“When I hear that 53% of LGBTQ+ have to hide their identity at work, I feel very sad. We all need to work and I believe that everyone should have the same rights, the same opportunities and the same dignity”

"My hair truly reflects how I feel on the inside"

I was born in 1991 in Seville and grew up in a small town called Pilas. I am the middle child out of three siblings, I was identified as male at birth and have had to fight for the world around me to identify me as who I am: a woman. I have a deep admiration for my home and I carry Andalusia in my blood.

From a very young age I began to dance, becoming a flamenco teacher and beginning on flamenco catwalks in Andalusia, around 10 years old.

In 2015 I won my first beauty pageant and since then I have been living my dream of being a model, ultimately being crowned Miss Universe Spain in 2018.

I have a firm purpose, which is none other than to continue my career as a model and make an easier path for all those people who for whatever reason are different, but also easier for those who think that their reality is the only one that counts. Defender of Human Rights, today I combine my work as a model, with collaborating with different NGOs and foundations for integration in diversity.

“Diversity and inclusion is positive for everyone”

"At work I get judged solely because I am lesbian non-binary"

I am a lawyer specializing in anti-discrimination law with a particular focus on discrimination based on sexual operation and gender identity, and on LGBTQIA+ community rights. As a lawyer I have hundreds of work stories to share in relation to LGBTQ+ rights in the workplace and they represent both sides; discrimination and (fortunately more and more) acceptance.

I am a lawyer specializing in anti-discrimination law with a particular focus on discrimination based on sexual operation and gender identity, and on LGBTQIA+ community rights. As a lawyer I have hundreds of work stories to share in relation to LGBTQ+ rights in the workplace and they represent both sides; discrimination and (fortunately more and more) acceptance.

One recent positive story that I want to tell is about this small family-run company with only 6 employees. The only employee not belonging to the family has recently started their transition from woman to man. The owner of the company sent me a direct message on Instagram asking me what they could do to make the employee’s life better in the workplace. I explained to them that they could start by immediately calling him by his chosen masculine name and by creating gender neutral bathrooms in the workplace.

Over the years I have built my identity around my white hair: I have white hair since I was 25 and decided not to dye it anymore when my mother got cancer and she had to stop dyeing it. It was an unconventional choice for a young woman but helped me a lot to define myself for who I am today.

Hair is an essential part of my identity and I believe it is an element to define anyone’s identity. In both cases, natural or not, it conveys the image we prefer of ourselves.

“It is important that we give visibility to the whole community so that the new generation can have role models that reflect everyone”

"Being able to be your true self is marvelous"

Since I was a child I always had long blond hair... but when I was a teenager and as a result of the pressure from the school environment and seeking the approval of the majority I cut it. That was a big mistake.

In those moments, when your personality is not yet formed, and the environment and what is “supposed to be normal” makes you feel insecure, you make the mistake of hiding. For me, cutting my hair was a way to do that. Over the years I realized that my personality and identity were strong enough to be shown through my hair as well. The turning point was the moment I went to study Fashion Design: I found myself in a diverse, non-judgmental, creative and free environment where I could fully express myself. I went back to my long hair and, importantly, my high bun which is a part of my personal brand and a part of me.

I am so grateful to be able to express myself through my hair and my profession. I studied my degree in Fashion Design in Barcelona, and just when I finished I became part of the cast of a TV show that looked for a new fashion designer. I was a competitor and worked so hard, which gave me the visibility to create my own Brand by presenting my first collection at the MFMADRIDFASHIONWEEK, and after a few months, I opened my first store in Madrid. Everything happened so fast, but it was the reward for my dedication and hard work. I am very proud to say that my latest collection “TEATRO CHINO” was an ode to diversity, and that is how all the media defined it. I am proud and I feel that my voice is heard through my designs to continue breaking the barriers that the LGBT community still suffers.

The fashion industry is full of great role models for me. Designers who, many years ago, fought to be able to show themselves as they were, through their designs and showing the world their creativity without barriers. They worked so hard so that today, designers like me, can feel free to express ourselves, because they achieved professional recognition and equal treatment that society had not yet fully approved. Feeling that I can be myself, without being judged, without suffering what other people continue to suffer today in their jobs just because of who they are, is something that I appreciate and I am aware is, sadly, a privilege.

