Thank you so much for tuning in! On today's episode I speak to Celia Daniels, a trans gender woman, an entrepreneur, speaker and a global human and trans rights activist. This is a special episode as part of the LGBTQ+ History Month in the UK and the upcoming International Women's Day.
**WARNING: some of the content covered some people might find upsetting and trigger trauma, as we will touch on such elements as sexual harassment and self harm. If you do experience any of these, please seek help in one of the following organisations:
For the UK listeners:
www.switchboard.lgbt | 0300 330 0630
www.samaritans.org | Tel: 116 123
www.sane.org.uk | 0300 304 7000
For the US listeners:
www.mhanational.org | 1-800-985-5990
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org | 1-800-273-8255
The word “transgender” – or trans – is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity is different from the sex assigned to them at birth. Although the word “transgender” and our modern definition of it only came into use in the late 20th century, people who would fit under this definition have existed in every culture throughout recorded history.
The trans community is incredibly diverse. Some trans people identify as trans men or trans women, while others may describe themselves as non-binary, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, agender, bigender or other identities that reflect their unique personal experience. Some take hormones or have surgery and transition medically, while others may change pronouns and appearance and transition socially.
While trans people are increasingly visible in both popular culture and in daily life, they still face severe discrimination, stigma and systemic inequality. Some of the specific issues facing the trans community are: lack of legal protection, poverty, stigma and discrimination, violence, lack of healthcare coverage and others.
Celia and I had an over 2 hours long conversation about her journey of living in a closet and eventually coming out, being transgender in the corporate America, building family and finding acceptance within herself and her community. And, I felt it was important for this story to be told and heard in full as part of the LGBTQ+ History Month in the UK this month, the upcoming International Women's Day and as part of every day conversations, as these conversations need to be normalised.
On this episode I felt privileged to simply hold the space for Celia to tell her story.
On this episode you will hear:
1) Finding gender identity across geographies, races, religions and societies
2) 5 dimensions of the belonging journey
3) The power of unlearning
4) Trans and corporate America
5) "I did not choose this life..."
Liked the conversation? Let me know by rating & reviewing this podcast and engage in the conversation on Twitter by using #changeagentpodcast.
You can follow and reach out to Celia via:
LinkedIn: celiasandaniels/
Get in touch with Baiba via:
Twitter: @BaibaZiga and @Consulting_LHC
LinkedIn & Instagram: Baiba Ziga
E-mail: info@lakehouse-consulting.com
Website: www.lakehouse-consulting.com (subscribe to a weekly newsletter with handpicked articles, podcasts, videos and books)
Baiba is a People and Culture Transformation Consultant, with a mission to create more inclusive and equitable workplaces through building cultural intelligence and better equipping organisations and their leaders. Get in touch with Baiba to talk about how she can help your organisation with cultural intelligence and leadership development on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion topics.