Speaking Truth to Power

Joanne Lockwood

Tags: Intersectionality, Allyship, social justice, Community Support, Marginalized Voices, Cultural Advocacy, LGBTQIA Empowerment, Speaking Truth, Critical Friend, Inclusive Spaces.

Amplifying Marginalised Voices

Saba Ali passionately explores the power of amplifying marginalised voices, the significance of intersectionality, and the urgent need for unity and compassion within the LGBTQIA community amidst challenging societal landscapes.

In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood invites Saba Ali to share her inspiring journey and discuss the theme of speaking truth to power. Joanne and Saba explore how individuals can champion the voices of marginalised communities, navigate cultural abuse, and work towards institutional change. Joanne reflects on her first encounter with Saba on a panel discussion and highlights Saba's recent accolade as an ally for the trans community. The episode delves into the importance of truth-telling and support, especially in challenging times, emphasising unity within the LGBTQIA community and beyond.

Saba Ali, a public speaker and advocate for justice, focuses on intersectionality, cultural abuse, and the lived experiences of queer South Asian individuals. Saba's superpower lies in her ability to amplify marginalised voices to drive institutional change. Her personal background includes overcoming childhood abuse and navigating intersectional discrimination as a queer woman of colour with hidden disabilities. Through years of therapy and self-improvement, Saba has emerged as a critical friend to the criminal justice system and an unwavering ally for those in need of advocacy and support.

Throughout the episode, Saba shares her journey from a childhood marred by abuse to becoming a powerful advocate for marginalised communities. Reflecting on her lived experiences, she emphasises the importance of creating spaces for honest conversations and providing platforms for those whose voices often go unheard. Joanne and Saba discuss the significance of critical friends within systems like the criminal justice system to ensure authentic representation and positive change.

Towards the end of the episode, the conversation shifts to dealing with societal challenges and supporting individuals in harmful environments. Joanne reflects on her experiences with hate crime reporting, underscoring the importance of supportive, compassionate communication from authorities.

A key takeaway from this episode is the transformative power of allyship and the importance of speaking up to create spaces where marginalised voices can instigate institutional change. Whether through grassroots advocacy or engaging with established systems, listeners will learn how impactful collaboration can drive inclusivity and societal transformation.

Published: 24.04.2025

Recorded: 31.01.2025 Episode Length

Duration: 0:58:29

Shownotes:

AI Extracts and Interpretations
The Inclusion Bites Podcast #156 Speaking Truth to Power
Other Links
seechangehappen.co.uk SEE Change Happen: The Inclusive Culture Experts
Inclusion Bites Podcast on YouTube

Clips and Timestamps

“Speaking Out Against Injustice”: “And I think, you know, the more I’ve worked in advocacy and I’ve worked around sort of hate crime, abuse, whether it’s child abuse, domestic abuse, it’s really made me realize that it’s not acceptable. It’s not okay.”
— Saba Ali [00:07:01 → 00:07:17]

“Breaking the Silence on Identity and Abuse”: “And I think especially as women, especially as women of colour, there is so much, there is so many layers of abuse that we have to put up with, and so many people just suffer in silence.”
— Saba Ali [00:08:07 → 00:08:19]

Inclusivity in Representation: “If you’re gonna represent London, which is incredibly diverse culturally and in so many other ways, it cannot be represented just by white gay men that are middle aged. You’ve gotta have youth.”
— Saba Ali [00:14:19 → 00:14:26]

The Importance of Diverse Representation: “To me, representation is really important as I have all those voices, and I don’t think it’s fair that any one person can speak on behalf of a whole community or any one person can say, I’m an ambassador for the trans community.”
— Saba Ali [00:16:24 → 00:16:37]

The Unseen Burden of Protecting Communities: “I’ve had other people say to me that I’m so grateful you do what you do because I wouldn’t do it. And I’ve had so many people in the community say I would not do what you do.”
— Saba Ali [00:21:31 → 00:21:43]

