Heather Newman on safety
From A tale of two people | Heather Newman | TEDxSchriever · · TEDxTalks
“I want to be able to walk up to somebody I've just met and tell them I'm a gay, transgender New Yorker who proudly serves in our Air Force, without feeling like I may be putting myself or my family at risk by doing so.”
On , Heather Newman, Senior VP and Chief Strategy & Growth Officer at Altria Group Inc, spoke about safety during A tale of two people | Heather Newman | TEDxSchriever on TEDxTalks.
About Heather Newman
In a 2016 TEDx talk, Heather Newman, now Senior VP and Chief Strategy & Growth Officer at Altria, discussed her identity as a transgender woman serving in the U.S. Air Force. She described herself as a "gay, transgender New Yorker who proudly serves in our Air Force" and noted that she had no intention of undergoing hormone therapy, having surgeries, or changing her name or pronouns. Newman recounted an incident in 2009 when a fellow airman said they would kill a gay squadron member, which she said made her realize she was in an environment where someone would be willing to kill her over a difference in labels. Newman also spoke about the automatic human tendency to label and categorize others, and argued that diversity strengthens communities, but only if people acknowledge that they are diverse. She encouraged audiences to find common ground with those who hold different labels and to engage in dialogue about their experiences.