As a cis, straight, White male doing doing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging work, absorbing criticism, skepticism, and cynicism is high on my list of skills.
After all, who is this cis person to talk about transgender issues? If I were trans, I'd have my doubts about me.
Who is this straight person to be a vocal advocate for gay and lesbian rights? WTF do I know about what it means to be gay?
And, who the hell is this White dude to be carrying on about the Black experience? The guy who's as white as snow!
And, here's another man coming to save all the women from marginalization.
All of these (and more) are valid perspectives. I would be a fool to dismiss them. And I would lose my effectiveness.
I put myself out there. I show up. I listen. I speak and write and persuade and argue and try to influence.
And because I put myself out there, there are times when I make mistakes, when I miss nuances and subtleties, when I misrepresent facts, when I'm misinterpreted and misperceived, when I'm flat out wrong.
My intentions aren't always in line with the impact of my words, thoughts, and actions.
And this is okay. As long as I'm humble enough to listen and learn and commit to improve.
The alternative is silence. And then I'd be complicit.