Page 28 - BEQ Magazine Iss 20 Fall 2021 WebRev09272021

He pivoted to building his own company, pinkman- abortion rights and, always, trans rights. He has been
taray, through which he offers his services as a diversity, open and transparent about his transition from the
equity and inclusion consultant, life coach, mentor, beginning, frequently sharing photos of himself shirt-
advocate and public speaker. He holds ongoing advi- less, mastectomy scars exposed. Educating people is
sory roles with Monte Nido & Affiliates (the leading an important part of Bailar’s life and work. But lately,
eating disorder treatment provider), Plume Healthcare he’s been wrestling with questions about establishing
(the first trans-specific healthcare provider) and Amer- boundaries and knowing when to stop working.
ican Eagle Outfitters (the AExME advisory council) and He unintentionally took a month-long sabbatical
is a research assistant at Harvard University. from Instagram in July. Initially, it was because he
We talk about his consulting work and going into and his girlfriend were moving to a new city together.
different companies to talk about gender identity and They also adopted a puppy who requires a lot of atten-
inclusivity. I ask if he has identified a common infor- tion. When he returned to social media in August, his
mation gap or area where companies can do better. He first post was about boundaries and what creators owe
immediately shifts into educator mode. their audiences.
“I think the main thing companies miss when “My paid work is educating,” he wrote. “Because
they’re planning these events, I provide free education on IG, people often assume
and then realize after they’ve I should always answer questions and engage in dia-
done the training, is that gender logue about my content. Many will even get angry or
inclusivity affects everyone,” he hostile when I do not answer. Folks fail to recognize
says. “Often people will come this is demanding my free educational [and] emo-
up to me after a training or a tional labor.”
speech and say, ‘Wow, this all I ask him about this in our interview, what
applies to me. I’m not trans and prompted this post. It was that accidental break from
I learned something from this, it social media that got him thinking about boundaries
resonated with me.’ Everybody and what he “owes” his followers.
has a gender identity, everybody “Just because I’m trans doesn’t mean I have to
has interfaced with gender their educate people on transness,” he says. “I mean, I am
entire lives. Everybody has inti- transgender 100% of the time and I am advocating for
mate experience with gender; myself and my safety 120% of the time, but I can’t work
whether or not it’s important to 100% of the time. So how do I set those boundaries?

CREDIT: BETH BARBIS them is another story.” It’s been difficult to conceptualize boundaries because
Bailar’s personal brand is as I’m not in a physical space, like if I worked a 9-to-5 job
a tireless advocate for inclusion. He is best known for in an office. This is my apartment. I live here, I breathe
speaking out on transgender issues, but he has also here, I work here, I do everything here. So there’s not a
been advocating for the Black and Asian-American physical separation of my work and my life.”
Pacific Islander communities. We spend a few minutes talking about the chal-
“I’m always educating myself on how to be lenges of being knowledge workers, where what we
anti-racist and how I can support my Black trans produce comes from our lived experiences. In Bailar’s
siblings,” he says, unknowingly foreshadowing an case, so much of what he creates is steeped in vulnera-
upcoming growth opportunity. “Beyond that, I was bility, self-awareness and a sense of responsibility that
just talking with my girlfriend about how I need to even a whiff of inauthenticity can dilute the message.
learn more about climate change. It’s all intersec- “If I don’t live my life, then I don’t have anything
tional, all these things overlap.” to write about,” he says. “But if I’m writing, I’m not
Bailar’s brand is most visible on social media. living my life. So where is that boundary? This is the
At press time, he had more than 328,000 Instagram age-old conundrum as an artist, and Instagram is art.
followers who he addresses regularly through posts It is creation and creativity.”
and stories. Recent topics of discussion include the We eventually agree that boundaries shift, and
U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, voter suppression, that’s okay, too.

28 FALL 2021 BUSINESSEQUALITYMAGAZINE.COM