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picture of diversity

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equality and inclusion

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our value in the world is immense and

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this commitment that we make as NASA

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helps us to succeed as an agency for the

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benefit of all Humanity all over the

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world

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the theme of this year's agency event

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is power of active allyship

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and that means working together to fight

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Injustice and to promote equity in the

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workplace

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thank you for tuning into this important

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event where members of this community

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and our allies will discuss the issues

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and opportunities we face as a United

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NASA family

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I encourage each of our family to

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reflect on ways that we can support

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our lgbtq plus colleagues and Friends

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the NASA family that continues to make

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this agency one of the best places to

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work

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and our success as a team relies on our

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diversity

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and our continual support and respect

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for one another

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thank you

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welcome to today's lgbtq pride month

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panel discussion thank you for joining

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us on NASA TV I want to thank our

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leaders of our lgbtq employee resource

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groups from across the agency who came

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together to organize this session today

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for you I also want to thank our

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administrator for a wonderful

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introduction to kick things off today we

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really appreciate that and thank you to

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our panel members we'll have a chance in

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just a moment to go around and make some

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introductions we tell you that the theme

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of today's event is the power of active

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allyship and I think that's a great

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topic for pride month pride month is a

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couple of different things uh kind of

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that go together it is a celebration of

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who we are as a community it's also an

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acknowledgment of some of the struggles

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over the years in the uh the Quest for

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equality and it's also an acknowledgment

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of some of the challenges that still

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remain that's where allyship becomes

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very important both within and to the

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community because there are things that

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we could all do to work together to

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achieve those goals of equity and

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inclusion that we're all interested in

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so let's introduce ourselves uh this

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afternoon so we can kick off the

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discussion uh I will start on the

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moderator for today my name is Charles

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Cockrell my pronouns are he him and his

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I am currently the associate center

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director for strategy at Nasa Glenn

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Research Center even though my permanent

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home if you will is at Nasa Langley

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where I've spent most of my career and I

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am one of the executive sponsors of our

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lgbtq employee Resource Group uh there

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at Langley and I'm very proud to play

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that role because I also identify as

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part of the lgbtq community so again

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thank you and now let's go around and

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introduce our panel I will ask Melanie

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to start this afternoon my name is

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Melanie Saunders I'm the deputy

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associate administrator for the agency

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and my pronouns are she her and hers

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I've been an ally for a number of years

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I spent most of my career at the Johnson

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Space Center and in my last few years at

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JSC I was the chair of the

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um inclusion and Innovation Council

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which was jsc's Dei um uh panel and and

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Council

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um I was also previously executive

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sponsor for the first uh lgbtq

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um uh ERG formal ERG we had an informal

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group before that I called the out and

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Allied group and so

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um I'm an ally and I'm happy to

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um be somebody who is visibly an ally so

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that I can maybe by being a role model

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other leaders will step out and be

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allies

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um also in the agency so thanks for

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sharing uh some time with me thanks

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thank you Melanie I'd like to ask Sarah

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to go next

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hi thank you my name is Sarah Phillips I

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am an employee at Glenn Research Center

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my pronouns are as varied as the rainbow

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I typically go by she her but I also go

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by they them and I will certainly answer

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to whatever anyone chooses to call me

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um I am part of the lgbtq community and

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I identify as gender non-conforming and

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also lesbian

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thank you Sarah thanks for joining us

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today uh Donna how about you go next

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I'm Donna Schaefer I work at Johnson

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Space Center I'm associate director

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there where I chair the um ini Council

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and I also have had

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um probably one of my most fun jobs ever

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in serving as executive sponsor for our

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out and Allied

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um ERG here at JSC my pronouns are she

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and her and much like Sarah I answered

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too many names and I'm happy too

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um and so I'm thrilled to get to spend

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some time here with you guys today as we

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talk more about what's going on with the

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world and how we can work together to

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make it a better place to be for our

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colleagues thanks thank you Donna and

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Ron yes my name is Ron braid

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um I am happy to be rejoining my NASA

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family members uh having retired as of

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last October my pronouns are he him and

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his and one of my last positions at Nasa

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was as the Ames associate Center

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Director I have also served as a senior

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Champion for a number of ergs during my

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time at Nasa including the equal

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accessibility advisory committee which

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is for the people with disabilities

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Community the Native American advisory

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committee both that got it and then most

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recently in 2019 I served as the senior

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Champion for the pride Alliance at NASA

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headquarters for the lgbtq plus

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community so I'm honored to have been

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asked and glad to to be joining you all

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today

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all right thanks so much and thank you

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to this great mix of uh community

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members allies employees uh Mars uh and

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people from across the agency to uh to

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have this discussion today with us we

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really appreciate it

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um one of the things that we'll try to

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do today because we know that sometimes

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language is uh tricky it can change it

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can be elusive so we'll try to Define

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some terms and so maybe that just makes

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it easier to have a good dialogue and

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hopefully that's informative to

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everybody so let's just start with that

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all of those letters that are out there

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lgbtq plus what do they need uh so it

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stands for lesbian gay bisexual

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transgender and queer and we could spend

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a lot of time talking about that that uh

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term but we'll we'll maybe save that for

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another day and the plus is on the end

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of there you you sometimes will see

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variations of that but it just

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acknowledges there is a tremendous

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diversity

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um in terms of sexual orientation and

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gender identity and so um will maybe

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have a chance to talk about what some of

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those things need today so

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um first topic I'd like to maybe just

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chat with our panel about I I hope that

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the audience noted that when we

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introduced ourselves we all identified

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our pronouns and so uh pronouns are

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really important when it comes to gender

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identity we've got a lot of studies that

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show that people uh young adults today

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identify as

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um transgender or non-binary or gender

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non-conforming and here again we'll just

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Define a term for you if you ever hear

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the term cisgender that just means

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someone who has a gender identity that

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corresponds to what they were assigned

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at Birth and if you're transgender it's

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a person who has changed their gender

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identity or maybe someone is gender

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non-conforming or non-binary might be a

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different identity not a different than

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male or female so different than our

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understanding uh traditionally of what

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that means so pronouns are a way of

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expressing that and why is that

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important to do an introductions in the

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workplace I'd like to maybe just get

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some perspectives from our panel and uh

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Sarah I'm wondering if you could start

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with that

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sure thanks for for kicking that off so

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gender is a really interesting topic

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um and I think the most important thing

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to point out is that gender for a lot of

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people is is a journey it doesn't always

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necessarily have an ending I think

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traditionally when people think of

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gender they think you're either

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um you're either cisgender or you're

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transgender you know a lot of people

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don't realize that there's anything in

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between uh for many people that are on

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the Journey of being transgender there's

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the there's the idea that they're going

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to become as feminine or masculine as

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possible and that's the more traditional

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view of how people look at transgender

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trans spectrum is absolutely huge

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um and it allows for people to really

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explore who they are inside uh how they

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identify outside as a non-gender

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confirming person I identify as

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non-binary

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um and I it so for me I did not come out

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until I was an adult

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um I was already in my 30s because my

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entire life I knew I wasn't a girl but I

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didn't think I was a boy either and it

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wasn't until someone actually started

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giving me some of these definitions and

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saying you don't have to be

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you know as as manly as you want like

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why don't you just explore who you want

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you know who you are and finding that

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medium and having the ability to Day by

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Day represent how I'm feeling whether it

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be more masculine or more feminine or

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maybe a variety of both uh has allowed

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me to feel like the most authentic self

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I've ever been and the way that we see

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gender and recognize gender is changing

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and that's absolutely a wonderful thing

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I know it can be scary to a lot of

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people because

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I think as humans we like to have easy

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labels we like to be able to identify

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something because then we understand it

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and having gender fluid and non-gender

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conforming it's not something that you

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can easily understand because there's no

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box and so I I think it's really good

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that we talk about that today especially

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when we talk about allyship because you

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know it's important for our allies to

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understand and respect it you know

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gender is a journey and and that there

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are a lot of employees at Nasa who are I

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think going to listen to this today and

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really really take a lot of positive

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feedback and feel good about hearing

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that they are supported on that Journey

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thank you Sarah that's a wonderful thank

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you for sharing that

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um from a NASA leadership perspective

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let me ask either Melanie or Donna if

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you um have a perspective uh on that and

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what NASA leadership might do in terms

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of the importance of pronouns and gender

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identity in the workplace so one of the

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things that that I think is important to

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remember is that um this is relatively I

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would say in that this is a relatively

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00:11:35,990 --> 00:11:34,140
New Concept to many many people

