InterEngineering

How many of you have felt like you're running in an unfair race? Our Inclusion Moment today discusses meritocracy and how it impacts people from marginalised communities.

Today's Inclusion Moment is about the habit of speaking around rather than to people in marginalised communities. This is something that happens not just to the LGBTQIA+ community, but to women, disabled people, people of colour, and anyone else from a marginalised background. When has this happened to you?

Our most recent article talks about intersectionality, diversity fatigue, and the burden of representation that being "the only one in the room" puts on people from underrepresented groups.

Whilst the topic in this Inclusion Moment is more related to race and ethnicity, the same principle of this can be applied to sexual orientation. How many of us have had someone say to us "you don't seem/act/talk gay" and think that it would be a compliment?

Our third Inclusion Moment article discusses a commonly heard and often well-meaning phrase, "Are you sure it was meant like that?" The article explores why this phrase can be hurtful at times, and potentially dangerous in certain situations.

Our second Inclusion Moment article discusses microaggressions, 'overreacting', and how you may only see a small part of the bigger picture, particularly if you are an ally.

One of our Co-Chairs, Patrick, posted a story on LinkedIn last week that gained a lot of attention, as have some follow up posts that have been made. Patrick and Fiona have therefore decided to post more of these 5-minute 'Inclusion Moments' to connect to the InterEngineering membership, inform people about common things that can and do happen, and empower everyone to make a difference, however small.

🌈 My Pride Story in Engineering: Chapter 2 – Grounded in Pride 🌍 At InterEngineering, we believe that sharing personal stories is a powerful way to drive change in the engineering profession. By amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices, we not only foster inclusion but also challenge outdated norms and highlight the diverse experiences within our industry. As LGBT+ History Month comes to an end, we publish the second chapter of "My Pride Story in Engineering", featuring the story of our Co-Chair, Fiona Connor. Fiona's story explores themes of going from isolation to visibility, finding strength through community, and why being visible matters. 💡 Want to share your story? We want to hear from you! If you're an LGBTQIA+ engineer with a story to tell, send us your submission (preferably in Word format) at InterEngineering@EqualEngineers.com. Let’s continue building a profession where everyone feels seen, valued, and supported. 🏳️🌈🏗️ https://lnkd.in/eEFPCtRH #InterEngineering #MyPrideStory #LGBTQIAinEngineering #DiversityInSTEM #InclusionMatters

February is LGBT+ History month. LaLa B Holston-Zannell is the third person we're raising the profile of this month. LaLa is an advocate, organizer, and artist working towards liberation for transgender and nonbinary communities, with a particular focus on trans women of colour. LaLa has years of experience working in organizing and advocacy spaces, such as with the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) where she served as the Lead Organizer doing advocacy, outreach, and networking on behalf of LGBTQ New Yorkers who have experienced violence. She has also organized and held a vigil for National and local trans community members. Through her work with National Coalition of Anti- Violence Programs (NCAVP), she was instrumental on how the lives of trans women of colour are talked about in the media today and worked with media outlets to change how the report on trans lives stories in the media. Having served as a former chair of the policy and working group committee for Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), LaLa was part of passing Intro 541 which addresses unconstitutional searches by the NYPD. Alongside her policing work, she created the first Trans Discrimination Survey in New York City to collect data on trans people’s experiences in employment. She spoke at the White House for the first Women’s History Month briefing that included trans women, the last briefing on transgender people under the Obama administration, and testified at the first Congressional forum on violence against transgender people. She is a co-producer of her own feature film and documentary called LaLa’s World and has received numerous awards and government proclamations. LaLa currently leads the ACLU’s advocacy and organizing work to support and empower transgender and nonbinary people.

I'm looking forward to two insightful events that I'm speaking at this week, particularly with the current climate of LGBTQ+ rights and social change across the world at the moment. A reminder that there is still time to sign up to both of these events! 🌈 Re-engineering Pride Webinar Series: LGBT+ History Month 2025 I'll be hosting this event tomorrow at 5pm alongside Fiona Connor marking LGBT+ History Month with an exploration of this year’s theme: Activism and Social Change. https://lnkd.in/eanK5hjQ 🌈 STEM, LGBTQ and You I'll be speaking at the oSTEM conference in Birmingham on Friday, discussing the topic 'Activism in the Workplace: From Research to Action". https://stemlgbtqyou.gay/