Queer Empowerment Hour: Navigating LGBTQ+ Identity in the Workplace

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Join AJ Hardie, PhD (he/they), Executive Director of Asheville GreenWorks, for an engaging and practical workshop on navigating LGBTQ+ identity in the workplace. Drawing on lived experience as an out queer and transgender professional and years of leadership in both environmental and LGBTQ+ community organizations, AJ will guide participants through three key themes:

• Avoiding Tokenization & Self-Advocacy: Learn strategies to assert your identity without being reduced to it.

• Disclosure & Safety: Explore the complexities of coming out in various professional contexts and how to make decisions that prioritize your well-being.

• Policy & Protection: Understand the patchwork of legal and institutional protections that impact LGBTQ+ workers depending on region, industry, and role.

This session will also highlight the importance of queer community building and close with a conversation on fostering collective care—in and beyond the workplace.