Learning Sessions

LGBTQ+ Elders Series: Focus on the Male Body

The purpose of the event was to focus attention on the experience of men and those with male bodies from a professional and health perspective as they age. We were joined by Helen Lake RN, Independent Urology and Specialised Men's Health Expert, Nurse Advisor for The Urology Foundation (TUF). The aim was to provide practical and supportive advice and point people to resources to go deeper into relevant topics discussed. We focused very little on sexual health because there are plenty of amazing resources available on this topic, instead focusing almost purely on the aging of the anatomy and physiology of the male body, and how those with male bodies can best support and maintain good health.

Introduction to Gender Identity and Expression (Mar 2024)

If you are curious to better understand gender identity and expression, this session is for you. The focus of this session is on gender identity and how individuals express their gender. This includes some scientific content as well as historical context to better frame and understand how our current understanding and consciousness around gender has been shaped. The talk includes practical information about gender as well as tips and advice about things like use of pronouns or how to be more inclusive in a workplace. The session touches on where we are today using data to provide some insight into how many people globally identify outside the gender binary and through a European lens how those who are gender diverse and intersex have significantly less access to human rights of those who are cisgender.

Session feedback:

  • “Thanks so much for a wonderful presentation today! Your personal anecdote about the rainbow lanyard was a lightbulb moment for me. You’ve inspired me to be more intentional about including my pronouns when introducing myself, so I am actively fostering a safe space and encouraging others to do the same. I look forward to future events!”

myGwork Mini Career Event (Feb 2024)

Panel Discussion - Supporting Your Colleagues in Their New Career Journey - link to video

In this insightful one-hour session, industry experts share experiences and insights on creating a supportive environment for colleagues embarking on new career journeys, covering understanding career transitions, best support practices, and organizational perspectives.

Mini Workshop - Turning the Page: Designing a Successful Career Transition - link to video

Empower your career journey at the Pharma Mini Career Event's workshop with Gyongyver Szabo, where you'll unlock the secrets to self-presentation, authenticity, and perspective expansion within the pharmaceutical industry, covering key topics like authenticity in self-presentation, diversifying your view in pharma, and putting skills into practice.

A Look Into Our LGBTQ+ History (Feb 2024)

The focus of this session was to create a deeper understanding of the contextual and historical experience of LGBTQ+ people with a focus on science and medicine. The aim was to help build an understanding of how being queer is not new, but how the LGBTQ+ narrative and experience has often been discounted and erased. The talk included content on the queer historical narrative through the lens of science/healthcare and how LGBTQ+ activism in the last few decades has started to reclaim the queer narrative globally.

Feedback about the session:

  • “[What stood out was] mostly how prevalent debate was in the 19-20th centuries... there is such a misconception that gender and sex is a "recent" issue.”

  • “[What stood out was] how being LGBTQ+ was seen as part of the norm worldwide in the past.”

  • “[What stood out was] the importance of creating a space for LGBTQ+ stories against ingrained societal norms, cultural taboos. In these contexts, individuals may face discrimination, stigma, and even violence for being open about their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

The State of LGBTQ+ Inclusion in STEM - Panel Discussion (Jan 2024)

Purpose: The purpose of the roundtable was to provide an honest, clear view of what we know about how queer people experience studying and working in STEM, moving beyond the narrative that ‘everything is okay’ or that LGBTQ+ inclusion isn’t really a problem in STEM. : This roundtable was a facilitated but relatively informal conversation focused on building a picture of what it’s like for queer people to study and work in STEM. We touched on a 2023 gathering of US and UK government officials, academics and those from LGBTQ+ charities focused on STEM and the subsequent report highlighting the importance of data collection to understand the LGBTQ+ experience in STEM. We brought in our own lived experience, any research we have done and the research of others to support our dialogue. We used the discussion to surface questions and provocations meant to challenge current held views while also supporting queer people who until now have relied on their personal lived experience only. Guest panellists included Dr. Clara Barker, EPSRC PDRA and Daphne Jackson Trust research fellow in thin film superconductors and Centre for Applied Superconductivity Laboratory Manager at the University of Oxford, and Dr. Jay Garvey, Executive Director, Office of Institutional Research and Assessment and Friedman-Hipps Green and Gold Associate Professor of Education at the University of Vermont.

Feedback quotes about the session:

  • “The speakers were brilliant, but Clara Barker is really outstanding. The reminder of queer joy was also a great addition.”

  • “It was great to hear some really thoughtful and personal reflections on a topic that can often be difficult to really get to grips with in a work setting.”

  • “The balance between lived personal experience and the experience of making change in work/professional settings was great.”

LGBTQ+ Family Series

Parenting LGBTQ+ young people (October 2023) - Jane Cubbin (Spectrum Leadership Team member, GSK's LGBTQ_ employee network) and Jane Finch (Diversity and Inclusion consultant, Time for Inclusion) talked about their experiences parenting LGBTQ+ young people and what they’ve each learned about supporting a family member who is part of the community. Their discussion covered LGB as well as trans and non-binary experiences, from the perspectives of two mums on different but similar journeys.

Leadership Series

Leadership Communication: Storytelling for LGBTQ+ Leaders (October 2023) - This session built on the first Leadership Communication session, but it also stands alone as a focused session on storytelling. The session was led by Sofi Musleh who has delivered hundreds of hours of storytelling training to leaders over the past few years. During the hour, attendees gained some practical, useful advice to build their confidence in storytelling, specifically as an LGBTQ+ leader or aspiring leader.

Leadership Communication Mini-Workshop (May 2023) - The mini workshop aimed to provide practical support and advice for leaders to build confidence in speaking internally, effectively interact and influence others at all levels of an organisation and speaking and advocating externally at meetings and conferences.

Everyone Can Be an Ally to Someone (May 2023)

LGBTQ+ people are in the minority in most workplaces, which makes the role of Allies critical in creating an environment where everyone feels able to be themselves. This event aimed to provide general information about LGBTQ+ Allyship and tips from a successful International program currently running in Eli Lilly.

Stonewall Workplace Equality Index Workshop (May 2023)

The event focused on expert practical advice as organisations consider and plan a submission to the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index. The workshop was led by Geffrye Parsons, Founder and CEO of The Inclusion Imperative, who took his former employer to #1 on the index in the 2022 listing. Geff provided practical insights and advice to support those who want to do their best in their own Stonewall WEI submission.