In this episode of Season 3 of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, host Daralyse Lyons takes a look at LGBTQ+ identity and belonging and the experiences of LGBTQ+ folx within the American workplace. Guests share their triumphs and setbacks working and existing in environments where the degree to which they felt they could be themselves varied greatly.

In this episode, you will learn about:

* The struggles of having to hide a major part of one's identity in the workplace, and how that impacts overall performance.

* The need for people to do “the work,” of standing up and being leaders in supporting the LGBTQ+ community to enact real change.

* The lasting effects of not fully being able to express one's self in the workplace.

* The reality of hate - how it becomes more difficult to hate someone to their face, and how being open about identity can make a tremendous difference in our workplace experiences.

* How identity is fluid, and how the fluidity of any type of identifier changes based on experience, self-discovery, and time.

* How simple acts of affirming another's identity can go a long way in creating safety.

* The value of connecting with people of different identities, and how their shared experiences can foster self-discovery and belonging.

Our guest experts this episode include:

Leora Eisenstadt - Leora is an Associate Professor in the Department of Legal Studies at the Fox School of Business at Temple University, a Murray Shusterman Research Fellow, and the Director of the Center for Ethics, Diversity and Workplace Culture - CEDWC. Leora is also an assistant producer and consultant for the Demystifying Diversity Podcast.

Armando X. Estrada - Armando, who everyone calls AXE, an Associate Professor in the Department of Policy, Organizational and Leadership Studies at Temple University. Prior to his current position, AXE served as a Program Manager and Senior Research Psychologist, with the Foundational Science Research Unit of the United States Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences. Before that, he served in the US Marine Corp from 1987 to 1995 and he continues to be actively involved in the Society for Military Psychology.

A.C. Fowlkes - A black transgender psychologist and father, AC is the Executive Officer of Fowlkes Consulting, an LGBTQ+ sensitivity and transgender inclusion consulting firm.

Skye Kowaleski - Skye is a writer, director, facilitator, speaker consultant, and therapeutic breathwork practitioner whose multidisciplinary approach supports people in showing up to the world as all of who they are.

Liz Brown - Liz is an Associate Professor Law and Taxation at Bentley University, who earned her BA from Harvard College and her JD from Harvard Law School, represented fortune 100 companies for 13 years prior to joining Bentley's faculty.

Michael Schirmer - Michael is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Marketing and Supply Chain Management Department at Temple University's Fox School of Business and Faculty Advisor to the Fox Online Student Association with over 30 years of business and industry experience spanning a wide range of industries and operating environments.

Tre'vell Anderson - Tre'vell is an award-winning journalist and social curator who has dedicated their career to centering the stories of those in the margins, gray spaces and the intersections of life. Named to the Roots 2020 list of the 100 Most Influential African Americans, Tre'vell has made a name for themselves by being unapologetically themselves and paving the way for others to do the same.

Caroline Heffernan - Caroline is an Assistant Professor in the School of Sport Tourism and Hospitality Management at Temple University, whose areas of interest center around the application of allyship in sport and gender and sport leadership.

LaTonya Wilkins - LaTonya is the founder of The Change Coaches, LLC, an organization dedicated to creating revolutionary leadership development, culture change, and extraordinary personal growth. She's also the author of Leading Below the Surface: How to Build Real and Psychologically Safe Relationships with People Who are Different From You.

Kelli Clark - Kelli is Chief Culture Officer at Aon United and directs the firm strategies for inclusive people, leadership and culture initiatives. She played a pivotal role in scaling Aons signature cultural workshop, Leading Aon United, to reach more than 8,000 colleagues virtually while maintaining more than 98% positive feedback.

James Barnes - James is a corporate trainer, coach and public speaker whose own transition has equipped him to teach companies, schools, hospitals, and other organizations to create safe, uplifting, and empowering environments for LGBTQ+ individuals with a special emphasis on serving transgender adults and youth.

Click here for a full transcript of this episode.

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