Tag: #humanrights

  • OUTstanding Future Leaders Role Model 2025 on YouTube

    Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, to INvolve – The Inclusion People and YouTube for their support and recognition. I am so delighted and grateful to be featured within the 2025 Outstanding Role Model Lists!  Growing up silent and silenced, with no support from anyone… trying to survive somehow… often considering suicide……

  • OUTstanding Future Leaders Role Model List 2025

    I am so delighted and grateful to be featured within the 2025 Outstanding Role Model Lists supported by YouTube! A second time, and this time even amongst the Top 20. I am truly proud and humbled by this result and experience.  These global Outstanding Lists by INvolve – The Inclusion People champion trailblazers across businesses who are…

  • The Essence of Being Human

    Yesterday at the INvolve awards ceremony and gala dinner in the Natural History Museum in London. Quite the life experience and also, after the last few – rather depressing political weeks – it was simply lovely to be in  a hall full of people who understand that diversity is not a trend or something to…

  • OUTstanding Future Leaders Role Model on YouTube

    What an honor! Thank you so much INvolve – The Inclusion People and YouTube. Thank you for supporting us all in making a difference and for making an enormous difference yourselves!       

  • OUTstanding Future Leaders Role Model List 2024

    Very happy, honored, and humbled to have made it onto this list! https://outstanding.involverolemodels.org/poll/2024-top-100-future-leaders Thank you so much to everyone who nominated and selected me. It is an enormous honor and a milestone I will never forget. Thank you for all you do for diversity, equity, and inclusion dear Involve and YouTube!       

  • UNPINKED 2024

    On Friday the 13th, 2024 , I had the pleasure of speaking at the #UNPINKED conference in Berlin on the subject of “Working Around the Globe as a Trans Man – Challenges and Surprises.” A big thank you to the fabulous UHLALA Group for putting together such a diverse and interesting program of presentations and…

  • 30 Years Zurich Pride

    At the Zurich Pride Parade with BCG and GetConnected last Saturday, celebrating humanity, DE&I, and the parade’s 30ieth anniversary. There are not enough words to describe how happy I was. 75’000 people were celebrating the amazing diverse human beings they are this year at our parade. It was my very first time being on a…

  • Trans and gender non-conforming individuals at the workplace

    Delighted to share a research that I undertook with colleagues at @BostonConsultingGroup has been published in the Sep-Oct Issue of Harvard Business Review (‘HBR’)! Earlier this year, our report on the experience of trans and gender non-conforming individuals (‘TGNC’) at the workplace spanning 8 countries was published online on HBR. The research uncovered some rather…

  • The Abortion That Never Happened

    With all the discussion about abortions and many people courageously putting themselves out there sharing their personal experiences, I thought I’d share a little tidbit with you as well. A little over 52 years ago my biological mother lived in Stuttgart and had a boyfriend from Italy. She had just moved out at home and…

  • The Greatest Sin of All

    Elie Wiesel said in his Nobel Peace Price speech in 1986: “And that is why I swore never to be silent whenever wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are…

  • Remembering ‘LGBT Talents’ in Paris

    A couple of weeks ago, I took part in the annual ‘LGBT Talents’ event in Paris. I was deeply honored to have been invited as one of the panel speakers for one of half a dozen inspirational workshops on offer that day. I love speaking at this kind of event. It makes me happy to…

  • Trust Your Children

    Two of the most common questions people ask me are: “When did you know?” and “How did you know?” In a way, I always knew. Even as a three-year old child I instinctively thought of myself as male. My body was female, but I knew I was a boy. This was no clearly defined thought…

  • We’re All Human

    Today, as every year on the 20ieth of November we remember all those who have been killed because of their gender identity. Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance. The sheer numbers of those killed in the most barbaric ways are staggering and break my heart. This year it is 325 individuals that we know of…

  • Whatever

    I continue to be amused as well as annoyed (and sometimes a bit alarmed) by the endless gender bathroom debates. I am female-to-male transgender. When I was four years old, I knew I was a boy. Being born in a girl’s body, my parents kept sending me to bathrooms assigned to female gender even though…

  • Writers Resist

    Beginning of this year, ‘Writers Resist’ events were held all over the world. These readings were to remind ourselves of the importance of human rights, freedom of speech, and mutual respect. Here in Zurich, on a mid-January evening, we spoke up as well, reading from many different works of literature (including our own) in front…

  • International author backs Kent transgender student

    Thank you Sean McPolin. I’m glad Lily won this battle. There’ll be many more to come. Some to do with her being trans, others just because challenging us is what life does… Makes me think of a quote I read the other day, “You’re gonna be happy’” said life, “but first I’ll make you strong.”…

  • A Story of Hope

    Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance #TODR. https://tdor.info Everyone on this list has lost their lives simply for being themselves, for longing to live their lives as who they truly were. In honor of those who have been taken from us so violently, let me share a positive story with you of how it could…