbelief, gratitude, love, overwhelm, but more than anything, excitement. We were excited to be starting this new journey. The one that so many of our heterosexual friends had already experienced. We were excited to share our news. To tell the world, ‘WE’RE HAVING A BABY!” But we hadn’t anticipated the worlds’ reaction. As a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant I spend my days focused on supporting inclusion within the workplace. However, the experiences I had during pregnancy highlighted the need for a developed awareness in society. When I “came out” at 16 years old, I always knew I would have a family of my own. I grew up knowing I would experience pregnancy one day, regardless of the assumptions of those around me. So, when I met my wife Marthe, we knew we would start a family together. Within a month of our relationship, we had already decided who would carry and when. The ‘if’ was never a question, it was just the ‘how’. Our journey to pregnancy was relatively easy when compared to other same-sex couples. We chose a private donor, and I was fortunate to get pregnant within the first few months of trying. It was a fairy-tale story and so when we started to share our news, we assumed everyone would have the same reaction as us. Instead, we were met with a barrage of uninformed, inappropriate, and intrusive questions. “Of course everyone was really happy, but I do remember one friend saying ‘how’? - Marthe Koster-Thomas I would love to say this interaction was a one-off, but it became the norm. People’s curiosity seemed to override their politeness and well-wishes. In the early days we would make jokes and laugh about how ridiculous some of the questions were. However, the humour quickly wore off. Instead of feeling excited to share my news with people, I started to dread it. Knowing I would have to deal with yet another thoughtless comment. The question that hurt the most was, “is the Dad going to be involved?”. This would offend and frustrate me in many ways, and highlighted how heteronormative our society is. Even when people knew we were two women in a relationship, there was still this need for a Dad figure to qualify as a family. The use of the word Dad, when in fact the man in question is a donor. The idea that donation of sperm automatically makes them equal to Mum. The assumption that we require a man to be involved. But the most frustrating fact is people would never ask this question to a heterosexual couple using a donor. There wouldn’t be assumptions about if the donor was going to be involved in parenting the child. “Who is the father? I found that really intrusive. The use of the term father I found offensive as a lot of people already knew we were using a donor, who wasn’t going to be involved.” - Marthe Koster-Thomas I wondered if we were unique in this experience, but after speaking with other same-sex couples we learned it seems to be the norm. Mel and her wife welcomed their daughter 3 years ago and experienced a lot of similar questions. Mel shares how the question of “who is the Dad?” wasn’t exclusive to friends and family, but even within the medical profession: “Especially in the NHS, the language is not there yet. When it was private [healthcare], they knew the language of donor but with our GP, midwife etc the language was never correct.” This experience highlights how language is continuously evolving to become more inclusive. Whilst we may have a certain level of awareness, there is an individual and collective responsibility to foster inclusion. This is even more poignant as in February of this year the NHS announced it was shutting down its ‘LGBT Rainbow Badge’ scheme for hospitals. Started in 2018, it has provided basic education and resources to staff who sign up. Supported by Stonewall after their Britain Health Report (2018) estimated that one in five LGBT+ people aren’t ‘out’ to any healthcare professional when seeking general medical care. The badge was given to staff who pledged their commitment to reduce inequalities and provide support to LGBTQ+ people. Unfortunately, the UK is not alone globally in these experiences for LGBTQ+ people seeking respectful and dignified medical care. There were times when I found myself awkwardly laughing as I answered strangers' questions. I was so shocked by their lack of respect for my privacy that I didn’t know any other way to respond. I would walk away from interactions feeling frustrated with myself for not speaking up. “What does the father look like? Was the most infuriating for me, especially once she was born. In the beginning I would even describe his features as I was so taken back by the question. But now I say to people that I would like to keep it private. I have learned throughout the process.” - Marthe Koster-Thomas Now that our daughter is here, I find myself being a lot clearer in my boundaries. She is no longer a hypothetical person. She is someone I want to protect from other people’s ignorance. But there is a fine balance in sharing knowledge for the purpose of education, respecting your family’s privacy and not coming across as rude. “It’s really good to talk about this with your partner. How you’re going to respond to these questions because they are quite surprising. If I had known they were going to come, I would have set harder boundaries.” - Marthe Koster-Thomas Ultimately these questions come from curiosity and a desire to understand something that’s different. Mel shared, “I try not to get offended, because it’s not people trying to be offensive. I think it’s just a lack of knowledge and education.” This doesn’t change the long-term impact. We know we will continue to experience microaggressions such as these throughout our daughter’s life based on our family dynamic. However, there is action that can be taken within the systems we are creating. I would say to anyone asking these types of questions, ask yourself something first. Why? Why do I need to know? What’s the purpose? And most importantly, what’s the impact? Tash Koster-Thomas (she/her) Tash is a leading Inclusion and Diversity Consultant, presenter, speaker, and LGBTQ+ Activist who is driving the conversation forward. As a Black queer woman, Tash leverages her lived experience and identity to champion diversity and inclusion in both society and the workplace. She provides invaluable insight into dismantling barriers associated with diversity, ensuring that opportunities are accessible with equity, not just in the workplace, but also in our communities, both locally and globally. Find more information about Tash here. Tash and her wife Marthe continue to share their experiences via their social media @_breakingthedistance. They also have a podcast ‘Breaking the Distance - Podcast’, where they have shared their pregnancy journey. 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!

