2020: Notes 26, 27 & 28 -Learning About Gender

I talk about diversity and inclusion in this blog a lot. This is because: there are so many facets to the topic; it's part of my job; the world is far from totally inclusive...no matter what we might tell ourselves or wish the world to be. Also, this blog is about the thank you notes I write, and many times I am thanking someone who has helped me and my company on our journey to be more inclusive.

These thank you notes go to three people who opened up new dialogue and learning about gender. One of my colleagues knows someone who started an LGBT web series for kids that has evolved into a multidisciplinary educational program for all ages. She asked if he would be willing to come in and talk to our organization.

He readily agreed, but we have such a large group that this couldn't be handled like the small, more intimate workshops he was used to. Nevertheless, he modified his materials to work for the audience of hundreds we expected.

To make the session run smoothly, another colleague said she would facilitate the entire process. She managed the question board that was quickly populated by participants and helped focus the Q&A to make it both manageable and effective for everyone.

Everyone involved in this stuck their neck out and was brave. We never had a large group meeting to hear about gender fluidity and discuss what it's like to be non-binary or trans. It was new territory and it really made an impact. After the session, I heard from numerous people who said they were better able to have informed and productive conversations with friends and family. Some people shared their coming out stories, feeling more comfortable talking about it after the session.

I am grateful to the person who suggested and arranged this, to our guest speaker who shared openly and provided an opportunity to learn, and to my colleague who cares deeply about the subject matter and facilitated the session with aplomb.