Have you ever wondered about the beginnings of homosexuality? Get to know a little bit about the fight for equality as Wanda Sykes takes us on a journey all the way back to the Middle Ages. Now, in 2019, we get to celebrate moments like Pride Month in June and Transgender Awareness Week in November. #WandaSykes #LGBTQ+ #TheEllenShow

Why is it so important for us to know someone else's gender? We live in a gendered world, but for Audrey, gender is fluid at best an uncomfortable construct. Is there a way to be less reliant on gender in our interactions with people? And what does this mean when it comes to the clothes we wear, or even which toilet we choose to use? If you met Audrey Mason-Hyde, you might think Audrey was a boy, which isn’t quite correct, but calling Audrey a girl doesn’t feel quite right either. At 12 years old, Audrey is already an accomplished actor with film and TV credits, including 52 Tuesdays, a film that won the Directing Award at Sundance Film Festival and the Crystal Bear, judged by the youth jury at the Berlin International Film Festival. With a fierce intellect and a unique sense of style, Audrey has plenty to say about our gendered world. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

When people announce they are going to have children - the normal reaction is “congratulations!” When you’re a gay couple who announce that you are going to adopt, you can get a very different reaction. Lynne and her partner Emma, became the first gay couple to be approved for adoption in Bristol, UK, in 2004. Lynne takes us on the incredibly moving and thought-provoking journey her family embarked on with their adopted son Steven. She also addresses the media headlines and myths around same-sex parenting, the machinations of the adoption process and society’s ingrained assumptions about gender roles. This talk is from TEDxBristol 2015 Great Expectations: looking towards a future we can dare to expect more from. Explore more Great Expectations here: tedxbristol.com Our talks were produced and edited by a brilliant team of talented volunteers: Richard da Costa Ben Scrase Gabriella Zagni Ellie Markwick Mark Phippen Ash Farkas Helen Stenner Composer: Matthew Pearson “Women can do ‘dad’ things in exactly the same way that men can do ‘mum’ things.” In this thought-provoking and very personal talk, gay parent Lynne Elvins explores what ‘family’ means in the 21st Century. She describes how we can all re-connect and be part of wider families, providing caring, kind and inspirational role models for the next generations, regardless of our sex or whether we share the same DNA or not. Lynne Elvins is a design strategist and runs her own consultancy business. Lynne and her partner Emma, became the first gay couple to be approved for adoption in Bristol, UK. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

"Lady Gaga has said it. The Pope has said it. But are people really born gay? Lisa Diamond, a professor of psychology and gender studies, deconstructs the ""born this way"" argument and shows why it doesn't advance LGBT equality. About the speaker: Lisa Diamond is an author and professor of psychology and gender studies at the University of Utah. Lisa Diamond is Professor of Psychology and Gender Studies at the University of Utah. She studies the expression of sexual attractions and sexual identity over the lifetime, and the influences of early life experiences on later sexual development. Dr. Diamond is known for her research on sexual fluidity, which describes the capacity for individuals to experience shifts in their pattern of same-sex and other-sex attractions over time. Dr. Diamond is co-editor of the APA Handbook of Sexuality and Psychology and is a fellow of two divisions of the APA. Dr. Diamond has published over 100 articles and book chapters, and has been invited to present her research all over the world. She has received awards from the Developmental Psychology and LGBT Psychology Divisions of the APA, the American Association of University Women, the International Association for Relationship Research, the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

As the movement towards LGBT rights gains increasing attention worldwide, Shelby Ferrier took her stance to the TEDxYouth@SeaburyHall stage. Watch her Talk to better understand LGBT people across the different spectrums of sexuality and gender. Shelby Ferrier is a fifteen year old student at Seabury Hall. She takes part in as many theatrical productions in Seabury Hall as she can and also is one of the chief members of the math team. As an extension of the math team, she volunteers in the Math Circle where she teaches third graders advanced math. She tends to be very active in controversial discussion especially that on LGBT+ issues. Some of her hobbies include learning about plants and space, riding her bike, and going to the skate rink. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

Historian Blair Imani examines the intersection of her Black, Queer and Muslim identities. Blair Imani is writer, mental health advocate, and historian living at the intersections of Black, Queer, and Muslim identity. In addition to being a public speaker, Blair is the author of Modern HERstory: Stories of Women and Nonbinary People Rewriting History (2018) and Lifting As We Climb: The Great Migration & the Black American Dream which hits shelves in January 2020. She is also the official ambassador of Muslims for Progressive Values, one of the oldest progressive Muslim organizations to support the LGBTQ+ community. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx