When I was young, I prided myself as a
nonconformist in the conservative U.S. state
I live in, Kansas. I didn't follow along with
the crowd. I wasn't afraid to try weird
clothing trends or hairstyles. I was
outspoken and extremely social. Even these
pictures and postcards of my London
semester abroad 16 years ago show that I
obviously didn't care if I was perceived as
weird or different. (Laughter)
00:46
But that same year I was in London, 16
years ago, I realized something about
myself that actually was somewhat unique,
and that changed everything. I became the
opposite of who I thought I once was. I
stayed in my room instead of socializing. I
stopped engaging in clubs and leadership
activities. I didn't want to stand out in the
crowd anymore. I told myself it was because
I was growing up and maturing, not that I
was suddenly looking for acceptance. I had
always assumed I was immune to needing
acceptance. After all, I was a bit
unconventional. But I realize now that the
moment I realized something was different
about me was the exact same moment that
I began conforming and hiding.
01:41
Hiding is a progressive habit, and once you
start hiding, it becomes harder and harder
to step forward and speak out. In fact, even
now, when I was talking to people about
what this talk was about, I made up a cover
story and I even hid the truth about my TED
Talk. So it is fitting and scary that I have
returned to this city 16 years later and I
have chosen this stage to finally stop hiding.
What have I been hiding for 16 years? I am
a lesbian.
02:29
(Applause)
02:45
Thank you.
02:48
I've struggled to say those words, because I
didn't want to be defined by them. Every
time I would think about coming out in the
past, I would think to myself, but I just want
to be known as Morgana, uniquely
Morgana, but not "my lesbian friend
Morgana," or "my gay coworker Morgana."
Just Morgana.
03:10
For those of you from large metropolitan
areas, this may not seem like a big deal to
you. It may seem strange that I have
suppressed the truth and hidden this for so
long. But I was paralyzed by my fear of not
being accepted. And I'm not alone, of
course. A 2013 Deloitte study found that a
surprisingly large number of people hide
aspects of their identity. Of all the
employees they surveyed, 61 percent
reported changing an aspect of their
behavior or their appearance in order to fit
in at work. Of all the gay, lesbian and
bisexual employees, 83 percent admitted to
changing some aspects of themselves so
they would not appear at work "too gay."
The study found that even in companies
with diversity policies and inclusion
programs, employees struggle to be
themselves at work because they believe
conformity is critical to their long-term
career advancement. And while I was
surprised that so many people just like me
waste so much energy trying to hide
themselves, I was scared when I discovered
that my silence has life-or-death
consequences and long-term social
repercussions.
04:41
Twelve years: the length by which life
expectancy is shortened for gay, lesbian
and bisexual people in highly anti-gay
communities compared to accepting
communities. Twelve years reduced life
expectancy. When I read that in The
Advocate magazine this year, I realized I
could no longer afford to keep silent. The
effects of personal stress and social stigmas
are a deadly combination. The study found
that gays in anti-gay communities had
higher rates of heart disease, violence and
suicide. What I once thought was simply a
personal matter I realized had a ripple effect
that went into the workplace and out into the
community for every story just like mine. My
choice to hide and not share who I really am
may have inadvertently contributed to this
exact same environment and atmosphere of
discrimination.
05:48
I'd always told myself there's no reason to
share that I was gay, but the idea that my
silence has social consequences was really
driven home this year when I missed an
opportunity to change the atmosphere of
discrimination in my own home state of
Kansas.
06:08
In February, the Kansas House of
Representatives brought up a bill for vote
that would have essentially allowed
businesses to use religious freedom as a
reason to deny gays services. A former
coworker and friend of mine has a father
who serves in the Kansas House of
Representatives. He voted in favor of the
bill, in favor of a law that would allow
businesses to not serve me.
06:46
How does my friend feel about lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, queer and
questioning people? How does her father
feel? I don't know, because I was never
honest with them about who I am. And that
shakes me to the core. What if I had told her
my story years ago? Could she have told
her father my experience? Could I have
ultimately helped change his vote? I will
never know, and that made me realize I had
done nothing to try to make a difference.
07:27
How ironic that I work in human resources,
a profession that works to welcome,
connect and encourage the development of
employees, a profession that advocates that
the diversity of society should be reflected in
the workplace, and yet I have done nothing
to advocate for diversity. When I came to
this company one year ago, I thought to
myself, this company has anti-discrimination
policies that protect gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgender people. Their commitment
to diversity is evident through their global
inclusion programs. When I walk through
the doors of this company, I will finally come
out. But I didn't. Instead of taking advantage
of the opportunity, I did nothing.
08:31
(Applause)
08:39
When I was looking through my London
journal and scrapbook from my London
semester abroad 16 years ago, I came
across this modified quote from Toni
Morrison's book, "Paradise." "There are
more scary things inside than outside." And
then I wrote a note to myself at the bottom:
"Remember this." I'm sure I was trying to
encourage myself to get out and explore
London, but the message I missed was the
need to start exploring and embracing
myself. What I didn't realize until all these
years later is that the biggest obstacles I will
ever have to overcome are my own fears
and insecurities. I believe that by facing my
fears inside, I will be able to change reality
outside. I made a choice today to reveal a
part of myself that I have hidden for too
long. I hope that this means I will never hide
again, and I hope that by coming out today,
I can do something to change the data and
also to help others who feel different be
more themselves and more fulfilled in both
their professional and personal lives. Thank
you. (Applause)

