FARSIGHT Chats host Farah Bala engages in a discussion on gender identity, focusing on inclusion, allyship, and advocacy.

Special guests Stephanie Battaglino, Chris Mossiah, Gentle Ramirez, and Rej Joo share their experiences and challenges within the LGBTQ+ community, particularly highlighting trans and non-binary identities.

Topics of discussion include:

• ADVOCACY vs ALLYSHIP: The need for active advocates rather than passive allies in supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
• VISIBILITY & SAFETY: Increased visibility of trans people has led to more recognition but also more targeted attacks and legislative challenges.
• RAINBOW WASHING: Corporations often use LGBTQ+ imagery for marketing during Pride Month without taking substantive action to support the community.
• INTERSECTIONALITY: The importance of understanding the diverse experiences within the trans community, influenced by factors like race and socioeconomic status.
• PARENTAL SUPPORT: How parents can support their gender non-conforming children through affirmation, education, and community building.
• ADDRESSING INAPPROPRIATE QUESTIONS: Strategies for responding to intrusive questions about gender identity and transition.

Connect with our guests:

• Stephanie Battaglino | Author, Founder - Follow Your Heart
• Rej Joo | Co-Founder - STB Safety, EDI trainer, Martial artist
• Chris Mossiah | Vice President, Consumer & Community Banking, JPMorgan Chase
• Gentle Ramirez | Software Engineer (SEP), JPMorgan Chase

SHOW NOTES:

00:00 Introduction to Farsight Chats

00:31 Today's Topic: Gender Identity

02:16 Meet Our Special Guests

02:33 Stephanie Battaglino's Journey

03:32 Chris Mossiah's Advocacy

04:54 Gentle Ramirez's Perspective

05:54 Rej Joo's Work and Insights

07:24 Challenges and Safety in the Trans Community

11:02 The Need for Advocacy Over Allyship

19:23 Corporate Rainbow Washing and True Support

35:16 Standing Up Against Transphobia

37:01 Cultural Humility vs. Competency

39:34 Challenges in Organizational Advocacy

50:33 Parental Support for Gender-Expansive Youth

54:32 Handling Inappropriate Questions at Work

01:04:38 Concluding Thoughts and Resources

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The science of Implicit Bias, Unconscious Bias has been at the center of EDIA conversations within organizations for decades. This research helped move the concept of bias from being a taboo issue, to one that is normalized and interrogated, as we learned to interrupt ourselves from making biased decisions. While this work has helped start many difficult conversations, its validity has also been challenged along the way, more so in the last few years. With our evolving cultural language around equity, inclusion and belonging, how has the science of bias evolved? We hear directly from Harvard's research team about what new tools can we avail of to continue ‘outsmarting’ our biases?

This conversation covers:

• The origins of the Harvard Implicit Association Test conceived by Mahazarin Banaji
• how individual attitudes can be predictors of where society can move to in the future
• why it is essential to move to action to 'outsmart' unconscious biases
• New and evolved biases that have emerged in the last decade
• Current new research that aims to explore intersectionality and global biases
• And much more!

Connect with our guests:

• Dr. Tessa Charlesworth | Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard University
• Caitlyn Finton | Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University | Director of Education, Outsmarting Implicit Bias

Resources cited in episode:

• Harvard's Implicit Association Test
• Outsmarting Implicit Bias
• Project Implicit
• Context matters. Example: Black people are underrepresented in missing persons reports by Columbia Journalism Review) and Black suspects are
• over-reported by police agencies on Facebook Police agencies on Facebook overreport on Black suspects. PNAS (Grunwald, Nyarko, & Rappaport, 2022.)
• Petsko, C. D., & Bodenhausen, G. V. (2020). Multifarious person perception: How social perceivers manage the complexity of intersectional targets. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 14(2), e12518.

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"Words Matter. Language Matters." delves into how language can both marginalize and uplift, playing a crucial role in shaping personal and collective experiences.

Each guest shares their unique journey with language, revealing its power in defining social hierarchies and personal identities.

Fiona Kanagasingham and Merle McGee, co-founders of the BIPOC Project, discuss their work in racial justice and the importance of building solidarity among people of color despite their differences.

Liza Ann Acosta reflects on her experiences navigating English and Spanish, highlighting the pressures of assimilation and the preservation of cultural identity.

Lucienne Nicholson shares her story of growing up in Haiti and the significance of language in a caste system, emphasizing the beauty and richness of Haitian Creole.

The discussion explores the nuances of the terms ‘BIPOC’ and ‘POC’, the role of colorism when it comes to the language we use, and the necessity of inclusive and mindful language to foster inclusion, encouraging listeners to reflect on their own use of language and its broader implications.

Connect with our guests:

• Liza Ann Acosta | University Dean, Teatro Luna Ensemble Member
• Merle McGee | Co-founder, The BIPOC Project
• Fiona Kanagasingam | Co-founder, The BIPOC Project
• Lucienne Nicholson | Founder, Inclusive Woods and Us

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