277
00:11:38,269 --> 00:11:36,000
especially many straight people in the

278
00:11:40,670 --> 00:11:38,279
past you know the the like the the

279
00:11:42,110 --> 00:11:40,680
definitions have evolved even since I

280
00:11:45,949 --> 00:11:42,120
was an executive

281
00:11:47,930 --> 00:11:45,959
um sponsor of out and Allied and so um I

282
00:11:49,730 --> 00:11:47,940
guess what I would tell you is I'm I'm

283
00:11:51,350 --> 00:11:49,740
always a little uncomfortable for the

284
00:11:53,750 --> 00:11:51,360
reason not because I'm uncomfortable

285
00:11:55,850 --> 00:11:53,760
with the content or anybody or anybody

286
00:11:58,610 --> 00:11:55,860
I'm I'm comfortable that I don't want to

287
00:12:01,730 --> 00:11:58,620
unwittingly offend somebody and so I

288
00:12:03,590 --> 00:12:01,740
worry about about whether I've got the

289
00:12:05,629 --> 00:12:03,600
protocol right or whether I'm going to

290
00:12:07,129 --> 00:12:05,639
treat somebody the way they want to be

291
00:12:08,810 --> 00:12:07,139
treated way that way they should be

292
00:12:11,569 --> 00:12:08,820
treated the way they expect to be

293
00:12:13,970 --> 00:12:11,579
treated and so what I try and tell other

294
00:12:15,889 --> 00:12:13,980
leaders have asked is hey just treat

295
00:12:17,629 --> 00:12:15,899
every person as an individual they'll

296
00:12:19,970 --> 00:12:17,639
give you cues about how they want to be

297
00:12:22,129 --> 00:12:19,980
seen and who they are and how they want

298
00:12:25,850 --> 00:12:22,139
to be addressed and just pay attention

299
00:12:28,129 --> 00:12:25,860
and and take everybody you know one one

300
00:12:29,750 --> 00:12:28,139
person in time but the the thing that I

301
00:12:31,430 --> 00:12:29,760
would I think is scary for a lot of

302
00:12:33,410 --> 00:12:31,440
especially a lot of straight people is

303
00:12:35,449 --> 00:12:33,420
they don't want to offend somebody and

304
00:12:37,190 --> 00:12:35,459
they they're not sure if they are or if

305
00:12:39,290 --> 00:12:37,200
they're not and what the kind of the

306
00:12:40,990 --> 00:12:39,300
rules of the road are because I think a

307
00:12:43,190 --> 00:12:41,000
lot of times people are

308
00:12:46,250 --> 00:12:43,200
uncomfortable and that can be

309
00:12:48,650 --> 00:12:46,260
misconstrued as having a more nefarious

310
00:12:50,829 --> 00:12:48,660
um origin and it's really just afraid to

311
00:12:53,389 --> 00:12:50,839
be rude to somebody and and fear of

312
00:12:55,970 --> 00:12:53,399
offending somebody

313
00:12:58,790 --> 00:12:55,980
one thing I would add on to that just is

314
00:13:00,290 --> 00:12:58,800
something simple that I only recently

315
00:13:02,930 --> 00:13:00,300
did because it only occurred to me

316
00:13:05,449 --> 00:13:02,940
recently to do this that is helpful I

317
00:13:08,269 --> 00:13:05,459
think as I added my pronouns to my

318
00:13:10,370 --> 00:13:08,279
signature book on my auto signature so

319
00:13:13,730 --> 00:13:10,380
when my emails go out and people see

320
00:13:14,870 --> 00:13:13,740
that they see what I hope is one me

321
00:13:17,810 --> 00:13:14,880
sharing a little bit of information

322
00:13:20,930 --> 00:13:17,820
about myself and two they see this as a

323
00:13:24,290 --> 00:13:20,940
space where if they're talking to me I

324
00:13:26,449 --> 00:13:24,300
hope and you know that that they know

325
00:13:29,750 --> 00:13:26,459
they can be their true authentic selves

326
00:13:31,610 --> 00:13:29,760
to me and Don I really appreciate that

327
00:13:32,990 --> 00:13:31,620
and and to add on to what Melanie said

328
00:13:34,310 --> 00:13:33,000
you know sometimes it's those small

329
00:13:37,190 --> 00:13:34,320
things that can really make a big

330
00:13:39,350 --> 00:13:37,200
difference so normalizing that practice

331
00:13:41,569 --> 00:13:39,360
of adding your pronouns to your email

332
00:13:43,370 --> 00:13:41,579
signature line or even just getting in

333
00:13:45,290 --> 00:13:43,380
the practice of in a meeting where you

334
00:13:47,870 --> 00:13:45,300
are are introducing people for the first

335
00:13:49,310 --> 00:13:47,880
time of stating your pronouns it just

336
00:13:51,050 --> 00:13:49,320
makes everybody more comfortable and

337
00:13:52,910 --> 00:13:51,060
being able to share that and then that

338
00:13:54,290 --> 00:13:52,920
way you're able to acknowledge someone

339
00:13:55,730 --> 00:13:54,300
the way that they want to be

340
00:13:57,170 --> 00:13:55,740
acknowledged so it's a it's a really

341
00:13:59,870 --> 00:13:57,180
it's a small thing but it's a really

342
00:14:02,090 --> 00:13:59,880
important practice so uh thank you for

343
00:14:04,490 --> 00:14:02,100
doing that uh Ron anything to add on

344
00:14:06,889 --> 00:14:04,500
this talk I agree with what everyone has

345
00:14:08,329 --> 00:14:06,899
said um I think that it's uh critically

346
00:14:11,090 --> 00:14:08,339
important

347
00:14:12,889 --> 00:14:11,100
um as a leader within an organization to

348
00:14:14,269 --> 00:14:12,899
try to create an environment where

349
00:14:15,530 --> 00:14:14,279
everyone feels that they can be

350
00:14:17,569 --> 00:14:15,540
themselves

351
00:14:20,389 --> 00:14:17,579
thank you Ron I appreciate that and that

352
00:14:22,430 --> 00:14:20,399
is actually a great segue to explore

353
00:14:25,189 --> 00:14:22,440
this topic of allyship a little further

354
00:14:26,629 --> 00:14:25,199
that is the topic of today's event so

355
00:14:29,150 --> 00:14:26,639
let's talk a little bit more about what

356
00:14:30,710 --> 00:14:29,160
that means to us so I would like to go

357
00:14:32,689 --> 00:14:30,720
around and maybe ask you some of you

358
00:14:34,790 --> 00:14:32,699
already started to talk about that a

359
00:14:37,490 --> 00:14:34,800
little bit but maybe expand a little bit

360
00:14:39,889 --> 00:14:37,500
on the different forms of support that

361
00:14:41,509 --> 00:14:39,899
allyship can take and maybe if you have

362
00:14:44,150 --> 00:14:41,519
an experience that you could share with

363
00:14:46,850 --> 00:14:44,160
us either positive or negative that

364
00:14:49,129 --> 00:14:46,860
motivated you to become an active uh

365
00:14:52,490 --> 00:14:49,139
supporter within your NASA Center's

366
00:14:53,750 --> 00:14:52,500
lgbtq group or beyond that uh in the

367
00:14:55,250 --> 00:14:53,760
community so

368
00:14:57,050 --> 00:14:55,260
um Ron let me go back and just start

369
00:14:59,090 --> 00:14:57,060
with you and see if you want to expand

370
00:15:02,269 --> 00:14:59,100
on those thoughts a little bit more

371
00:15:04,189 --> 00:15:02,279
sure well it's one thing to be

372
00:15:07,310 --> 00:15:04,199
supportive of an environment but as a

373
00:15:09,350 --> 00:15:07,320
leader how are we advocating for an

374
00:15:13,069 --> 00:15:09,360
environment that is much more inclusive

375
00:15:17,150 --> 00:15:13,079
and so through my own experiences life

376
00:15:19,910 --> 00:15:17,160
experiences as a an African-American

377
00:15:23,750 --> 00:15:19,920
male I realize that sometimes being

378
00:15:27,970 --> 00:15:23,760
quiet and observant isn't enough to be

379
00:15:30,470 --> 00:15:27,980
an advocate for change when our systems

380
00:15:32,509 --> 00:15:30,480
really need kind of a fresh perspective

381
00:15:36,170 --> 00:15:32,519
to kind of take a step back and look at

382
00:15:39,410 --> 00:15:36,180
how we can modify our systems to be more

383
00:15:41,090 --> 00:15:39,420
inclusive of others as well thanks Ron

384
00:15:44,030 --> 00:15:41,100
really really appreciate that and really

385
00:15:45,530 --> 00:15:44,040
appreciate the theme also of the

386
00:15:47,569 --> 00:15:45,540
intersectionality between different

387
00:15:49,850 --> 00:15:47,579
communities uh working with each other

388
00:15:51,829 --> 00:15:49,860
in common uh issues and concerns I

389
00:15:53,449 --> 00:15:51,839
really appreciate that thing

390
00:15:55,970 --> 00:15:53,459
um Donna you talked about being very

391
00:15:59,030 --> 00:15:55,980
active in your role as executive sponsor

392
00:16:02,150 --> 00:15:59,040
at JSC maybe have you expand on what

393
00:16:04,249 --> 00:16:02,160
invaded you to do that a little bit you

394
00:16:07,069 --> 00:16:04,259
know it was one of those things where

395
00:16:09,889 --> 00:16:07,079
you know each of our employee resources

396
00:16:11,210 --> 00:16:09,899
groups gets two executive sponsors I

397
00:16:14,030 --> 00:16:11,220
happen to have you know one of the

398
00:16:16,430 --> 00:16:14,040
coolest ones the out and allies first

399
00:16:18,590 --> 00:16:16,440
um just because it was really great

400
00:16:23,150 --> 00:16:18,600
group of people and of course

401
00:16:27,290 --> 00:16:23,160
not long after I entered my role there

402
00:16:29,870 --> 00:16:27,300
um we had a massacre in Florida and that

403
00:16:31,430 --> 00:16:29,880
group gathered together and just to

404
00:16:33,769 --> 00:16:31,440
watch the

405
00:16:37,970 --> 00:16:33,779
the humanity

406
00:16:41,269 --> 00:16:37,980
um the other ergs that showed up that

407
00:16:43,850 --> 00:16:41,279
stood by and were there for each other

408
00:16:47,569 --> 00:16:43,860
it it reminds us all that we're all

409
00:16:50,449 --> 00:16:47,579
people that we're all working together

410
00:16:53,629 --> 00:16:50,459
um for one agency that has a common

411
00:16:56,030 --> 00:16:53,639
Mission but or a bunch of individual

412
00:16:59,990 --> 00:16:56,040
employees who also have things going on

413
00:17:03,829 --> 00:17:00,000
in our lives and that you know that

414
00:17:07,130 --> 00:17:03,839
event impacted me significantly

415
00:17:10,250 --> 00:17:07,140
um just watching the raw emotion in the

416
00:17:12,949 --> 00:17:10,260
room what can we do we all at Nasa want

417
00:17:15,350 --> 00:17:12,959
to go in and we want to help and this is

418
00:17:18,710 --> 00:17:15,360
an opportunity for us to step in and do

419
00:17:21,230 --> 00:17:18,720
that even within our own team setting

420
00:17:23,870 --> 00:17:21,240
the example for the rest of the federal

421
00:17:26,449 --> 00:17:23,880
government about how we behave how we

422
00:17:30,110 --> 00:17:26,459
treat each other this is not something

423
00:17:31,850 --> 00:17:30,120
that we can easily change quickly if we

424
00:17:34,610 --> 00:17:31,860
had a magic wand I'm sure we would wood

425
00:17:36,950 --> 00:17:34,620
but it slow changes and it's about us

426
00:17:40,730 --> 00:17:36,960
stepping up and being there for each

427
00:17:43,909 --> 00:17:40,740
other and you know just the idea of

428
00:17:46,010 --> 00:17:43,919
making sure that the workforce knows we

429
00:17:48,770 --> 00:17:46,020
want them to show up as their authentic

430
00:17:52,130 --> 00:17:48,780
selves because once that can happen

431
00:17:54,529 --> 00:17:52,140
our missions get better thanks Donna um

432
00:17:57,770 --> 00:17:54,539
appreciate that um Sarah let me ask you

433
00:18:00,350 --> 00:17:57,780
as a member of the lgbtq community what

434
00:18:02,090 --> 00:18:00,360
does Ally should do to you allyship is

435
00:18:04,070 --> 00:18:02,100
huge and one of the things that I would

436
00:18:07,549 --> 00:18:04,080
put out there as both a positive and

437
00:18:10,010 --> 00:18:07,559
negative experience to me um my Center

438
00:18:12,529 --> 00:18:10,020
Director I have a little bit of a I

439
00:18:14,810 --> 00:18:12,539
guess a hero hero complex hero worship

440
00:18:16,850 --> 00:18:14,820
for my Center Director Dr Perez Davis

441
00:18:19,029 --> 00:18:16,860
has made it her mission to make sure

442
00:18:21,289 --> 00:18:19,039
that everyone knows that at Glenn

443
00:18:23,450 --> 00:18:21,299
diversity is one of the most important

444
00:18:25,789 --> 00:18:23,460
things to her when we have a lot of

445
00:18:27,409 --> 00:18:25,799
gatherings virtual

446
00:18:28,850 --> 00:18:27,419
um and she's speaking she always makes

447
00:18:31,130 --> 00:18:28,860
sure that she's speaking to everyone

448
00:18:33,529 --> 00:18:31,140
that is listening and and she always

449
00:18:36,529 --> 00:18:33,539
uses language that makes sure that there

450
00:18:38,090 --> 00:18:36,539
is an inclusivity to the entire employee

451
00:18:39,830 --> 00:18:38,100
group out there

452
00:18:41,990 --> 00:18:39,840
um I would say a negative and it's not a

453
00:18:43,250 --> 00:18:42,000
huge negative but it's something that I

454
00:18:45,770 --> 00:18:43,260
think sends a message and maybe for

455
00:18:47,510 --> 00:18:45,780
people to think about uh and maybe you

456
00:18:50,750 --> 00:18:47,520
are an ally and you don't know how to

457
00:18:53,750 --> 00:18:50,760
tell people but silence is very loud

