Welcome to Inclusion Bites, your sanctuary for bold conversations that spark change. I'm Joanne Lockwood, your guide on this journey of exploration into the heart of inclusion, belonging, and societal transformation. Ever wondered what it truly takes to create a world where everyone not only belongs but thrives? You're not alone. Join me as we uncover the unseen, challenge the status quo, and share stories that resonate deep within. Ready to dive in. Whether you're sipping your morning coffee or winding down after a long day, let's connect, reflect, and inspire action together. Don't forget, you can be part of the conversation too. Reach out to jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk to share your insights or to join me on the show.

So adjust your earbuds and settle in. It's time to ignite the spark of inclusion with Inclusion Bites. Today is episode 156, one hundred and fifty six, with the title, Speaking Truth to Power. And I have the absolute honour and privilege to welcome Saba Ali. Saba is a public speaker, a critical friend who champions justice for marginalized communities, focusing on intersectionality, cultural abuse, and the lived realities of queer South Asian individuals. When I asked Saba to describe her superpower, she said it is her ability to amplify marginalized voices into institutional change. Hello, Saba. Welcome to the show.

Hi, Joanne. Nice to be here.

Lovely to get you on. We we first met couple of years ago. We did both did a panel together, didn't we? An online panel, I think.

Yes.

Yeah. And, we bumped into each other at events like Trans in the City. I think the mayor of London had a had a event a couple of years ago. We bumped each other there. And more recently at, Beyond Reflections, award night, where you won the award. Hey. Go you.

I did. I won, allyship for the trans community Yeah. Which was completely unexpected. But, yeah, very honored to receive that, especially as it was chosen from the community. Yeah.

I was thinking if you're up for an award, everybody else, no chance. Saba's got this.

Thank you. Yeah. No. We we keep bumping it to each other, which is great. Yeah. It's always nice to meet Lovely. Like minded people. And

it sounds like we're gonna be seeing a lot more each other through the RSA and some of the events and the LGBT community within the RSA. So I'm really, really looking forward to getting involved with those things.

Yeah. Absolutely. I, I have definitely got you penciled in for a few things.

So if you listen to this and it and it floats your boat, if you don't remember the RSA, firstly, join, become a fellow of the RSA. Yep. And then track either myself or or Sabi down, and we can, Saba down, and we can, get into that and and find and get you in, yeah, basically.

Yeah. And I should add, actually, for those of you who don't know, RSS, the Royal Society of Arts.

Education and commerce or something, isn't it? It's it's got it's got a long bit on the end, which I never remember which way around it is, but, yeah, of arts and something else.

Yeah. So me and Joanne are both part of their, LGBTQIA network, which is doing some amazing stuff. Very excited to be part of that.

Which, I don't wanna focus on what's going on in the world too deeply to the moment, but there's a lot of stuff going on that we need to raise the the profile. So it's a bit a bit pooey out there at the moment. Is it for for queer folk?

It's not great. It's not great. I think, I think that's one of the reasons actually why I'm really championing what the RSA are doing because they are a global community. So the network is a great global community. But I think at the moment, it's so important for the LGBT plus community to kind of unite and get together and sort of try and put our differences aside and, you know, come together and work together. We really need to sort of support each other. And even if that's only in small groups that, you know, we we need to be there for each other at the moment. That support and compassion is so important.

Was there a a point in your life where you thought, actually, this is my calling. I wanna go and champion marginalized voices, talk about intersectionality. What was it apart from being a, well, at the time, a young black Muslim woman with a queer tendency, I guess? Apart from that, what's what got you into it?