Learn. Connect. Grow. Issue 32.
WE CREATE SPACE
A Community-Led Learning Platform, Consultancy and Network of Leaders driving Social Innovation.
🏳️🌈 Intersectional Resources for creating Queer Inclusive Work Spaces. 🏳️⚧️
Welcome back to another issue of “Learn. Connect. Grow.”
It’s been another incredibly busy month for us, and this newsletter is packed with updates and new content, so strap in!
Our new 2025 Pride Guide is here and full of ideas to help your organisation celebrate and centre LGBTQ+ solidarity this Pride season. We also recently relaunched our Queer Retreats initiative - sign up to hear more.
The first episode of the UNLOCK: The Queer Leadership Podcast has landed, featuring a conversation between myself and my UNLOCK co-founder Alex Dominguez. We both get personal about our Queer Leadership journeys, so make sure to check it out and stay tuned for upcoming episodes!
Events wise, there’s so much to look forward to this month, including another UNLOCK Book Club, a session on navigating Pride pushback and Community Building 101 with myself and Jaron Soh from Voda. Make sure to register!
P.S. Have you submitted your nomination for this year’s WCS Awards? Nominations close on 15th April so submit yours now!
Have a wonderful week,
Michael Stephens (he/they)
Founder of We Create Space
WCS SERVICES:
Pride 2025.
We won’t turn the tide on Pride - will you?
Pride season is just around the corner, and it presents a significant moment to both celebrate the diverse voices within the LGBTQ+ community and push back against the forces that seek to curb our rights. Check out our new guide to 2025 Pride activities.
WCS NEWS:
Queer Retreats.
Transform your Leadership & Wellbeing with an LGBTQ+ Retreat.
Last week we announced the launch of Queer Retreats, our new venture delivering transformative experiences for LGBTQ+ business professionals and Queer Leaders looking to recharge, realign and refine their innovative leadership approach. Subscribe to the Queer Retreats newsletter to stay up to date with the latest news and receive exclusive discounts.
WCS FEATURE:
UNLOCK: The Queer Leadership Podcast.
Check out the first episode of the UNLOCK podcast!
In this intimate opening conversation, founders Michael Edward Stephens and Alex Dominguez unpack their personal journeys through identity, healing, burnout, and the lessons that shaped them as queer leaders. If you’ve ever felt like leadership isn’t designed with you in mind—this podcast is for you.
Listen now: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts
WCS FEATURE:
My Queer Leadership Journey: Kevin Hawkins.
UX designer and WCS Awards 2024 Winner Kevin Hawkins shares his journey.
“Winning the WCS Queer Leaders Award in 2024 was a milestone that validated the work I’ve been doing in design, education, and community-building. Since receiving the award, new opportunities have emerged—whether it’s speaking engagements, collaborations, or simply connecting with other queer professionals who want to build something meaningful. Of course, new challenges have also come with increased visibility, but I see them as opportunities to grow and refine my impact..” - Kevin Hawkins
WCS FEATURE:
Community Building 101.
Did you miss out on our Community Building 101 session with Trans+ History Week and QueerAF? We discussed the new THW+ workbook, tangible insights & learnings around queer leadership and the importance of ongoing education, research, collecting data & feedback, to build inclusive communities. Catch up with the full recording and read our speaker’s key takeaways here.
WCS EVENTS: ONLINE
Community Building 101.
Our second Community Building 101 session is in collaboration with Voda: The LGBTQIA+ Mental Health App ! Voda Founder Jaron Soh will be in conversation with Michael Stephens about how wellbeing forms an essential pillar of community building.
Recommended by LinkedIn
WCS EVENTS: ONLINE
Navigating Pride Pushback.
With some companies globally stripping back on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion funding & initiatives, or removing them altogether, we’re holding a Space for Dialogue session to explore the potential pushback against Pride Month activities & engagement this year as June fast approaches.
Facilitated by Taylor Lianne Chandler and Jon-Paul Vicari, we’ll discuss how these harmful trends impact queer communities around the world, unpack sources of resistance and consider strategies for resilience across both professional workplaces & grassroots activism.
WCS EVENTS: ONLINE
UNLOCK: Book Club
Have you ever considered writing a book to share your voice, expertise & passion with the world? At UNLOCK Book Club, we hear from authors about how they drive awareness & create positive change for LGBTQ+ communities through through harnessing their leadership, lived experience & creative talent.
This month we’re joined by Jua O'Kane , author of 'Road to Chimera', an allegorical account of medical transition, exploring otherness, the psychological toll of modern transphobia and transness as a spiritual pathway.
This session will explore:
- The importance of storytelling as a tool of resistance in the fight for trans rights
- How to harness creativity for self-care during periods of political turmoil
- Challenging cis framing of trans experiences
WCS EVENTS: ONLINE
Global Queer Speed Networking.
Join us on Tuesday 13th May for another edition of our online networking event! This is your space to meet likeminded Queer professionals, with communal space to reflect & share. We'll explore key WCS themes such as giving back, serving the community, driving change, setting goals and more.
WCS SPEAKER SHOWCASE:
Our Collective.
The We Create Space Collective is constantly growing and features 300+ speakers from a variety of backgrounds, all of whom are ready to enrich and inspire you with their stories and perspectives. From seasoned corporate voices to fresh grass-roots perspectives, we can match you with the perfect speaker for your needs.
Book a speaker now at hello@wecreatespace.co 💌
WCS REMINDER:
Our Resources.
Our website is packed full of free articles, webinars, think-pieces and podcast episodes to educate and inspire you on a wide range of topics related to DEI, LGBTQ+ issues, workplace allyship and more. Resources for Pride, and Beyond
‘Queer-Owned’ | NOOK
Our 'Queer-Owned' series goes beyond the storefront to explore the stories behind queer-owned businesses. In this episode we’re spotlighting concept store NOOK, located in the vibrant heart of Gracia, Barcelona.
My Queer Leader Journey with Belén McCarthy
We caught up with WCS Award Winner Belén McCarthy , a Queer musician in Barcelona, and asked her to share her Queer Leadership Journey.
Queer Journeys | Ashtar Alahmad
Motion designer Ashtar Alahmad shares her Queer Journey, moving from Syria to Spain to pursue her education and tell the unheard stories of underprivileged people.