458
00:18:55,909 --> 00:18:53,760
and and I think that sometimes when

459
00:18:57,830 --> 00:18:55,919
there is opportunity to let people know

460
00:19:00,710 --> 00:18:57,840
that you care and that opportunity is

461
00:19:03,169 --> 00:19:00,720
missed by silence it sometimes sends the

462
00:19:04,730 --> 00:19:03,179
opposite message and that really makes

463
00:19:07,130 --> 00:19:04,740
me shrink a little inside because the

464
00:19:08,930 --> 00:19:07,140
reality is it's not always safe to be

465
00:19:11,270 --> 00:19:08,940
your authentic self

466
00:19:13,010 --> 00:19:11,280
um and and it's not always welcoming and

467
00:19:14,330 --> 00:19:13,020
that makes you a little bit scared at

468
00:19:15,650 --> 00:19:14,340
work and there's a lot of people that

469
00:19:17,930 --> 00:19:15,660
identify that way for many different

470
00:19:19,789 --> 00:19:17,940
reasons I think just using little

471
00:19:22,310 --> 00:19:19,799
opportunities you know you don't have to

472
00:19:23,930 --> 00:19:22,320
put a rainbow flag up you know outside

473
00:19:26,690 --> 00:19:23,940
your house and you don't have to scream

474
00:19:28,909 --> 00:19:26,700
and shout I'm an ally but just using

475
00:19:31,250 --> 00:19:28,919
simple language when you're discussing

476
00:19:32,630 --> 00:19:31,260
things with people thank you Sarah thank

477
00:19:35,210 --> 00:19:32,640
you thank you for sharing that story

478
00:19:37,430 --> 00:19:35,220
some great themes in there um I will

479
00:19:40,250 --> 00:19:37,440
share with you just you know from my

480
00:19:42,289 --> 00:19:40,260
perspective it's been uh an education uh

481
00:19:44,029 --> 00:19:42,299
for me to make sure we understand that

482
00:19:46,130 --> 00:19:44,039
while we've achieved a lot in terms of

483
00:19:48,049 --> 00:19:46,140
the quality over the years not everybody

484
00:19:49,610 --> 00:19:48,059
has benefited equally

485
00:19:52,549 --> 00:19:49,620
um when you see some of the statistics

486
00:19:54,830 --> 00:19:52,559
about the violence of directed towards

487
00:19:57,409 --> 00:19:54,840
trans women particularly trans women of

488
00:20:00,529 --> 00:19:57,419
color across the country it's very

489
00:20:02,450 --> 00:20:00,539
alarming I'm personally very alarmed by

490
00:20:04,730 --> 00:20:02,460
some of what I'm hearing in society

491
00:20:07,310 --> 00:20:04,740
directed towards

492
00:20:10,370 --> 00:20:07,320
um trans people everything from uh

493
00:20:12,649 --> 00:20:10,380
excluding trans women from Sports to

494
00:20:15,409 --> 00:20:12,659
denying trans youth access to gender

495
00:20:17,270 --> 00:20:15,419
affirming care these are the kinds of

496
00:20:19,909 --> 00:20:17,280
things that may not occur to people but

497
00:20:23,090 --> 00:20:19,919
it's sort of all out there and it kind

498
00:20:25,010 --> 00:20:23,100
of creates a climate that you can't help

499
00:20:28,490 --> 00:20:25,020
but have that influence what goes on

500
00:20:30,770 --> 00:20:28,500
inside our gates as well so

501
00:20:32,990 --> 00:20:30,780
um I'm seeking ways even within the

502
00:20:35,090 --> 00:20:33,000
community to do what I can to raise

503
00:20:36,770 --> 00:20:35,100
awareness and help with that that kind

504
00:20:39,470 --> 00:20:36,780
of situation so that's just another way

505
00:20:42,169 --> 00:20:39,480
that we can we can all serve as allies

506
00:20:44,630 --> 00:20:42,179
to each other regardless of where we sit

507
00:20:47,390 --> 00:20:44,640
within our outside the community so just

508
00:20:50,630 --> 00:20:47,400
you know things like encouraging lgbtq

509
00:20:53,630 --> 00:20:50,640
youth stem Fields how can we show our

510
00:20:56,270 --> 00:20:53,640
ourselves as an agency to be more

511
00:20:57,590 --> 00:20:56,280
welcoming to highly qualified candidates

512
00:21:00,169 --> 00:20:57,600
I think that's a really important

513
00:21:01,850 --> 00:21:00,179
conversation and I'm gonna maybe put

514
00:21:04,190 --> 00:21:01,860
Melanie on the spot a little bit here

515
00:21:06,409 --> 00:21:04,200
versus a senior leader how does that

516
00:21:08,029 --> 00:21:06,419
relate back to our NASA value of

517
00:21:09,289 --> 00:21:08,039
inclusion and trying to make sure that

518
00:21:11,750 --> 00:21:09,299
we're attracting the most diverse

519
00:21:14,149 --> 00:21:11,760
Workforce that we can

520
00:21:16,669 --> 00:21:14,159
well that's a great question so this is

521
00:21:18,230 --> 00:21:16,679
one area where I really see a huge role

522
00:21:20,690 --> 00:21:18,240
for the ergs

523
00:21:25,250 --> 00:21:20,700
um because I would hope that that the

524
00:21:28,789 --> 00:21:25,260
ERG members are reaching out to Affinity

525
00:21:31,070 --> 00:21:28,799
groups lgbtq plus groups at their their

526
00:21:33,169 --> 00:21:31,080
alma mater college or university and

527
00:21:35,510 --> 00:21:33,179
that's where having there's nothing

528
00:21:37,909 --> 00:21:35,520
quite as compelling in my mind as having

529
00:21:39,649 --> 00:21:37,919
hearing a message from somebody who went

530
00:21:42,110 --> 00:21:39,659
to your college who you would think was

531
00:21:44,029 --> 00:21:42,120
something like you and and was aligned

532
00:21:46,130 --> 00:21:44,039
with a similar affinity group and maybe

533
00:21:49,250 --> 00:21:46,140
you know having that that personal

534
00:21:50,890 --> 00:21:49,260
pipeline of we're interested it's again

535
00:21:53,210 --> 00:21:50,900
and having them share a personal

536
00:21:55,850 --> 00:21:53,220
testimonials so I also think it's really

537
00:21:58,970 --> 00:21:55,860
important for the ergs to be involved

538
00:22:01,490 --> 00:21:58,980
when we do recruiting College college

539
00:22:03,590 --> 00:22:01,500
campus recruiting and have and put out

540
00:22:05,270 --> 00:22:03,600
our announcements or that we're going to

541
00:22:07,070 --> 00:22:05,280
be opening posting if it's all

542
00:22:09,649 --> 00:22:07,080
electronic right now we're going to be

543
00:22:11,630 --> 00:22:09,659
posting these sorts of announcements and

544
00:22:14,450 --> 00:22:11,640
and having sort of more Personal Touch

545
00:22:16,430 --> 00:22:14,460
much but that's something that HR can do

546
00:22:18,710 --> 00:22:16,440
only to a limited extent it's far more

547
00:22:21,590 --> 00:22:18,720
compelling and Powerful when we Engage

548
00:22:23,630 --> 00:22:21,600
The ergs so one of the things I've had a

549
00:22:26,750 --> 00:22:23,640
lot of fun doing um so far this year is

550
00:22:28,730 --> 00:22:26,760
we I started a Dei steering committee at

551
00:22:30,830 --> 00:22:28,740
the agency level because the

552
00:22:35,149 --> 00:22:30,840
administration had a really great focus

553
00:22:39,110 --> 00:22:35,159
on a lot of a lot of Dei initiatives and

554
00:22:41,810 --> 00:22:39,120
so we're trying to engage the ergs in a

555
00:22:43,250 --> 00:22:41,820
much more direct way with a direct voice

556
00:22:44,810 --> 00:22:43,260
instead of just going through the center

557
00:22:46,250 --> 00:22:44,820
leadership I don't want it filtered

558
00:22:49,130 --> 00:22:46,260
there I want to make sure we get here

559
00:22:51,350 --> 00:22:49,140
the voice of the ergs with the wrestling

560
00:22:53,990 --> 00:22:51,360
agency and Leadership teams thanks

561
00:22:55,370 --> 00:22:54,000
Melanie great uh perspective Ron let me

562
00:22:58,070 --> 00:22:55,380
ask you as somebody who's been in the

563
00:23:00,529 --> 00:22:58,080
agency now maybe outside looking back in

564
00:23:02,990 --> 00:23:00,539
you might have a fresh perspective to

565
00:23:05,750 --> 00:23:03,000
offer on that let me ask you to comment

566
00:23:07,810 --> 00:23:05,760
well I I think that uh it is critically

567
00:23:12,049 --> 00:23:07,820
important to make sure that we're

568
00:23:14,690 --> 00:23:12,059
recruiting a diverse uh Workforce

569
00:23:16,549 --> 00:23:14,700
um uh we know through data through

570
00:23:18,830 --> 00:23:16,559
reports through studies that the more

571
00:23:21,169 --> 00:23:18,840
diverse your Workforce is the more

572
00:23:23,870 --> 00:23:21,179
Innovative and creative uh your

573
00:23:26,330 --> 00:23:23,880
Workforce will be you have a culture of

574
00:23:29,450 --> 00:23:26,340
innovation and creativity and so having

575
00:23:33,049 --> 00:23:29,460
been in the HR space uh for a sizable

576
00:23:35,450 --> 00:23:33,059
part of my career I also encourage us to

577
00:23:38,870 --> 00:23:35,460
consider the results of the employee

578
00:23:41,330 --> 00:23:38,880
feedback survey they have demographic

579
00:23:44,930 --> 00:23:41,340
data there that can give you insights on

580
00:23:48,110 --> 00:23:44,940
how minorities view the world how women

581
00:23:51,289 --> 00:23:48,120
view the culture how the lgbtq plus

582
00:23:55,130 --> 00:23:51,299
Community use the culture and so by

583
00:23:58,850 --> 00:23:55,140
analyzing that kind of data it helps to

584
00:24:01,130 --> 00:23:58,860
make sure that the diverse group of

585
00:24:03,649 --> 00:24:01,140
people that we're hiring recruiting that

586
00:24:05,870 --> 00:24:03,659
we have a culture and a climate that is

587
00:24:07,970 --> 00:24:05,880
conducive for them to thrive and not

588
00:24:10,250 --> 00:24:07,980
just fight for survival

589
00:24:12,529 --> 00:24:10,260
thank you thanks Ron

590
00:24:14,390 --> 00:24:12,539
um Sarah anything to add back on some of

591
00:24:16,789 --> 00:24:14,400
the themes you brought about earlier in

592
00:24:20,630 --> 00:24:16,799
terms of NASA being a welcoming place

593
00:24:23,870 --> 00:24:20,640
for lgbtq people care to expand yes so

594
00:24:26,630 --> 00:24:23,880
so I think of when you're applying for a

595
00:24:28,549 --> 00:24:26,640
job and you get that interview stage I

596
00:24:29,990 --> 00:24:28,559
always think of it as not only are they

597
00:24:32,149 --> 00:24:30,000
interviewing me to see if I'm the right

598
00:24:33,890 --> 00:24:32,159
candidate I'm also interviewing the

599
00:24:35,269 --> 00:24:33,900
prospective employers because I want to

600
00:24:37,250 --> 00:24:35,279
make sure it's also a right fit for me

601
00:24:38,690 --> 00:24:37,260
that's how you're going to have the best

602
00:24:40,130 --> 00:24:38,700
the best relationship and you're going

603
00:24:41,510 --> 00:24:40,140
to get the best employees who like where

604
00:24:43,070 --> 00:24:41,520
they are

605
00:24:45,230 --> 00:24:43,080
um and I have to say I walked out of

606
00:24:46,610 --> 00:24:45,240
that first interview and thought if I do

607
00:24:48,409 --> 00:24:46,620
not get this job

608
00:24:51,049 --> 00:24:48,419
I I don't know what I'm going to explode

609
00:24:53,450 --> 00:24:51,059
I literally drove past NASA and just

610
00:24:55,190 --> 00:24:53,460
parked and oogle-eyed at you know the

611
00:24:57,529 --> 00:24:55,200
big NASA meatball outside the hangar

612
00:24:59,029 --> 00:24:57,539
because I was just so sorry I'd during

613
00:25:01,190 --> 00:24:59,039
my interview

614
00:25:03,590 --> 00:25:01,200
there was only four or five questions I

615
00:25:05,390 --> 00:25:03,600
I don't remember the exact number

616
00:25:08,029 --> 00:25:05,400
but of those questions two of them

617
00:25:11,029 --> 00:25:08,039
pertained to diversity and what I felt

618
00:25:12,950 --> 00:25:11,039
about diversity and what diversity means

619
00:25:16,130 --> 00:25:12,960
to me in the workplace and why it's

620
00:25:17,930 --> 00:25:16,140
important and I thought oh my gosh if

621
00:25:19,070 --> 00:25:17,940
they are if they're asking me what I

622
00:25:20,810 --> 00:25:19,080
think about diversity that means that

623
00:25:22,549 --> 00:25:20,820
they really care about it and if that is

624
00:25:24,649 --> 00:25:22,559
so important that they're asking me more

625
00:25:26,149 --> 00:25:24,659
about how I feel about diversity then

626
00:25:28,070 --> 00:25:26,159
they are asking me about my technical

627
00:25:29,210 --> 00:25:28,080
expertise in the field that I'm applying

628
00:25:33,110 --> 00:25:29,220
for

629
00:25:35,330 --> 00:25:33,120
this is different than anything I was

630
00:25:36,470 --> 00:25:35,340
told I was like they care asking

631
00:25:38,090 --> 00:25:36,480
candidates what they feel about

632
00:25:39,649 --> 00:25:38,100
diversity is a great way to make sure

633
00:25:41,269 --> 00:25:39,659
that you are getting people that have

634
00:25:44,210 --> 00:25:41,279
that you know that it is important to

635
00:25:46,430 --> 00:25:44,220
them that it's as important to them as a

636
00:25:47,690 --> 00:25:46,440
new hire as its importance you as an

637
00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:47,700
employee wanting to have the best