Lucifer Charlie Benedetti pulls back the curtain on the erotic film industry, enlightening us on its operation, and showing us how much things still need to improve to safeguard those who work in it. by Lucifer Charlie Benedetti I never thought I’d end up directing porn / adult movies in my life, but after spending 4 years in this industry I strongly believe this is the most fertile environment in which the LGBTQ community can express and represent itself and in which we can keep breaking boundaries in the most impactful way. This is the place where I finally feel like I belong and I can contribute to make a little difference inside our community. 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 made me knock on Erika Lust’s door. I’m grateful I had the chance to direct movies in which I could explore lesbian heartbreaks as much as the “girls just wanna have fun” trope. In my latest film I also represented how asexuality and porn can belong together. It’s by making these movies and watching the work of other queer directors that I realised that truthful LGBTQIA+ representation in porn is one of the most empowering and subversive tools we own, since our discrimination, fetishisation and self-sabotage is primarily based around sex. It all started because I was sick of the fact that “Lesbian” is one of the most watched categories in mainstream porn and yet it’s primarily made for the male pleasure. Once again the male gaze appropriates of something it should be excluded from by its own meaning: Lesbian. This “lesbian” representation is nothing but a stereotypical remake of the heterosexual sex-dynamic depicted in mainstream porn (which are also quite far from the reality) and it has a direct impact on my life, up until I get perceived as a woman who loves other women. Whenever we kiss in public or even worse, inside a club, there will always be a man watching like he has a pornhub tab open in front of him. This is one of the most invasive feelings I have to experience throughout my whole life. I have no idea how many times a complete stranger approached me and my partner asking for a threesome. I have no idea how many times I have been asked in mocking way how can lesbians have sex without a penis, or how many times they were convinced we always use sex toys in order to reproduce “what’s missing”. This “what’s missing” is based on a heteronormative sexual relationship. Thinking about pornography and the male lens that it is most-often shown through, intercourse is almost always linked back to a male necessity. In this way, we can see that the portrayal of most pornography which depicts straight relationships, shows sex as a vehicle to accomplish a man’s sense of pleasure and encapsulate their desire first and foremost. In this sense, a woman’s sexual pleasure is always seen as secondary and our body is primarily seen and ruled as a life incubator, without any or very little agency. The CisHet Gaze and it's grip on the porn industry. This is how the heteronormative guidelines preserve their hold on patriarchal power structures. Through my experience in this industry so far, I have learned that the most widely distributed depictions of sex in this society are much more about beholding power and very little about owning our pleasure. It's the cishet gaze that has always decided what’s normal, what’s not. What’s desirable, what isn’t. Mainstream porn feeds and reinforces the stereotype that the male gaze and the media created about toxic “beauty and body standards”. Cis women’s “conforming” bodies gets constantly objectified while all the rest gets fetishised : POC, trans, lesbian, bi, curvy and people with disabilities - to name only a few examples. In order to combat this way of thinking, there are a few key questions we need to ask ourselves: Why is there such easy/free access to mainstream porn? Is it really free or are we paying in ways we don’t even realise? What’s behind it? Have you ever heard about Mindgeek? Mindgeek refers to itself as an “information technology company that offers digital media content delivery, search engine optimisation, advertising, and hosting services”. What Mindgeek doesn’t say, in easier words, is that they are the owners of the majority of the mainstream porn sites all over the internet: Pornhub, Youporn, Brazzers, Xtube, Men.com, etc… therefore they basically own the Monopoly of Porn. When YouTube made its debut, its success was almost instantaneous, so other internet developing companies tried to do the same. Mindgeek then probably asked themselves “what’s the kind of video that once put online will receive millions of views (traffic) almost instantly? The answer was very easy: “a porn video”. So they started pirating videos from porn production companies and sharing them through their “Tubes”. This by itself is illegal as we are all aware, but despite their work being stolen, for porn production companies to be shared for free on a tube platform was the easiest and fastest way to get a lot of publicity and this gave them a number of revenues they’d never accomplish by themselves. Between Mindgeek and porn production companies, there was a tacit agreement which started generating one of the wealthiest businesses online, up until the point that Mindgeek was able to buy the majority of those companies. Therefore the majority of its produced content is not pirated anymore. it just keeps feeding itself under hundreds of different names, hundreds of pockets of the same suit. According to global website traffic data from Statista, the top 3 porn sites in the world receive a