Blog (With Videos) - LGBTQI + Inclusion Empower Hours
By Temi Ayoade, Youth Music Finance Admin Assistant
As part of Youth Music’s Empower Hour series, Toni Lines from Come Play With Me in Leeds delivered two online workshops around LGBTQ Inclusion.
The first session, titled ‘LGBTQ+ Inclusion’, was a thought-provoking workshop aimed at empowering people with the necessary tools to prioritise and implement inclusive practices in their workplace.
The session covered:
- LGBTQ+ language and terminology
- LGBTQ+ identities
- Understanding LGBTQ+ experiences
- How to create an inclusive environment for young LGBTQ+ people.
The workshop started with discussions around language and terminology to encourage interaction. Toni then moved on to the experiences of LGBTQ+ people and highlighted the various issues and barriers people face. They did an amazing job of highlighting the conversation about equality vs equity.
Toni discussed how LGBTQ+ people face barriers linked to their identity and how they might require inclusive practices in workplaces to eliminate or limit their negative experiences. They also used statistics to highlight how positive treatment and practice improves the lives of LGBTQ+ people.
As the session ended, attendees were invited to discuss how they plan to implement immediate inclusive practices in their specific roles and workplaces over the next few months. They were also encouraged to identify areas where they require help and who might be able to help them implement changes.
Overall, the workshop was interactive and people left feeling inspired and motivated to implement inclusive practices.
Watch the LGBTQ+ Inclusion Empower Hour video here
The second session was titled ‘Trans Inclusion’. It covered:
- Terminology, pronouns, and identity
- Trans history
- Understanding Trans experience
- Action planning
This session coincided with Transgender Day of Visibility which falls on 31 March each year. This day is to celebrate trans and non-binary people while raising awareness of discrimination trans and non-binary people face worldwide.
I thoroughly enjoyed the focus on trans history and the development of trans rights through a legal lens. The focus on Sir Ewan Forbes and the road to gender recognition for trans people was very interesting. It was interesting to learn about some of the legal rulings which led to the legal prevention of trans people being able to access gender recognition and how the system developed until the implementation of the Gender Recognition Act (2004). This part of the workshop gave people an insight into the legal barriers trans people face and policing of trans identity.
I also liked that the session included the process of gaining a Gender Recognition Certificate which is a topic the wider population lack insight into. This section was well detailed and highly thorough.
The final part of this workshop was enjoyable and interactive. Participants were encouraged to discuss various case studies to help them contextualise and understand the various scenarios where they might encounter members of the trans community in their workplace. This section challenged people to think about ways they might approach situations where someone requires assistance and allyship in the workplace. I think this was an amazing addition to the workshop. A lot of people tend to wait to meet a member of the trans community and approach situations as they arise. Taking a proactive approach and equipping people with knowledge will ensure that people are approaching situations with more confidence and can deal with situations better. The overarching theme for me in this section was proactiveness: showing commitment to inclusivity in advance is key to ensuring a safe workplace.
Watch the Trans Inclusion Empower Hour video here
Both workshops were well planned, structured, and detailed. Toni did an excellent job delivering the workshops. They were engaging and drew people in.