638
00:25:50,990 --> 00:25:49,090
Workforce

639
00:25:52,930 --> 00:25:51,000
[Music]

640
00:25:55,909 --> 00:25:52,940
foreign

641
00:25:58,130 --> 00:25:55,919
comments about the value of allyship and

642
00:26:00,649 --> 00:25:58,140
for that I reflect upon early days of

643
00:26:02,090 --> 00:26:00,659
participating in our LGBT program and

644
00:26:04,430 --> 00:26:02,100
organizations of Marshall

645
00:26:06,529 --> 00:26:04,440
as part of my performance appraisal I've

646
00:26:07,730 --> 00:26:06,539
mentioned participation in our group and

647
00:26:10,549 --> 00:26:07,740
you know the support for the different

648
00:26:12,350 --> 00:26:10,559
events and uh the first time I mentioned

649
00:26:15,409 --> 00:26:12,360
that I didn't get a clear read on the

650
00:26:18,049 --> 00:26:15,419
excitement about that so to speak

651
00:26:19,549 --> 00:26:18,059
um turns out my assumption was wrong my

652
00:26:22,190 --> 00:26:19,559
supervisor at the time just showed up

653
00:26:23,690 --> 00:26:22,200
sat right next to me at our event uh

654
00:26:25,970 --> 00:26:23,700
five to five in a room where he finished

655
00:26:27,950 --> 00:26:25,980
at anywhere he wanted

656
00:26:29,930 --> 00:26:27,960
um listening to the events uh ask

657
00:26:32,990 --> 00:26:29,940
questions about why I value my

658
00:26:34,370 --> 00:26:33,000
participation and made sure that that

659
00:26:36,289 --> 00:26:34,380
participation was

660
00:26:38,690 --> 00:26:36,299
continued and enthusiastic going forward

661
00:26:41,810 --> 00:26:38,700
and really provided me an opportunity to

662
00:26:44,149 --> 00:26:41,820
continue being engaged I think helped my

663
00:26:45,649 --> 00:26:44,159
colleagues by extension and it's an

664
00:26:48,230 --> 00:26:45,659
attitude and culture that I hope I can

665
00:26:51,110 --> 00:26:48,240
help continue in my tenure at Marshall

666
00:26:55,010 --> 00:26:51,120
and within NASA so thank you for your

667
00:26:59,390 --> 00:26:56,990
I want you to imagine that it's a

668
00:27:00,590 --> 00:26:59,400
gorgeous day and you're on a walk you

669
00:27:02,930 --> 00:27:00,600
see your neighbor and they have a new

670
00:27:04,909 --> 00:27:02,940
puppy you've got to walk over and say

671
00:27:06,769 --> 00:27:04,919
hello to this giant pod floppy eared pup

672
00:27:07,789 --> 00:27:06,779
and you ask your neighbor what's his

673
00:27:12,649 --> 00:27:07,799
name

674
00:27:14,870 --> 00:27:12,659
adorable you respond

675
00:27:16,909 --> 00:27:14,880
you're embarrassed right you got the

676
00:27:19,669 --> 00:27:16,919
dog's gender wrong the dog probably

677
00:27:21,950 --> 00:27:19,679
doesn't care the owner might you

678
00:27:23,450 --> 00:27:21,960
certainly do in that moment and we've

679
00:27:25,850 --> 00:27:23,460
all been there right it's an easy

680
00:27:27,889 --> 00:27:25,860
mistake to make but no big deal

681
00:27:29,990 --> 00:27:27,899
trust me when I say it's a much bigger

682
00:27:31,789 --> 00:27:30,000
deal when referring to a person

683
00:27:34,010 --> 00:27:31,799
having come out at work in the last year

684
00:27:36,049 --> 00:27:34,020
myself I can tell you that it's painful

685
00:27:37,669 --> 00:27:36,059
when people misgender me though of

686
00:27:38,510 --> 00:27:37,679
course people are going to mess up now

687
00:27:40,430 --> 00:27:38,520
and then

688
00:27:42,289 --> 00:27:40,440
what's worse is when I'm misgendered in

689
00:27:43,610 --> 00:27:42,299
front of folks who don't know me and now

690
00:27:47,389 --> 00:27:43,620
we're associating me with the wrong

691
00:27:51,350 --> 00:27:49,130
hopeful by doing their best to use an

692
00:27:53,570 --> 00:27:51,360
individual's preferred pronouns and if

693
00:27:55,310 --> 00:27:53,580
appropriate to take the burden off of us

694
00:27:57,230 --> 00:27:55,320
to correct others

695
00:27:59,029 --> 00:27:57,240
because of getting a dog's pronoun right

696
00:28:04,190 --> 00:27:59,039
matters that much getting your friends

697
00:28:09,230 --> 00:28:07,250
I'm excited to be here today I'm excited

698
00:28:11,630 --> 00:28:09,240
to learn how to be a better Ally to the

699
00:28:14,149 --> 00:28:11,640
lgbtq plus community

700
00:28:15,950 --> 00:28:14,159
as I look back over my life I realized

701
00:28:19,010 --> 00:28:15,960
that there were a few a few pivotal

702
00:28:22,070 --> 00:28:19,020
pivotal events that um made me want to

703
00:28:25,190 --> 00:28:22,080
become a better Ally

704
00:28:27,470 --> 00:28:25,200
um one that strikes me the most is that

705
00:28:29,570 --> 00:28:27,480
my mom's best friend growing up who was

706
00:28:31,970 --> 00:28:29,580
like my second mom and she was actually

707
00:28:35,630 --> 00:28:31,980
there in the room when I was born

708
00:28:38,930 --> 00:28:35,640
um her eldest son was a gay man and he

709
00:28:41,210 --> 00:28:38,940
died of AIDS and

710
00:28:43,310 --> 00:28:41,220
um his mother actually couldn't admit

711
00:28:45,649 --> 00:28:43,320
that she told everyone that he died of

712
00:28:48,529 --> 00:28:45,659
pneumonia and never once spoke that he

713
00:28:51,649 --> 00:28:48,539
had or died of AIDS and this struck me

714
00:28:54,529 --> 00:28:51,659
as really tragic that someone's very own

715
00:28:57,830 --> 00:28:54,539
mother couldn't be open and honest with

716
00:28:59,750 --> 00:28:57,840
um with what had killed her son and it

717
00:29:02,330 --> 00:28:59,760
makes me realize that we need to be

718
00:29:05,269 --> 00:29:02,340
vocal we need to be supportive to the

719
00:29:07,549 --> 00:29:05,279
lgbtq plus community and we need to

720
00:29:10,370 --> 00:29:07,559
figure out ways to do it both at Nasa

721
00:29:12,289 --> 00:29:10,380
and in our community at home I've had

722
00:29:15,470 --> 00:29:12,299
friends that have suggested that if we

723
00:29:18,350 --> 00:29:15,480
wear uh rainbow pins or have a rainbow

724
00:29:21,710 --> 00:29:18,360
flag in our office that that could be a

725
00:29:24,529 --> 00:29:21,720
welcoming sign to lgbtq plus people when

726
00:29:26,990 --> 00:29:24,539
they walk in and approach us and so I've

727
00:29:29,690 --> 00:29:27,000
done that and I also have a flag outside

728
00:29:32,930 --> 00:29:29,700
of my home that is a rainbow flag that

729
00:29:34,669 --> 00:29:32,940
says love always wins so I look forward

730
00:29:38,029 --> 00:29:34,679
to the panel today and learning how to

731
00:29:39,950 --> 00:29:38,039
be a better Ally thank you

732
00:29:43,610 --> 00:29:39,960
I was asked to give a quick story in

733
00:29:45,950 --> 00:29:43,620
honor of our lgbtq community uh and uh

734
00:29:47,810 --> 00:29:45,960
particularly when I was the a reserve

735
00:29:50,090 --> 00:29:47,820
Judge Advocate at a large Marine unit in

736
00:29:51,950 --> 00:29:50,100
New Orleans after President Obama

737
00:29:54,169 --> 00:29:51,960
repealed the don't ask don't tell policy

738
00:29:55,370 --> 00:29:54,179
in 2010. I was asked to go around the

739
00:29:57,529 --> 00:29:55,380
country and give a quick class about

740
00:29:59,990 --> 00:29:57,539
those things and the military was very

741
00:30:02,990 --> 00:30:00,000
concerned that it would have an adverse

742
00:30:04,669 --> 00:30:03,000
effect on Military discipline uh and I

743
00:30:06,169 --> 00:30:04,679
took it upon myself to interview some of

744
00:30:07,909 --> 00:30:06,179
the younger Marines and not one of them

745
00:30:09,409 --> 00:30:07,919
felt that it had it would have an

746
00:30:11,210 --> 00:30:09,419
adverse effect on good order and

747
00:30:12,590 --> 00:30:11,220
discipline and that really made me proud

748
00:30:14,149 --> 00:30:12,600
and understand that we've come a long

749
00:30:16,850 --> 00:30:14,159
way in the military since I had come on

750
00:30:18,529 --> 00:30:16,860
active duty in 1985 and sure enough when

751
00:30:20,870 --> 00:30:18,539
the repeal actually took place it went

752
00:30:22,669 --> 00:30:20,880
off without a hitch in fact uh no

753
00:30:24,409 --> 00:30:22,679
incident whatsoever happened the way we

754
00:30:27,350 --> 00:30:24,419
did this in the military was through

755
00:30:30,190 --> 00:30:27,360
allyship and uh in NASA we do that very

756
00:30:32,389 --> 00:30:30,200
well allyship and we do that by

757
00:30:35,029 --> 00:30:32,399
recognizing people for the performance

758
00:30:37,250 --> 00:30:35,039
and their what they do for a living and

759
00:30:39,649 --> 00:30:37,260
not because of their sexual orientation

760
00:30:41,690 --> 00:30:39,659
or their estimates ethnicity or the race

761
00:30:44,810 --> 00:30:41,700
or any kind of label they might put on

762
00:30:46,549 --> 00:30:44,820
them and uh and and that's a as a leader

763
00:30:48,289 --> 00:30:46,559
I think that's very important and it's

764
00:30:50,090 --> 00:30:48,299
very important that we do that at Nasa

765
00:30:53,090 --> 00:30:50,100
and at Nasa again I think that we do

766
00:30:58,310 --> 00:30:55,850
for as long as I can remember my parents

767
00:31:01,789 --> 00:30:58,320
have always had friends who were members

768
00:31:05,509 --> 00:31:01,799
of the lgbtq community

769
00:31:07,930 --> 00:31:05,519
in fact I can vividly see my parents and

770
00:31:11,149 --> 00:31:07,940
Miss Groot sitting at the kitchen table

771
00:31:13,490 --> 00:31:11,159
laughing talking and drinking coffee

772
00:31:15,230 --> 00:31:13,500
years later my mother would tell me that

773
00:31:17,690 --> 00:31:15,240
there were people who didn't like Miss

774
00:31:20,269 --> 00:31:17,700
Gert because of her sexuality

775
00:31:23,269 --> 00:31:20,279
and my mother said that was wrong

776
00:31:25,549 --> 00:31:23,279
you accept people for who they are

777
00:31:27,889 --> 00:31:25,559
and then there's my sister-in-law who

778
00:31:30,230 --> 00:31:27,899
was a lesbian who was able to live her

779
00:31:33,230 --> 00:31:30,240
life to the fullest because she had

780
00:31:34,970 --> 00:31:33,240
family who accepted and loved her for

781
00:31:37,970 --> 00:31:34,980
who she was

782
00:31:40,730 --> 00:31:37,980
so I guess allyship is in My DNA

783
00:31:45,430 --> 00:31:40,740
so as an ally how can I make a

784
00:31:48,470 --> 00:31:45,440
difference for our lgbtq plus employees

785
00:31:52,130 --> 00:31:48,480
Advocate my support

786
00:31:55,490 --> 00:31:52,140
for me this means take immediate action

787
00:31:56,990 --> 00:31:55,500
if I hear or someone reports an

788
00:31:59,389 --> 00:31:57,000
inappropriate comment

789
00:32:02,630 --> 00:31:59,399
after all no one should be made to feel

790
00:32:05,090 --> 00:32:02,640
less than because of their sexuality who

791
00:32:08,210 --> 00:32:05,100
they are and who they love

792
00:32:11,930 --> 00:32:08,220