“Media Manipulation and Policing Challenges”: “But I think when it comes to policing, you know, they’ve absolutely ruined it. And we have and I am gonna say we have such a far right leaning media who absolutely twists headlines and the information that’s put out there. It’s completely misinformed, complete scaremongering, and the average person that reads the news or listens to the radio is getting incorrect information.”
— Saba Ali [00:24:30 → 00:25:00]

Struggles in Policing: “So on mass, they come across as evil. But one on one, when you get that, you know, one on one, they’ve actually been, like, I actually can’t believe the police have been nice to me.”
— Saba Ali [00:26:21 → 00:26:34]

“Empathy in Law Enforcement”: “Listen to them first before you start filling out your forms and ticking your boxes because listening is just the most important thing.”
— Saba Ali [00:30:51 → 00:30:58]

“Challenging Conversion Therapy”: “I think conversion, it’s not really converting someone. It’s torturing them.”
— Saba Ali [00:43:15 → 00:43:18]

“Trans Community in Crisis: ‘For the trans community… when it comes to homelessness, they have absolutely nowhere to go.'”
— Saba Ali [00:44:34 → 00:44:37]

Definition of Terms Used

Critical Friend

Definition: A critical friend is someone who provides constructive feedback for improvement while supporting and challenging an organisation or individual to reach higher levels of quality and effectiveness.
Relevance: It allows for unbiased evaluation and helps drive meaningful changes by fostering a culture of reflection and continuous improvement.
Examples: Saba Ali’s role in guiding institutions by amplifying marginalised voices and influencing change.
Related Terms: Ally, Mentor, Advisor, Feedback Partner
Common Misconceptions: Some think a critical friend only criticises, but their role is to provide support while offering actionable feedback for growth.

Intersectionality

Definition: Intersectionality is the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, gender, and sexuality, creating overlapping systems of discrimination or disadvantage.
Relevance: Understanding intersectionality helps in addressing the unique challenges and biases that individuals face due to the interplay of various identities.
Examples: Saba Ali’s advocacy work focusing on the multiple layers of discrimination faced by queer South Asian individuals.
Related Terms: Social Categories, Overlapping Disadvantages, Hybrid Identities
Common Misconceptions: Some perceive it as a division tool, but it aims to highlight and address diverse unfair treatments.

Cultural Abuse

Definition: Cultural abuse involves actions that harm individuals by disrespecting or exploiting their cultural values and beliefs, often used to control or oppress.
Relevance: Cultural abuse can have lasting impacts on victims, affecting their identity, self-esteem, and psychological well-being.
Examples: Saba Ali’s experiences with child and cultural abuse leading to her work in advocating for justice.
Related Terms: Emotional Abuse, Psychological Abuse, Religious Exploitation
Common Misconceptions: Many assume cultural abuse is always physical, ignoring the mental and emotional manipulations involved.

Restorative Justice

Definition: Restorative justice is an approach focused on repairing harm by encouraging victims and offenders to communicate and agree on solutions, fostering healing and accountability.
Relevance: Restorative justice seeks resolution and learning rather than punishment, promoting rehabilitation and reconciliation.
Examples: Saba Ali’s emphasis on resolving conflicts through understanding and educational means.
Related Terms: Mediation, Conflict Resolution, Rehabilitation
Common Misconceptions: Often misunderstood as being soft on crime, it actually requires offenders to address and understand the impact of their actions.

Chosen Family

Definition: A chosen family consists of individuals who intentionally form a supportive and close-knit network, especially when biological families are unsupportive or absent.
Relevance: Chosen families provide emotional support, acceptance, and a sense of belonging, crucial for many, especially in marginalised communities.
Examples: Joanne Lockwood’s experiences of a supportive family during and after transitioning.
Related Terms: Support Network, Community, Found Family
Common Misconceptions: People sometimes see chosen families as replacements for biological ones, rather than as unique relationships offering support where biological families may not.