combined 5.81 billion website visits per month. Just through its traffic Mindgeek revenues are exponential and even though the majority of people don't pay for porn, if only the 10% of those almost 6 billion per month pays for it, you can imagine how high the profits still are. The other thing that Mindgeek doesn’t say in clear words is that they are data collectors, so even if we don’t pay to watch porn on those sites, all our data gets collected and resold to marketing strategy companies. So we are in fact paying with our data without even knowing it. It is when we start considering how the industry really works that we can realise what really needs to be changed, and how we can create space for those who want to express themselves in a safe environment, ensuring that narratives aren’t twisted to suit existing well-established stereotypes which have damaging effects on marginalised communities. What's improved, and what still needs improvement. Thankfully there are many people working inside the industry who are taking space for themselves in order to pave the way for positive change; deconstructing and rejecting these standards and creating their own. As we all know, representation matters. As we all know, representation saves lives. As we all know, representation can open the eyes of the most unaware. And while it’s not the easiest to find under the huge amount of mainstream porn, queer-made porn is becoming more and more available. This leads to a wider awareness, diversity, empathy, feeling of belonging, gender and sexuality euphoria. And after experiencing so much shame throughout our lives, watching this kind of porn finally feels like a huge relief. Where there’s no wrong sexuality, no wrong genitals, no wrong bodies. This is especially important considering that the most erased community as far as the porn industry is concerned, is those with physical disabilities - due to the overwhelming preconception that disabled people are not sexual beings. I have no doubt that we will keep on gaining more and more representation, but I believe that also the ethical porn industry needs to work on being more accessible to the majority of people. Representation without accessibility, unfortunately does half of the job that needs to be done. The welfare of sex workers & LGTQIA+ Community. The whole porn industry, both indie and mainstream, is starting to follow guidelines that get more and more strict in order to create a safer environment for performers. However, until sex work is regulated, we cannot guarantee the protection of sex workers - without regulation, there is no such thing as true “Ethical” porn. How can something be ethical if it’s based on the workforce of people whose jobs are not recognised and fairly regulated? The hate reserved for sex workers, trans women, POC women is always the most violent. This is a battle that our community must really take on its shoulder as based on my personal experience in interviewing sex workers, in the last few years I've realised that the majority of them belong to the LGBTQIA+ community. Let’s never forget who were the people who thrown the first bricks at Stonewall: trans, POC, with disabilities and sex workers. Still nowadays, they are the most marginalised in this society and inside our own community. This is something we must take responsibility for, especially gay cis men who possess the most privilege and influence within the LGBTQIA+ community. Conclusions. It would be right to be able to see porn only as a form of entertainment, but while we live in a society in which sex education is so strongly hindered, it’s undeniable that mainstream porn is the first source of research and exploration of sex for young people. Because of this lack of sex education, it’s difficult to realise how problematic it can be, and how we tend to replicate it subconsciously. Even though the issues within this industry are several, I believe that demonising it is pointless as much as glorifying it's alternatives. Porn will never be erased and it shouldn’t. What we need is to be constantly and usefully critical about it, so that it can improve and evolve into a much safer product. We must always remember that sex work for many people in our community is the only source of income and survival. So attacking it means attacking our community also. The most important thing going forward is to keep on creating spaces and opening and sharing them, especially with the less privileged people. We should all place priority on the need to be responsible producers and consumers taking into account everyone’s pleasure, desires and bodies. Therefore it is also extremely important to understand that paying for porn is absolutely necessary, as for any other streaming platform, whilst also having accessible prices. We’ve come a long way in how we’re finally able to see our community represented in the media, movies and tv shows… but so much still needs to be done and porn made or inspired by queer people is the real game changer. If you want to have a glimpse of what it can also look like, here is where you can check my movies as well as the ones of many other talent queer directors. About Lucifer Charlie Benedetti (they/them) Lucifer is a genderqueer Italian director/actor. They believe in a future in which sexuality won't need any label, but they also understand the need of many diverse humans to feel represented, reassured and safe nowadays. You can find more information about Lucifer and their work here. If you would like to book Lucifer 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!