in addition to advocating my support

793
00:32:15,169 --> 00:32:11,940
participate be visible in my support

794
00:32:18,529 --> 00:32:15,179
so if asked agree to be the executive

795
00:32:20,389 --> 00:32:18,539
Champion for the lgbtq plus employee

796
00:32:23,450 --> 00:32:20,399
Resource Group

797
00:32:25,370 --> 00:32:23,460
but more importantly model my parents

798
00:32:28,430 --> 00:32:25,380
Behavior

799
00:32:30,889 --> 00:32:28,440
accept people for who they are

800
00:32:36,950 --> 00:32:30,899
be an advocate and Champion for our

801
00:32:41,509 --> 00:32:39,169
so these are some really great themes in

802
00:32:44,269 --> 00:32:41,519
terms of allyship and welcoming people

803
00:32:46,490 --> 00:32:44,279
and conversations that we could have

804
00:32:48,409 --> 00:32:46,500
um you know anytime we we sort of talk

805
00:32:50,750 --> 00:32:48,419
about diversity and inclusion sometimes

806
00:32:53,269 --> 00:32:50,760
we're going to get into uh maybe more

807
00:32:54,889 --> 00:32:53,279
difficult conversations that can be very

808
00:32:57,950 --> 00:32:54,899
constructive if we know how to navigate

809
00:33:00,230 --> 00:32:57,960
those but um they might be uncomfortable

810
00:33:02,630 --> 00:33:00,240
so so let's maybe pivot to some of those

811
00:33:04,850 --> 00:33:02,640
for just a minute uh to see if we can

812
00:33:06,710 --> 00:33:04,860
help people around those and I will

813
00:33:08,210 --> 00:33:06,720
introduce another term for the audience

814
00:33:10,310 --> 00:33:08,220
some sometimes we use the term

815
00:33:13,250 --> 00:33:10,320
heteronormative and all that means is

816
00:33:16,549 --> 00:33:13,260
that most people in society are going to

817
00:33:20,090 --> 00:33:16,559
identify as cisgender and heterosexual

818
00:33:22,610 --> 00:33:20,100
and and so um why that's important is

819
00:33:26,149 --> 00:33:22,620
when you come to realize that a lot of

820
00:33:27,649 --> 00:33:26,159
our Norms in uh relationships and how we

821
00:33:30,830 --> 00:33:27,659
interact with people going back to the

822
00:33:32,450 --> 00:33:30,840
pronoun conversation are based on that

823
00:33:35,029 --> 00:33:32,460
understanding of being a cisgender

824
00:33:37,730 --> 00:33:35,039
heterosexual person and the realization

825
00:33:40,549 --> 00:33:37,740
that lgbtq people sometimes have to

826
00:33:42,710 --> 00:33:40,559
navigate some tricky situations in terms

827
00:33:44,990 --> 00:33:42,720
of assessing the cues and determining

828
00:33:46,370 --> 00:33:45,000
people people's Comfort level and how

829
00:33:49,549 --> 00:33:46,380
they're addressed and things like that

830
00:33:51,350 --> 00:33:49,559
then we can get into you know some more

831
00:33:52,549 --> 00:33:51,360
um you know some more uh energetic

832
00:33:55,490 --> 00:33:52,559
conversations

833
00:33:58,070 --> 00:33:55,500
um things like restroom access this

834
00:34:00,350 --> 00:33:58,080
tension between religious freedom and

835
00:34:03,110 --> 00:34:00,360
equality big conversation in society

836
00:34:05,269 --> 00:34:03,120
right now so how can we uh what are some

837
00:34:07,730 --> 00:34:05,279
things that we could do to maybe equip

838
00:34:09,730 --> 00:34:07,740
people to navigate some of those really

839
00:34:12,169 --> 00:34:09,740
significant and challenging

840
00:34:14,690 --> 00:34:12,179
conversations actions that that people

841
00:34:16,669 --> 00:34:14,700
can take to help each other when we're

842
00:34:20,329 --> 00:34:16,679
trying to navigate those things let me

843
00:34:23,089 --> 00:34:20,339
um start with Donna I will say that

844
00:34:24,290 --> 00:34:23,099
um when we as a scene team began

845
00:34:27,950 --> 00:34:24,300
training

846
00:34:30,290 --> 00:34:27,960
um together about diversity

847
00:34:32,389 --> 00:34:30,300
um white men as full diversity partners

848
00:34:34,909 --> 00:34:32,399
that led to some vulnerable

849
00:34:38,089 --> 00:34:34,919
conversations it it led to that team

850
00:34:41,389 --> 00:34:38,099
becoming actually a far are better

851
00:34:42,950 --> 00:34:41,399
connected team a more trusting team I

852
00:34:46,250 --> 00:34:42,960
told them they could go to each other

853
00:34:49,490 --> 00:34:46,260
and talk with each other about things

854
00:34:53,050 --> 00:34:49,500
that were very sensitive topics because

855
00:34:57,109 --> 00:34:53,060
we had learned to do that through this

856
00:35:00,109 --> 00:34:57,119
process of learning how to have

857
00:35:03,470 --> 00:35:00,119
difficult conversations with each other

858
00:35:07,310 --> 00:35:03,480
um I then become one of the executive

859
00:35:09,410 --> 00:35:07,320
sponsors for out and Allied and which

860
00:35:13,010 --> 00:35:09,420
was fantastic and then of course little

861
00:35:17,450 --> 00:35:13,020
did I know then that all of this leads

862
00:35:20,930 --> 00:35:17,460
up to my child coming home her junior

863
00:35:26,690 --> 00:35:20,940
year in college to tell me that she

864
00:35:29,750 --> 00:35:26,700
identifies with lgbtq Community which I

865
00:35:32,990 --> 00:35:29,760
think that all of my work at work

866
00:35:35,990 --> 00:35:33,000
actually made her feel safe at home and

867
00:35:40,250 --> 00:35:36,000
so you don't really ever know how this

868
00:35:43,670 --> 00:35:40,260
will impact you and what lives you will

869
00:35:46,430 --> 00:35:43,680
touch you know because for her

870
00:35:48,170 --> 00:35:46,440
she knew she was in a safe place talking

871
00:35:50,329 --> 00:35:48,180
to me she knew she was in a welcome

872
00:35:51,829 --> 00:35:50,339
Place talking to me because she had seen

873
00:35:54,829 --> 00:35:51,839
me work

874
00:35:57,290 --> 00:35:54,839
um towards people being treated as

875
00:35:59,870 --> 00:35:57,300
people right regardless I just that's

876
00:36:02,390 --> 00:35:59,880
how people are allowed to be treated

877
00:36:05,990 --> 00:36:02,400
um and so for her I think that was

878
00:36:08,030 --> 00:36:06,000
really brave because that is not the

879
00:36:09,470 --> 00:36:08,040
welcoming that she received across our

880
00:36:11,750 --> 00:36:09,480
family

881
00:36:14,450 --> 00:36:11,760
um and that's really heartbreaking

882
00:36:17,569 --> 00:36:14,460
probably more heartbreaking for me as

883
00:36:20,750 --> 00:36:17,579
her mother than for her because she is a

884
00:36:24,109 --> 00:36:20,760
very strong young woman who is Take Me

885
00:36:26,210 --> 00:36:24,119
As I am and I think this kind of circles

886
00:36:29,450 --> 00:36:26,220
back to what Sarah was saying when when

887
00:36:30,650 --> 00:36:29,460
when people are quiet right we can't be

888
00:36:32,510 --> 00:36:30,660
quiet

889
00:36:35,630 --> 00:36:32,520
um we have to speak up we have to say

890
00:36:37,730 --> 00:36:35,640
it's not okay to say this or that or

891
00:36:40,790 --> 00:36:37,740
call people out we have to stand up for

892
00:36:43,310 --> 00:36:40,800
each other as humans first and when

893
00:36:44,930 --> 00:36:43,320
everybody feels safe as a human they're

894
00:36:47,690 --> 00:36:44,940
going to give you their best they're

895
00:36:49,670 --> 00:36:47,700
going to give the agency their best we

896
00:36:51,770 --> 00:36:49,680
will see perspectives being brought into

897
00:36:55,609 --> 00:36:51,780
our teams that are going to make us so

898
00:36:59,030 --> 00:36:55,619
much better as a team they can all of a

899
00:37:01,430 --> 00:36:59,040
sudden do so much more good for the

900
00:37:03,950 --> 00:37:01,440
agency than if they're masking part of

901
00:37:06,349 --> 00:37:03,960
who they are thank you Donna I

902
00:37:09,650 --> 00:37:06,359
appreciate that um Ron let me go to you

903
00:37:11,510 --> 00:37:09,660
next as you you alluded earlier to some

904
00:37:13,790 --> 00:37:11,520
um some other experiences and

905
00:37:15,710 --> 00:37:13,800
conversations so what about these

906
00:37:17,750 --> 00:37:15,720
difficult conversations your your

907
00:37:18,530 --> 00:37:17,760
perspectives on how we equip people for

908
00:37:22,609 --> 00:37:18,540
those

909
00:37:26,210 --> 00:37:22,619
well I go back over the course of of my

910
00:37:30,230 --> 00:37:26,220
uh growth uh as what I have uh

911
00:37:33,470 --> 00:37:30,240
characterized as uh me being a homophobe

912
00:37:36,530 --> 00:37:33,480
you know I think about my upbringing as

913
00:37:38,650 --> 00:37:36,540
a kid uh there is a a friend of mine

914
00:37:42,530 --> 00:37:38,660
that I had known since elementary school

915
00:37:44,630 --> 00:37:42,540
uh uh while I did not tease him there

916
00:37:46,970 --> 00:37:44,640
were others that did tease him and I

917
00:37:49,190 --> 00:37:46,980
didn't say anything about it or when I

918
00:37:52,430 --> 00:37:49,200
got to uh to college at Virginia Tech

919
00:37:56,270 --> 00:37:52,440
and I stayed in an all-male dorm we knew

920
00:37:58,730 --> 00:37:56,280
that there were a couple of gay guys who

921
00:38:02,569 --> 00:37:58,740
lived in the dorm together and someone

922
00:38:05,089 --> 00:38:02,579
had posted a piece of paper on their

923
00:38:07,970 --> 00:38:05,099
dorm door that said it's Adam and Eve

924
00:38:12,470 --> 00:38:07,980
not Adam and Steve and then once someone

925
00:38:14,930 --> 00:38:12,480
lit that a fire in the dorm and yet as a

926
00:38:17,329 --> 00:38:14,940
human being I didn't say anything and so

927
00:38:20,210 --> 00:38:17,339
what I've come to realize is that

928
00:38:25,430 --> 00:38:20,220
silence was more destructive

929
00:38:28,430 --> 00:38:25,440
than uh kind of piling on and so you

930
00:38:31,190 --> 00:38:28,440
know it has caused a certain a shift in

931
00:38:34,910 --> 00:38:31,200
in my life and my orientation and how I

932
00:38:37,550 --> 00:38:34,920
view advocacy when I see wrong being

933
00:38:41,030 --> 00:38:37,560
silent uh for me at least on a personal

934
00:38:43,130 --> 00:38:41,040
level is no longer an option and then I

935
00:38:46,250 --> 00:38:43,140
came across this poem that's called

936
00:38:47,870 --> 00:38:46,260
first they came by Martin uh nimler that

937
00:38:50,930 --> 00:38:47,880
I think was written back in the early

938
00:38:52,849 --> 00:38:50,940
60s and it says first they came for the

939
00:38:55,430 --> 00:38:52,859
Socialist and I did not speak out

940
00:38:57,650 --> 00:38:55,440
because I was not a socialist

941
00:38:59,750 --> 00:38:57,660
then they came for the trade unionists

942
00:39:02,329 --> 00:38:59,760
and I did not speak out because I was

943
00:39:05,089 --> 00:39:02,339
not a trade unionist then they came for

944
00:39:06,829 --> 00:39:05,099
the Jews and I did not speak out because

945
00:39:09,530 --> 00:39:06,839
I was not a Jew

946
