Spurred by a statistic that indicated lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in non-accepting communities have a 12-year reduced life expectancy, Morgana Bee 'came out' as a lesbian after suppressing it personally and professionally for 16 years in a TED talk. The talk is titled “The danger of hiding who you are” has now been viewed 3.5 million times.

Bee frequently speaks to audiences about ‘covering’ – which is an almost universal behavior where one downplays aspects of their identity or diversity (whether visible or invisible) to fit in with others. After sharing both research data and the personal stories of her TED talk listeners, she provides practical methods to help us begin to ‘uncover’ and create cultures of inclusion. Uncovering is a fundamental first-step in igniting self-acceptance which leads to more meaningful connections between individuals and communities.

Bee is currently a Senior Learning & Development Analyst at Whole Foods Market.

TED LGBTQ, LGBT Awareness Month, Business, Social Justice, Human Resources,