11. LGBTQ+ Liberation Reimagined with Bendita Cynthia Malakia

“There is broadening acceptance in society, which means some of these identities that have been more at the margins have had the opportunity to appear and flourish. It doesn’t mean they haven’t been there - they’ve always been there. It’s just becoming more visible to those outside of the community”. In this episode I talk with Bendita Cynthia Malakia, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Hogan Lovells, an international law firm, as she reflects on her accomplished career as a female, black lawyer who identifies as queer. Bendita discusses her view that the commonly used abbreviation of EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) should further become JEDI, to incorporate Justice, which is especially pertinent to legal professions. She goes on to discuss how some professionals can view justice, equity and equality to be at odds each other, but this shouldn’t be the case. We have an in-depth discussion on the LGBTQ+ acronym, it’s expansions (such as LGBTQQIAAP2S), and how it has evolved so quickly in the last decade. Bendita explains what each letter refers to, what these identities are and mean, how many people may use umbrella terms such as “gay” or “queer” instead, and the unique experiences and treatment that bisexual individuals face. Bendita offers her advice on the best ways to respectfully approach minority groups without being offensive or burdensome, and how stating your pronouns has become a popular way to visibly show allyship, but may not be suitable for all scenarios or industries. Finally, Bendita illuminates me on Hogan Lovells Bias Interruption pilot, in which she works with hiring teams to “provide a little bit of education….remind [them] of what our firm goals are and where they stand in respect to those firm goals…..give information about what they can’t do [in regards to bias]”. We then close the conversation by talking about how individuals or organisations can start their JEDI journey and become change leaders. She encourages JEDI advocates to “stay in the game, stay in the deep end”. Links For more from Bendita Cynthia Malakia go to her website at www.benditamalakia.com Or Hogan Lovells’ website at https://www.hoganlovells.com/en/malakia-bendita-cynthia Connect with Bendita: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bendita/ You can find Bendita’s article I mentioned on Biphobia in the workplace here Links to some of Bendita’s other articles: https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/2020/03/06/how-law-firms-can-move-beyond-the-diversity-echo-chamber/ https://www.ellevatenetwork.com/articles/11134-feeling-overworked-with-limited-negotiating-power-you-need-an-efficiency-advocate https://www.ellevatenetwork.com/articles/10846-dear-beloved-black-people-working-to-make-it-through-in-an-environment-that-may-not-understand-you https://soundcloud.com/elevatetogetherpodcast/bendita-cynthia-malakia-adjust-for-unconscious-bias