00:39:11,870 --> 00:39:09,540
then they came for me and there was no

947
00:39:13,130 --> 00:39:11,880
one left to speak for me

948
00:39:15,589 --> 00:39:13,140
so

949
00:39:17,930 --> 00:39:15,599
you know even to this day reading that

950
00:39:20,810 --> 00:39:17,940
it has a special meaning for me and the

951
00:39:25,430 --> 00:39:20,820
importance of advocacy because silence

952
00:39:30,410 --> 00:39:28,250
thank you Ron I appreciate that um Sarah

953
00:39:33,170 --> 00:39:30,420
I'm wondering if you could share any

954
00:39:35,990 --> 00:39:33,180
perspectives that you have on this topic

955
00:39:38,210 --> 00:39:36,000
sure thanks Ron you just give me chills

956
00:39:40,490 --> 00:39:38,220
and I'm trying to be like unemotional

957
00:39:43,010 --> 00:39:40,500
but yes that poem um the first time I

958
00:39:45,170 --> 00:39:43,020
heard that is is what I hold dear to my

959
00:39:47,329 --> 00:39:45,180
heart as well difficult conversations

960
00:39:48,530 --> 00:39:47,339
are just that they're difficult and I

961
00:39:50,510 --> 00:39:48,540
think it just comes down to mutual

962
00:39:52,790 --> 00:39:50,520
respect if you want to question someone

963
00:39:55,609 --> 00:39:52,800
about some things and and they give you

964
00:39:57,530 --> 00:39:55,619
a bit of pushback and hesitancy because

965
00:39:59,510 --> 00:39:57,540
maybe they're not there yet they're not

966
00:40:01,670 --> 00:39:59,520
comfortable with those conversations yet

967
00:40:04,550 --> 00:40:01,680
you know having to respect that they're

968
00:40:06,290 --> 00:40:04,560
not there is really um you know for me

969
00:40:09,349 --> 00:40:06,300
pushing myself to those uncomfortable

970
00:40:12,710 --> 00:40:09,359
conversations uh because I don't want to

971
00:40:15,470 --> 00:40:12,720
walk through this life having to explain

972
00:40:19,490 --> 00:40:15,480
to other people why it is so hard for me

973
00:40:21,170 --> 00:40:19,500
sometimes just to go out the front door

974
00:40:23,329 --> 00:40:21,180
um I don't think I should have to do

975
00:40:25,250 --> 00:40:23,339
that but because I care enough so that

976
00:40:27,230 --> 00:40:25,260
way someone else down the road doesn't

977
00:40:28,910 --> 00:40:27,240
have to have those conversations I'm

978
00:40:30,109 --> 00:40:28,920
willing to

979
00:40:31,790 --> 00:40:30,119
um but it's kind of like you know I

980
00:40:34,849 --> 00:40:31,800
think that there's also a certain

981
00:40:37,250 --> 00:40:34,859
responsibility ready for people to

982
00:40:39,710 --> 00:40:37,260
educate themselves too so when they are

983
00:40:42,890 --> 00:40:39,720
asking questions it comes from a place

984
00:40:45,829 --> 00:40:42,900
more of Goodwill than maybe negativity

985
00:40:48,290 --> 00:40:45,839
you know before I came out as non-binary

986
00:40:51,349 --> 00:40:48,300
I would get misgendered all the time and

987
00:40:52,970 --> 00:40:51,359
I never corrected anyone for some people

988
00:40:54,710 --> 00:40:52,980
that are on the trans Spectrum that's

989
00:40:56,690 --> 00:40:54,720
very triggering

990
00:40:59,930 --> 00:40:56,700
um and and that can literally set them

991
00:41:02,089 --> 00:40:59,940
back and just crash them so

992
00:41:04,130 --> 00:41:02,099
also understanding though that people

993
00:41:05,990 --> 00:41:04,140
are people and if they didn't know your

994
00:41:07,670 --> 00:41:06,000
correct gender

995
00:41:09,230 --> 00:41:07,680
you know it's also you have to

996
00:41:10,790 --> 00:41:09,240
understand you know this is this is a

997
00:41:13,790 --> 00:41:10,800
relationship that we are developing as a

998
00:41:16,849 --> 00:41:13,800
culture with each other and so if

999
00:41:18,890 --> 00:41:16,859
someone corrects you politely on the

1000
00:41:21,589 --> 00:41:18,900
correct term

1001
00:41:24,410 --> 00:41:21,599
it's okay to make mistakes I think as

1002
00:41:26,690 --> 00:41:24,420
long as you recognize those what's not

1003
00:41:30,410 --> 00:41:26,700
okay is if someone has told you what

1004
00:41:31,970 --> 00:41:30,420
they prefer to be identified as and you

1005
00:41:36,230 --> 00:41:31,980
blatantly

1006
00:41:38,569 --> 00:41:36,240
keep misgendering or Miss labeling them

1007
00:41:40,430 --> 00:41:38,579
because that's really going to harm that

1008
00:41:42,470 --> 00:41:40,440
person on the inside and it's going to

1009
00:41:44,510 --> 00:41:42,480
make their their life a lot more

1010
00:41:45,950 --> 00:41:44,520
difficult thank you Sarah I really

1011
00:41:48,829 --> 00:41:45,960
really appreciate that in this this

1012
00:41:51,530 --> 00:41:48,839
concept of misgendering and just you

1013
00:41:52,309 --> 00:41:51,540
know things like acknowledging when a

1014
00:41:54,290 --> 00:41:52,319
person

1015
00:41:57,109 --> 00:41:54,300
um has access to the restroom facilities

1016
00:41:59,089 --> 00:41:57,119
that correspond to their gender identity

1017
00:42:01,790 --> 00:41:59,099
um you know those those are things that

1018
00:42:03,770 --> 00:42:01,800
we we really need people to do and so

1019
00:42:05,750 --> 00:42:03,780
making a mistake is one thing and trying

1020
00:42:08,270 --> 00:42:05,760
to retrain your brain a little bit on

1021
00:42:11,690 --> 00:42:08,280
pronouns when I know I have a I have a

1022
00:42:14,270 --> 00:42:11,700
friend with a a trans uh child and I'm

1023
00:42:16,250 --> 00:42:14,280
trying to retrain my brain on that

1024
00:42:17,870 --> 00:42:16,260
um that's one thing versus

1025
00:42:19,730 --> 00:42:17,880
um intentionally disregarding that

1026
00:42:22,370 --> 00:42:19,740
that's that's another conversation

1027
00:42:24,069 --> 00:42:22,380
entirely so so helping each other really

1028
00:42:27,050 --> 00:42:24,079
understand the things that we could do

1029
00:42:29,329 --> 00:42:27,060
is very important I'm going to add a

1030
00:42:31,730 --> 00:42:29,339
layer to this conversation and go to uh

1031
00:42:34,190 --> 00:42:31,740
to Melanie to help with this one and

1032
00:42:36,349 --> 00:42:34,200
it's it really just it goes directly to

1033
00:42:37,870 --> 00:42:36,359
the uh the first line supervisors you

1034
00:42:40,250 --> 00:42:37,880
know a lot of our

1035
00:42:41,990 --> 00:42:40,260
a lot of our studies show that first

1036
00:42:45,230 --> 00:42:42,000
line supervisors have a really big

1037
00:42:46,849 --> 00:42:45,240
impact on workplace experiences a lot of

1038
00:42:48,829 --> 00:42:46,859
times your supervisors may be the first

1039
00:42:50,510 --> 00:42:48,839
person that you would go to with one of

1040
00:42:52,670 --> 00:42:50,520
these maybe you're having issues in the

1041
00:42:54,950 --> 00:42:52,680
workplace maybe you're coming out and

1042
00:42:57,050 --> 00:42:54,960
you need to talk to somebody and um and

1043
00:42:58,670 --> 00:42:57,060
figure out how that's going to go but a

1044
00:43:00,770 --> 00:42:58,680
lot of times our employees and

1045
00:43:02,569 --> 00:43:00,780
supervisors report that maybe people are

1046
00:43:05,030 --> 00:43:02,579
just not equipped to have these

1047
00:43:07,790 --> 00:43:05,040
conversations and they're seeking ways

1048
00:43:10,849 --> 00:43:07,800
to do that so what are steps that the

1049
00:43:12,890 --> 00:43:10,859
agency can take to to Really change that

1050
00:43:15,470 --> 00:43:12,900
to equip the the right people to have

1051
00:43:17,390 --> 00:43:15,480
those conversations Melody so one of the

1052
00:43:18,770 --> 00:43:17,400
things that I love that we did at

1053
00:43:21,410 --> 00:43:18,780
Johnson was

1054
00:43:23,750 --> 00:43:21,420
um we required everybody to take an

1055
00:43:26,510 --> 00:43:23,760
introduction to unconscious bias class

1056
00:43:28,190 --> 00:43:26,520
but then also we had a more race power

1057
00:43:29,809 --> 00:43:28,200
and privilege

1058
00:43:34,010 --> 00:43:29,819
um that was

1059
00:43:36,589 --> 00:43:34,020
required all supervisors to take that so

1060
00:43:40,190 --> 00:43:36,599
to me one of the things that I think the

1061
00:43:42,050 --> 00:43:40,200
agency should be doing is is all

1062
00:43:43,910 --> 00:43:42,060
supervisors should be required to take

1063
00:43:46,550 --> 00:43:43,920
training like that to know how to have

1064
00:43:48,230 --> 00:43:46,560
those conversations so that they don't

1065
00:43:50,630 --> 00:43:48,240
they're not just relying on whatever

1066
00:43:52,370 --> 00:43:50,640
their personal mindset or perspective is

1067
00:43:54,170 --> 00:43:52,380
and and

1068
00:43:56,450 --> 00:43:54,180
um you know I can tell you

1069
00:43:57,950 --> 00:43:56,460
um JSC Bean in the the Bible Belt there

1070
00:43:59,990 --> 00:43:57,960
are a certain number of people who

1071
00:44:01,370 --> 00:44:00,000
probably would totally botch that

1072
00:44:03,829 --> 00:44:01,380
conversation if they didn't have any

1073
00:44:06,109 --> 00:44:03,839
training not everybody is open-minded

1074
00:44:07,550 --> 00:44:06,119
and not everybody is um you know some

1075
00:44:09,410 --> 00:44:07,560
people would have a negative reaction

1076
00:44:11,390 --> 00:44:09,420
and how damaging that could be to the

1077
00:44:13,309 --> 00:44:11,400
person who maybe is just that's they're

1078
00:44:15,410 --> 00:44:13,319
taking a year to get up their courage or

1079
00:44:17,930 --> 00:44:15,420
more to get up their courage to stick

1080
00:44:20,030 --> 00:44:17,940
their toe in the water so that training

1081
00:44:22,849 --> 00:44:20,040
is really really important as well as

1082
00:44:25,309 --> 00:44:22,859
making sure that we model the right

1083
00:44:27,349 --> 00:44:25,319
behavior of the way the work short Force

1084
00:44:29,569 --> 00:44:27,359
should look or the way the workplace

1085
00:44:32,569 --> 00:44:29,579
should look and the way model the right

1086
00:44:34,790 --> 00:44:32,579
leadership behavior of how to interact

1087
00:44:37,370 --> 00:44:34,800
with people and and

1088
00:44:39,349 --> 00:44:37,380
the right the right sort of attitudes to

1089
00:44:40,970 --> 00:44:39,359
have to make sure that you're sending

1090
00:44:42,890 --> 00:44:40,980
the right signals that it's okay it's

1091
00:44:44,329 --> 00:44:42,900
cool you can be yourself and that's

1092
00:44:47,930 --> 00:44:44,339
totally

1093
00:44:49,250 --> 00:44:47,940
want you to be yourself thank you

1094
00:44:51,410 --> 00:44:49,260
appreciate that

1095
00:44:53,089 --> 00:44:51,420
um I have another question here that uh

1096
00:44:55,130 --> 00:44:53,099
I will admit up front that it makes me

1097
00:44:57,650 --> 00:44:55,140
very uncomfortable to ask this because

1098
00:45:00,230 --> 00:44:57,660
it's about the problem of the lack of

1099
00:45:02,089 --> 00:45:00,240
