In this time of…well, all of this, hostility and division can make it hard to show up as our full selves. For queer leaders, showing up as “us” can feel both urgently important and unsafe. (How complicated is that?) In this 90-minute online workshop, we offer a space to reflect on how we balance authenticity with safety in our leadership.

Together, we’ll look at the “masks” we wear - those personas that protect us, those that help us, and those that quietly push back on power and oppression. We’ll reflect on masking in intersecting contexts such as gender, neurodivergence, and race, and look at these through a queer lens - as something flexible, creative, and even as a way of challenging norms, not just hiding. We’ll also reflect on why/when/how our masks show up, and how to make more intentional choices about them.

Through guided reflection and conversation, we’ll surface the personas you step into in different contexts, notice the power dynamics that shape them, and find language for the tensions they hold. Most importantly, we’ll explore practical strategies to choose presence over performance without giving up on keeping ourselves safe.