“My hair truly is a form of self-expression to me. My hair evolves together with me: as I explore my identity, I explore haircuts, colours and more”

"I never had someone that looks like me to look up to. I never had someone that looks like me be successful"

I am a content creator at the LGBTQ+ Youth Organization Wel Jong Niet Hetero and an all-round LGBTQ+ Advocate. I focus on everything social media, but I find it important that the work for LGBTQ+ equality goes beyond the digital, into the true, lived experiences of LGBTQ+ (young) people.

I am non-binary and queer. I want to work towards a world in which everyone is free, not only to be themselves, but to do so without repercussions. I believe in questioning the norms and rules that we have been teaching ourselves for centuries, and I believe in moving past those norms and rules, into a life that truly feels like your own, without losing sight of the communities that you are part of. I believe in community-building, in being there for each other and making sure that everyone wins, not only one person.

My hair truly is a form of self-expression to me. My hair evolves together with me: as I explore my identity, I explore haircuts, colours and more. I want my hair to tell a story. Just like my outfits and make-up, my hair is a way of conveying a message to the world: it is possible to go beyond the gender binary, you can allow yourself to break free from gender norms and find the truest version of yourself along the way.

For a long time, I did not dare to tell my colleagues that I was gay and that I loved to dress up as a drag queen, styling my hair and wearing different kind of wigs to express myself. When my boyfriend and I decided to get married I finally summoned up the courage to come to work dressed up in drag to tell my story. I was positively surprised by the support from my colleagues. Since then, the atmosphere has become more inclusive at my work and more people has had the courage to come out.

I studied as an advertising graphic designer in the 90s, and in 1995 I decided to join Procter & Gamble as an employee in one of our plants in Italy. I started in Plastic Materials Molding Department then moved to Receptionist and internal Store, Quality control and finally I moved to our Blowing department as a production employee.

In 2018 I got married to my partner Salvatore and we celebrated our wedding involving 2 Drag Queens, understanding that with comedy and irony we could bring my way of being wherever I wanted and deal with LGBTQ+ topics in places where it is unusual. With the support of my husband I found the courage to start and give life to Candy Dash Queen, my alter ego.

Thanks to this, during a day dedicated to equal opportunities in P&G, I had the opportunity to come out to my colleagues and become a role model for my colleagues and friends.

My hair has had an important role in all the steps of my personal and professional life: I shaved it to zero when I really wanted to be taken seriously, I dyed it white when I turned 40, and smothered it under a wig when I decided to dress up as a Drag Queen. Despite all these transformations, I always felt that my hair was strong and healthy and this has been really critical in maintaining my self-confidence.

“Being seen and respected as a transgender teacher has been incredibly healing”

"My hair plays a huge role in me telling an ever-evolving story about who I am and who I want to be."

When I started teaching, I knew that I wanted to present myself as authentically as possible. I was nervous because a classroom was a site of trauma to me – having experienced misogyny and homophobia there as a teenager - I was nervous about what this meant for me as a transgender feminine woman of colour. I spoke to my teacher colleagues about how they express their sexuality in the classroom and then decided to just rip the band-aid off.

On the first day, I did a quick intro on myself for students, outlined my pronouns and how I got into academia. I mentioned how important it is for my classroom to reflect a diverse curriculum.

This essentially flags to students what they’re getting from me, and what kind of experience they’ll have in my classroom. I didn’t know what to expect – I thought students would drop out. The next day, the classroom was packed. I made a joke about thinking that people would have dropped out and none of the students laughed. Everyone was just happy to be there. This teaching experience has been incredibly healing for me.

Your workplace is your second home – when you’re in a space where you’re just trying to do your job and your surroundings aren’t supportive of who you are or make it difficult to express yourself, it makes it difficult for you to work. We all need to work to pay the bills and if you can’t do that because you’re worried about being in an environment where you’re disrespected, then it’s uncomfortable. This is unfortunately a very common experience for trans and nonbinary people. I can’t hide my hair even if I wanted to.

I’m so passionate about having long hair that I flaunt it at every chance I get. As a queer person in the workplace, I was always very visible – I’m so passionate about style and beauty and how I present myself. I find that some people see this as an invitation to comment on your appearance. Being stylish and invested in your own appearance doesn’t mean you’re open to hearing that kind of feedback.