lgbtq representation and Leadership at

1100
00:45:04,309 --> 00:45:02,099
Nasa and the reason that is

1101
00:45:05,990 --> 00:45:04,319
uncomfortable is is somebody from a you

1102
00:45:08,569 --> 00:45:06,000
know from my perspective as somebody who

1103
00:45:10,849 --> 00:45:08,579
came out uh relatively late in life when

1104
00:45:12,589 --> 00:45:10,859
I was well into my career

1105
00:45:14,569 --> 00:45:12,599
um I you know really had to navigate

1106
00:45:16,730 --> 00:45:14,579
those situations I was looking for the

1107
00:45:19,250 --> 00:45:16,740
template and it turns out there is no

1108
00:45:21,470 --> 00:45:19,260
template uh because there really was no

1109
00:45:22,970 --> 00:45:21,480
uh no Role Models there and this you

1110
00:45:24,410 --> 00:45:22,980
know this might be

1111
00:45:26,030 --> 00:45:24,420
um similar I could probably ask that

1112
00:45:28,490 --> 00:45:26,040
same question about other communities

1113
00:45:30,770 --> 00:45:28,500
and the lack of representation but

1114
00:45:32,809 --> 00:45:30,780
um it really it really did occur to me

1115
00:45:35,690 --> 00:45:32,819
that uh we we do have a lack of

1116
00:45:37,670 --> 00:45:35,700
representation in leadership ship it is

1117
00:45:39,349 --> 00:45:37,680
very important and so

1118
00:45:41,450 --> 00:45:39,359
um you know I'm trying to be mindful of

1119
00:45:44,930 --> 00:45:41,460
that and figure out what I can do to

1120
00:45:46,490 --> 00:45:44,940
make that experience maybe easier for

1121
00:45:48,589 --> 00:45:46,500
others if they're if they have to

1122
00:45:50,510 --> 00:45:48,599
navigate uh that Journey because some of

1123
00:45:52,069 --> 00:45:50,520
our surveys do show that there's still a

1124
00:45:54,050 --> 00:45:52,079
large percentage of people in our

1125
00:45:55,730 --> 00:45:54,060
Workforce who are not out at work

1126
00:45:58,309 --> 00:45:55,740
there's something about the environment

1127
00:46:00,589 --> 00:45:58,319
that is athibiting to that and so

1128
00:46:03,470 --> 00:46:00,599
um this representation in leadership may

1129
00:46:05,690 --> 00:46:03,480
be important to that so I just if you'd

1130
00:46:08,150 --> 00:46:05,700
like to hear any uh perspectives

1131
00:46:10,069 --> 00:46:08,160
um on that let me uh go to Donna first

1132
00:46:12,530 --> 00:46:10,079
maybe see if you have anything from your

1133
00:46:14,990 --> 00:46:12,540
from your perspective it's not something

1134
00:46:17,450 --> 00:46:15,000
that we can get a magic wand and fix

1135
00:46:20,870 --> 00:46:17,460
overnight right and and it's something

1136
00:46:22,730 --> 00:46:20,880
about us being mindful

1137
00:46:24,770 --> 00:46:22,740
um paying attention to it looking for

1138
00:46:27,710 --> 00:46:24,780
those opportunities

1139
00:46:31,010 --> 00:46:27,720
um this year as a result of the year-end

1140
00:46:33,710 --> 00:46:31,020
report out last year we've added middle

1141
00:46:37,670 --> 00:46:33,720
management mentors one additional Mentor

1142
00:46:41,210 --> 00:46:37,680
from middle management to each ERG and

1143
00:46:43,970 --> 00:46:41,220
so we're bringing people up and you know

1144
00:46:47,390 --> 00:46:43,980
having senior leaders as well as middle

1145
00:46:49,730 --> 00:46:47,400
managers and support these groups and I

1146
00:46:53,510 --> 00:46:49,740
think the more we talk about it the more

1147
00:46:56,329 --> 00:46:53,520
we engage each other the faster we will

1148
00:46:59,630 --> 00:46:56,339
see those types of walls break down and

1149
00:47:01,790 --> 00:46:59,640
once those artificial barriers can come

1150
00:47:05,030 --> 00:47:01,800
down we'll see the rest of it change as

1151
00:47:07,730 --> 00:47:05,040
well thank you appreciate that um Ron is

1152
00:47:11,030 --> 00:47:07,740
a former HR Director or anything uh you

1153
00:47:14,210 --> 00:47:11,040
can add on this topic I know that um for

1154
00:47:16,010 --> 00:47:14,220
me uh at Once Upon a Time the

1155
00:47:18,589 --> 00:47:16,020
African-American advisory committee

1156
00:47:21,109 --> 00:47:18,599
asked me to be their senior champion and

1157
00:47:22,910 --> 00:47:21,119
I said no I'm already an advocate you

1158
00:47:26,829 --> 00:47:22,920
don't need me to be your senior Champion

1159
00:47:30,049 --> 00:47:26,839
leverage this as an opportunity to

1160
00:47:32,329 --> 00:47:30,059
inform and educate someone who may not

1161
00:47:35,089 --> 00:47:32,339
be as familiar with the challenges that

1162
00:47:37,910 --> 00:47:35,099
you face likewise that was part of the

1163
00:47:40,370 --> 00:47:37,920
reason why I served as a champion for

1164
00:47:43,690 --> 00:47:40,380
the people with disability the

1165
00:47:46,790 --> 00:47:43,700
accessibility advisory committee because

1166
00:47:49,849 --> 00:47:46,800
I realized that there are issues that

1167
00:47:53,510 --> 00:47:49,859
that Community faces that I am not aware

1168
00:47:56,809 --> 00:47:53,520
of uh the same with the the lgbtq plus

1169
00:47:59,030 --> 00:47:56,819
Community when David Wilhelm asked me to

1170
00:48:00,950 --> 00:47:59,040
be the senior Champion There's an

1171
00:48:05,150 --> 00:48:00,960
opportunity for me to learn

1172
00:48:07,910 --> 00:48:05,160
and so I think that the agency should

1173
00:48:10,849 --> 00:48:07,920
consider rotating senior Champions

1174
00:48:13,730 --> 00:48:10,859
through as a way of

1175
00:48:16,790 --> 00:48:13,740
um uh creating a different level of

1176
00:48:19,549 --> 00:48:16,800
awareness at the highest levels of an

1177
00:48:22,730 --> 00:48:19,559
organization such that with that

1178
00:48:26,750 --> 00:48:22,740
awareness you can be a better Advocate

1179
00:48:29,329 --> 00:48:26,760
you can be a better Ally you can be more

1180
00:48:32,569 --> 00:48:29,339
effective in creating a healthy and more

1181
00:48:36,290 --> 00:48:32,579
inclusive environment by having had that

1182
00:48:38,990 --> 00:48:36,300
experience serving as a champion of an

1183
00:48:41,930 --> 00:48:39,000
advice an ERG that you may not

1184
00:48:43,970 --> 00:48:41,940
necessarily identify with thanks Sean

1185
00:48:46,370 --> 00:48:43,980
appreciate that um Sarah let me close

1186
00:48:48,650 --> 00:48:46,380
this topic with you what's important for

1187
00:48:51,410 --> 00:48:48,660
you to see in the NASA leadership

1188
00:48:53,510 --> 00:48:51,420
so representation is everything

1189
00:48:55,370 --> 00:48:53,520
um I think a lot of

1190
00:48:56,329 --> 00:48:55,380
a lot of people that I've encountered in

1191
00:48:58,370 --> 00:48:56,339
my life

1192
00:49:00,170 --> 00:48:58,380
um including family and that they take

1193
00:49:01,370 --> 00:49:00,180
for granted what's going on around them

1194
00:49:03,290 --> 00:49:01,380
going back to the term uh

1195
00:49:05,990 --> 00:49:03,300
heteronormative

1196
00:49:09,230 --> 00:49:06,000
um I I remember the first time I saw a

1197
00:49:11,089 --> 00:49:09,240
gay character on TV I I bawled I I just

1198
00:49:12,410 --> 00:49:11,099
cried because I was like oh my God like

1199
00:49:14,870 --> 00:49:12,420
it might have been the dumbest show ever

1200
00:49:16,309 --> 00:49:14,880
I can't even remember what Joe was now

1201
00:49:18,290 --> 00:49:16,319
um but I also know that's what I was

1202
00:49:22,370 --> 00:49:18,300
very drawn to with Star Trek is that

1203
00:49:24,349 --> 00:49:22,380
even growing up it was so diverse

1204
00:49:25,430 --> 00:49:24,359
um you know diversity has always been

1205
00:49:27,290 --> 00:49:25,440
something that's been important to me

1206
00:49:30,170 --> 00:49:27,300
because I feel like the more colorful a

1207
00:49:32,450 --> 00:49:30,180
room is the more creativity is allowed

1208
00:49:34,370 --> 00:49:32,460
to happen and I think that even if

1209
00:49:38,690 --> 00:49:34,380
someone is not able to identify

1210
00:49:40,390 --> 00:49:38,700
themselves as the lgbtq community I want

1211
00:49:43,490 --> 00:49:40,400
to add that it is

1212
00:49:44,990 --> 00:49:43,500
lgbtqa and and we didn't mention that a

1213
00:49:47,870 --> 00:49:45,000
today because there's a lot of letters

1214
00:49:50,210 --> 00:49:47,880
after that but that a is Ally and just

1215
00:49:52,549 --> 00:49:50,220
to have someone say I'm an ally guess

1216
00:49:54,589 --> 00:49:52,559
what you are part of our community and

1217
00:49:57,650 --> 00:49:54,599
so even if you don't you know represent

1218
00:49:59,390 --> 00:49:57,660
as as a gay person or a lesbian or as a

1219
00:50:01,609 --> 00:49:59,400
trans person if you represent as an ally

1220
00:50:04,309 --> 00:50:01,619
you are part of our community and all

1221
00:50:05,390 --> 00:50:04,319
you know you are representing so I you

1222
00:50:06,589 --> 00:50:05,400
know I think that's why it's so

1223
00:50:08,569 --> 00:50:06,599
important we're having this conversation

1224
00:50:10,430 --> 00:50:08,579
today is because

1225
00:50:11,990 --> 00:50:10,440
those senior leaders are the ones that

1226
00:50:14,030 --> 00:50:12,000
are really going to pave the way for the

1227
00:50:16,790 --> 00:50:14,040
future and if people are willing to add

1228
00:50:18,829 --> 00:50:16,800
that a to their identity publicly and

1229
00:50:19,970 --> 00:50:18,839
not silently that's where we're going to

1230
00:50:21,109 --> 00:50:19,980
see some of the biggest change happen

1231
00:50:23,450 --> 00:50:21,119
and that's where people are going to

1232
00:50:25,370 --> 00:50:23,460
feel more comfortable being who they are

1233
00:50:27,470 --> 00:50:25,380
and being their most authentic self

1234
00:50:30,710 --> 00:50:27,480
thank you Sarah really really appreciate

1235
00:50:33,890 --> 00:50:30,720
that so um let me just close with asking

1236
00:50:35,990 --> 00:50:33,900
each panel member what is maybe one or

1237
00:50:38,390 --> 00:50:36,000
maybe two if you would like one or two

1238
00:50:41,089 --> 00:50:38,400
things that you would suggest to people

1239
00:50:43,370 --> 00:50:41,099
watching this broadcast that they could

1240
00:50:46,609 --> 00:50:43,380
do if they wanted to walk away from this

1241
00:50:49,910 --> 00:50:46,619
and be an active Ally and be supportive

1242
00:50:52,730 --> 00:50:49,920
of the community here within NASA

1243
00:50:54,589 --> 00:50:52,740
um let's uh let's start with Donna well

1244
00:50:56,569 --> 00:50:54,599
I have to go with my kid here on this

1245
00:51:00,470 --> 00:50:56,579
one talk about it

1246
00:51:03,410 --> 00:51:00,480
ask questions be curious and that's just

1247
00:51:06,069 --> 00:51:03,420
curious about each other as humans thank

1248
00:51:09,950 --> 00:51:06,079
you appreciate that Ron

1249
00:51:12,609 --> 00:51:09,960
uh challenge your own assumptions

1250