Breast Ironing

Breast ironing is a form of violence that takes place in certain regions of Cameroon. It is a
violent practice which is forced upon young girls who have just entered puberty, and is mostly
performed by mothers on their daughters. It is one of the most widespread and systematic
violations of the universal human rights to personal integrity committed against the girl child in
Cameroon, abusing their physical, sexual and psychological integrity. Cameroon has ratified a
number of international and regional human rights instruments that protect women and girl
children from all forms of violence. However, despite Cameroon’s obligations under international
law, this practice continues to be widespread. This article introduces the practice of breast
ironing as a human rights issue, and will look at its history, social context, prevalence, rationale
and consequences. It will discuss and analyse relevant international and African regional human
rights instruments to which Cameroon is a party to and which protects women and girl children
from violence. It will also look at the existing normative framework in Cameroon and examine
steps taken to regulate this practice.

I was born in the southwest province of 00:38

00:05 heated and if and if maybe fireside
Cameroon growing up coming through 00:41
00:07 heated and with with the use oil a sort
puberty in nine years ten years I 00:46
00:10 of massage it round is sometimes painful
started developing breasts my parents 00:49
00:13 and at the end of it a band like a fold
thought that because they in the 00:54
00:15 a scarf and tied around our round my
community they see Delta not for the age 00:58
00:18 back around my chest to prevent it from
but it's how the girl is being matured 01:02
00:21 developing clue is a start of like a
so breast ironing was done to us to 01:04
00:24 weekly thing or it can be twice a week
prevent us from looking too much oddly 01:06
00:27 it goes on for about three four years
the people that did it were my relative 01:09
00:31 three four years
which was more my my auntie's we used a 01:33
00:33 when it was being done it was painful
wooden spoon or a nice round stone 01:37
but at the time I feel I feel happy that this because I look the pain that I had
01:42 02:47
is being done because it's not just breastfeeding the size of my breasts as
01:43 02:51
myself well they will tell me that this it didn't determine anything so I
01:46 02:54
is to prevent us from get involved in started asking the question what was the
01:48 02:56
marriages or even unwanted pregnancy or point there's no benefit it's all
01:51 02:59
an even raped it's not to reduce the there's not in bad pain I've come across
01:53 03:06
size of my breasts or for any other people that have experienced breast
01:56 03:08
reason it's a way of protecting me I ironing the advice I will I will I will
02:04 03:11
could understand why parents that you give is that they shouldn't look at the
02:07 03:14
know did it in the past to prevent them appearance as if it was a will of abuse
02:10 03:17
because the society sees young girls not in their children that is their own way
02:13 03:20
for the age but as well for the Assizes at the time of thinking that it can
02:17 03:22
and I said that is not also really protect their own child but we are
02:20 03:24
necessary it wasn't something that I was inattentive develop so we look at other
02:22 03:27
questioning straight away because is it ways how we can protect our children is
02:24 03:30
not not until I myself I haven't had actually to talk to them on how they can
02:26 03:31
children because it's not necessarily be safe on the road and how they can
02:28 03:34
just the pain of breastfeeding because protect themselves don't talk to
02:31 03:36
as the massage the nipple they sort of strangers and you know and don't walk
02:34 03:38
the nipple sort of sort of a reversed alone in certain places and things like
02:36 03:40
and it become it doesn't come out as that it's all how to educate them I try
02:38 03:42
easier to breastfeed I said there was no not breasts irony will not will not
02:41 03:45
point for my daughter to go through all change anything
02:44 English (auto-generated)