Your
Initial Learnings/Experiences:
I remember two pieces of advice received
at the outset of my career:
1. Always focus on being the best in your field/line of work: that way everything you achieve will be based on your ability to deliver rather than because you fit in a mould.
2. You won't always like everyone you work
with, but your ability to get on with them professionally, will define you.
These two have been my guiding posts in driving my career forward.
Obstacles
Faced By The LGBTQI Community In The Country And Strategies Used To Address
These Challenges:
It really depends on the country. I have
worked across Asia, Europe, Middle East and North America. Europe and North
America are much more progressive, so the barriers are less (but there are
barriers nonetheless). In Asia and the Middle East, cultural and religious
nuances and taboos result in people not being able to live their lives quite so
openly. If you cannot bring 100% of yourself to work, family or society as a
whole, then you are never really fulfilled. Broadly speaking, across all the
regions, religious, cultural, political and social beliefs are often the key
barriers. A key strategy to overcoming these barriers is in Education.
Educating individuals that same gender relationships are as normal as
traditional relationships. They pose no threat. Educating society that the love
two people of the same gender have for each other is just as special, perfect
and normal as the traditional. And brands can play a big role in educating
society by depicting these scenarios in their creative advertising etc. If you
are able to see same gender relationships on mainstream TV, then by default,
same gender relationships become mainstream.
Working
With Diverse Cultures Within The US Minorities And Diverse Cultures From Other
Nations:
There are two ways to look at this. On one
hand, yes. You need to understand cultural nuances and sensitivities of the
communities you engage with.
Their approach to LGBTQ+ and ethnic
minority issues will be incredibly different. Understand these differences will
provide you better cultural context on how to handle sensitive situations,
delicately and effectively. On the other hand, you cannot provide different
standards of equality to different communities. On the other hand, you cannot
provide different standards of equality to different communities. The challenge
is to bring all the differences onto an equal plain. The moment we begin to
segregate communities, is when it all falls apart. We will simply be pandering
to the fact that silo communities need to be kept in silos. The biggest
challenge we have is for walls to be broken down between communities and
equality to be front and center, in true equal form. Which means treating,
respecting and responding to every individual as equals, no matter what the
background or differences are.
Words
Of Wisdom:
1. Always focus on being the best in your field/line of work that way everything you achieve will be based on your ability to deliver rather than because you fit a mould, or need to fill a quota. Organizations cannot deny you when you are an (over)achiever. They need and want you. They may not reward you justly, but they will need you. And when you are an overachiever, you at least have some negotiating power.
2. You may not always like everyone you work with, it's just a fact of life. But having a high emotional intelligence/quotient, gives you the ability to navigate relationships with discernment and tact and most importantly, with humanity.
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