00:51:15,910 --> 00:51:12,619
be open and receptive and and and

1251
00:51:18,829 --> 00:51:15,920
reflect on you know our own assumptions

1252
00:51:24,049 --> 00:51:18,839
that we've kind of probably created and

1253
00:51:28,849 --> 00:51:24,059
developed over years of unconsciousness

1254
00:51:31,250 --> 00:51:28,859
um and so if if NASA can re say Pluto is

1255
00:51:33,049 --> 00:51:31,260
not a planet or maybe it is a planet you

1256
00:51:35,210 --> 00:51:33,059
know we should be willing to say as

1257
00:51:37,309 --> 00:51:35,220
human beings let's question our

1258
00:51:39,410 --> 00:51:37,319
assumptions because what we might have

1259
00:51:41,690 --> 00:51:39,420
learned growing up through Elementary

1260
00:51:44,510 --> 00:51:41,700
School and through middle school and

1261
00:51:47,030 --> 00:51:44,520
high school and college maybe it's it's

1262
00:51:49,490 --> 00:51:47,040
different than what we thought it was

1263
00:51:53,690 --> 00:51:49,500
and so let's question our assumptions

1264
00:51:55,849 --> 00:51:53,700
thanks Ron Melanie well let's see um I

1265
00:51:58,490 --> 00:51:55,859
think I think there's a lot that allies

1266
00:52:00,530 --> 00:51:58,500
can do to be more visible so I I need to

1267
00:52:02,930 --> 00:52:00,540
get there busy and change my email

1268
00:52:04,910 --> 00:52:02,940
signature block to add my pronouns and

1269
00:52:08,270 --> 00:52:04,920
say something about being an ally I mean

1270
00:52:10,790 --> 00:52:08,280
just something as simple as that and um

1271
00:52:13,130 --> 00:52:10,800
and making sure that that that that that

1272
00:52:15,710 --> 00:52:13,140
combined with my position in the agency

1273
00:52:17,089 --> 00:52:15,720
shows visible support and a positive

1274
00:52:20,210 --> 00:52:17,099
environment so

1275
00:52:23,210 --> 00:52:20,220
thank you thanks Melanie we appreciate

1276
00:52:24,650 --> 00:52:23,220
that and Sarah you know I I really can't

1277
00:52:26,270 --> 00:52:24,660
answer that I was going to suggest what

1278
00:52:27,650 --> 00:52:26,280
Melanie said is just the visibility

1279
00:52:29,329 --> 00:52:27,660
piece

1280
00:52:31,130 --> 00:52:29,339
um but you know hearing today we have

1281
00:52:32,450 --> 00:52:31,140
three very powerful leaders on this

1282
00:52:33,829 --> 00:52:32,460
panel

1283
00:52:35,150 --> 00:52:33,839
um who have said a lot of things and

1284
00:52:36,650 --> 00:52:35,160
really the most important thing is just

1285
00:52:38,150 --> 00:52:36,660
being there for your employees and

1286
00:52:39,829 --> 00:52:38,160
letting them know you're there in some

1287
00:52:41,329 --> 00:52:39,839
capacity

1288
00:52:42,589 --> 00:52:41,339
um and so I I really I just I want to

1289
00:52:44,030 --> 00:52:42,599
take a moment too and just thank you for

1290
00:52:45,890 --> 00:52:44,040
letting me be part of this panel and

1291
00:52:47,450 --> 00:52:45,900
speak with you all today because I think

1292
00:52:48,710 --> 00:52:47,460
that this is just a wonderful thing and

1293
00:52:50,990 --> 00:52:48,720
I think it's going to help a lot of

1294
00:52:52,430 --> 00:52:51,000
people hearing that we uh you know that

1295
00:52:54,650 --> 00:52:52,440
we have a lot of leaders and that NASA

1296
00:52:56,569 --> 00:52:54,660
does care about including everyone when

1297
00:52:58,010 --> 00:52:56,579
they say for the benefit of all thank

1298
00:53:00,349 --> 00:52:58,020
you Sarah really appreciate that I'm

1299
00:53:01,910 --> 00:53:00,359
going to close by adding my two they're

1300
00:53:03,770 --> 00:53:01,920
going to be kind of repeats but I think

1301
00:53:05,750 --> 00:53:03,780
they're worth echoing and there are a

1302
00:53:07,849 --> 00:53:05,760
couple of what I think are

1303
00:53:11,150 --> 00:53:07,859
straightforward things that anybody

1304
00:53:13,790 --> 00:53:11,160
could do number one put your pronouns in

1305
00:53:16,250 --> 00:53:13,800
your email signature line it is a very

1306
00:53:18,530 --> 00:53:16,260
easy simple straightforward thing to do

1307
00:53:21,109 --> 00:53:18,540
you would be very surprised at the

1308
00:53:23,569 --> 00:53:21,119
powerful signal it will send because

1309
00:53:26,770 --> 00:53:23,579
people will notice very easy to do and

1310
00:53:30,609 --> 00:53:26,780
you can do it today second show up

1311
00:53:32,690 --> 00:53:30,619
come to one of your ERG meetings

1312
00:53:35,210 --> 00:53:32,700
unfortunately many of our pride

1313
00:53:37,010 --> 00:53:35,220
celebrations are are virtual again this

1314
00:53:39,530 --> 00:53:37,020
year because of covet but there are some

1315
00:53:41,030 --> 00:53:39,540
smaller celebrations popping up in

1316
00:53:42,589 --> 00:53:41,040
different cities around the country some

1317
00:53:45,890 --> 00:53:42,599
of them will be this month some will be

1318
00:53:48,170 --> 00:53:45,900
later in the year ask your ERG show up

1319
00:53:50,930 --> 00:53:48,180
even if it's for 30 minutes just to say

1320
00:53:53,390 --> 00:53:50,940
hello and I'm here and I'm interested in

1321
00:53:57,410 --> 00:53:53,400
supporting the community those two

1322
00:54:00,349 --> 00:53:57,420
things will go a long way to that I just

1323
00:54:03,589 --> 00:54:00,359
I loved it so much I wrote it down about

1324
00:54:04,549 --> 00:54:03,599
The Silence uh you can't you can't go in

1325
00:54:08,390 --> 00:54:04,559
silence

1326
00:54:11,510 --> 00:54:08,400
comment that Sarah made in so I really

1327
00:54:14,089 --> 00:54:11,520
appreciate you saying that with that I

1328
00:54:18,170 --> 00:54:14,099
would really like to thank all of our

1329
00:54:19,730 --> 00:54:18,180
panelists today uh Melanie from um NASA

1330
00:54:22,609 --> 00:54:19,740
headquarters is our Deputy associate

1331
00:54:25,190 --> 00:54:22,619
administrator Donna from JSC is one of

1332
00:54:27,109 --> 00:54:25,200
our senior executive leaders Ron and all

1333
00:54:29,809 --> 00:54:27,119
your great perspectives in the agency

1334
00:54:32,329 --> 00:54:29,819
and Sarah uh because you bring a unique

1335
00:54:34,730 --> 00:54:32,339
and Powerful perspective to this panel

1336
00:54:36,710 --> 00:54:34,740
thank you so much for participating and

1337
00:54:39,829 --> 00:54:36,720
spending the time and sharing your

1338
00:54:42,650 --> 00:54:39,839
stories and again thank you to our ERG

1339
00:54:46,250 --> 00:54:42,660
leaders around the agency who are really

1340
00:54:48,829 --> 00:54:46,260
are doing the hard work on the ground of

1341
00:54:50,990 --> 00:54:48,839
organizing these events generating these

1342
00:54:53,990 --> 00:54:51,000
conversations getting the information

1343
00:54:55,849 --> 00:54:54,000
out there we really appreciate what

1344
00:54:57,049 --> 00:54:55,859
you're doing support it also by our

1345
00:54:59,510 --> 00:54:57,059
office of diversity and equal

1346
00:55:01,430 --> 00:54:59,520
opportunity and lastly thank you to our

1347
00:55:03,470 --> 00:55:01,440
NASA office of communications for the

1348
00:55:05,270 --> 00:55:03,480
support in organizing this event and

1349
00:55:07,970 --> 00:55:05,280
getting it out there for everybody to

1350
00:55:10,970 --> 00:55:07,980
see on NASA TV

1351
00:55:14,510 --> 00:55:10,980
um thank you so much and that closes our

1352
00:55:19,849 --> 00:55:16,670
I hope you found today's Pride event

1353
00:55:22,190 --> 00:55:19,859
inspiring and feel motivated to become

1354
00:55:24,950 --> 00:55:22,200
an ally in action

1355
00:55:28,549 --> 00:55:24,960
anyone can be an ally and I would argue

1356
00:55:31,309 --> 00:55:28,559
everyone should be an ally regardless of

1357
00:55:34,970 --> 00:55:31,319
your sexual orientation gender identity

1358
00:55:38,390 --> 00:55:34,980
race religion national origin doesn't

1359
00:55:40,910 --> 00:55:38,400
matter we need you to be an ally

1360
00:55:44,270 --> 00:55:40,920
and it's easy to say you'll be an ally

1361
00:55:46,789 --> 00:55:44,280
but I challenge you to act like an ally

1362
00:55:48,230 --> 00:55:46,799
and here are some tips that we share at

1363
00:55:49,789 --> 00:55:48,240
KSC

1364
00:55:55,190 --> 00:55:49,799
communicate

1365
00:55:57,829 --> 00:55:55,200
sincerely about your unwavering

1366
00:56:01,370 --> 00:55:57,839
commitment to creating diversity and

1367
00:56:02,630 --> 00:56:01,380
LGBT inclusion within the workforce

1368
00:56:07,609 --> 00:56:02,640
promote

1369
00:56:10,549 --> 00:56:07,619
equality and free from all forms of

1370
00:56:12,789 --> 00:56:10,559
discrimination harassment retaliation

1371
00:56:16,069 --> 00:56:12,799
and inequality

1372
00:56:18,530 --> 00:56:16,079
encourage encourage your co-workers to

1373
00:56:20,030 --> 00:56:18,540
bring their full and authentic selves to

1374
00:56:23,450 --> 00:56:20,040
work

1375
00:56:25,609 --> 00:56:23,460
commit commit to creating real and

1376
00:56:28,490 --> 00:56:25,619
measurable change through establishment

1377
00:56:30,770 --> 00:56:28,500
of parity goals and evaluate our success

1378
00:56:35,510 --> 00:56:30,780
using metrics

1379
00:56:38,089 --> 00:56:35,520
finally act act on LGBT Recruitment and

1380
00:56:40,789 --> 00:56:38,099
advancement to resolve the disparities

1381
00:56:43,430 --> 00:56:40,799
that exist and encourage consideration

1382
00:56:44,870 --> 00:56:43,440
of the equally qualified diverse

1383
00:56:50,390 --> 00:56:44,880
candidate

1384
00:56:53,930 --> 00:56:50,400
so communicate promote encourage commit

1385
00:56:57,049 --> 00:56:53,940
and act we all need allies in our life

1386
00:56:58,970 --> 00:56:57,059
for more information please reach out to

1387
00:57:01,849 --> 00:56:58,980
your Center's office of diversity and

1388
00:57:04,190 --> 00:57:01,859
equal opportunity to learn how you can

1389
00:57:06,410 --> 00:57:04,200
become an ally in action

1390
00:57:08,930 --> 00:57:06,420
you can take the first step this month

1391
00:57:10,849 --> 00:57:08,940
by sharing pride month events with

1392
00:57:16,510 --> 00:57:10,859
friends and co-workers

1393
00:57:33,170 --> 00:57:28,420
[Music]

1394
00:57:36,170 --> 00:57:33,180
at Nasa we're on a mission of equity

1395
00:57:39,410 --> 00:57:36,180
launching opportunity equal opportunity

1396
00:57:41,569 --> 00:57:39,420
to challenge and Inspire to learn and

1397
00:57:45,230 --> 00:57:41,579
Thrive to reach those we've never

1398
00:57:48,470 --> 00:57:45,240
reached before to use science data and

1399
00:57:49,549 --> 00:57:48,480
Technology to advance Equity to shatter

1400
00:57:52,549 --> 00:57:49,559
boundaries

1401
00:57:55,190 --> 00:57:52,559
and break down barriers across America

1402
00:58:03,010 --> 00:57:55,200
to create a better future we hope you'll

1403
00:58:25,230 --> 00:58:22,980
[Music]