Leadership Isn’t a Title — It’s Showing Up as You
At Open Space Therapy Collective, we’ve learned that authentic leadership in LGBTQ+ spaces isn’t about climbing some invisible ladder or performing perfection. It’s about showing up as your full, messy, beautiful self—with all your contradictions, vulnerabilities, and fierce love. This kind of leadership flips the old script where power means control and instead centers connection, mutual care, and being part of, not apart from, your community.
Think about your own experiences. When have you felt truly seen and supported by someone who wasn’t trying to “fix” you or be the boss but was just there? That’s the kind of leadership we need more of. It’s brave to lead by being vulnerable. It’s brave to say, “I don’t have all the answers,” and still show up ready to listen, learn, and build alongside others.
Reflection Questions:
When do you feel most like your authentic self in community?
What parts of yourself are you holding back, and why?
How might showing up with your whole self change your leadership?
Carrying the Legacy of Our LGBTQ+ Elders and Transectors
We don’t get to this work on a blank slate. Our ancestors—the trans and queer folks who came before us—carved out radical spaces in the shadows, in the margins, so we could have more freedom today. They taught us that leadership is communal, that survival is political, and that joy is revolutionary.
Honoring their legacy means more than telling their stories; it means living into the lessons they left us. It’s about lifting up queer and trans elders, centering BIPOC voices, and remembering that our community is stitched together by generations of resistance, resilience, and radical love.
Reflection Questions:
Who are the ancestors you feel connected to?
How do you honor the history of your community in your daily life?
What can you learn from the elders and transectors around you?
Holding Space with Vulnerability and Care
Leadership can feel heavy. When you’re trying to hold space for healing, trauma, and justice, it can wear on your heart and body. But leadership done right isn’t about being a martyr—it’s about tending to yourself and your community. It’s about creating spaces where people can bring their whole selves, where trauma is seen and held, and where healing is collective.
How you care for your mental health isn’t separate from how you lead. It’s the foundation. Leaning into vulnerability doesn’t mean doing it alone. It means building networks of care and support that sustain the work.
Reflection Questions:
How do you care for yourself when leadership feels heavy?
What boundaries help you stay grounded?
Who do you turn to when you need support?
Building Belonging, Not Bossing
At Open Space, we believe leadership is about fostering belonging. It’s about creating places where queer and trans folks of all identities feel safe, seen, and empowered to show up as themselves. When leadership is rooted in belonging, it breaks down the old narratives of competition, gatekeeping, and perfectionism.
It’s not about being the “best” leader or having all the credentials—it’s about making space for others to lead alongside you, too.
Reflection Questions:
How do you create belonging in your community?
What steps can you take to support new leaders?
How do you show up to include those often left out?
In Closing: Leadership as Radical, Collective, and Real
Being an LGBTQ+ community leader at Open Space means leading from your heart, your history, and your humanity. It’s about embracing imperfection, centering those most marginalized, and committing to the slow, messy work of collective healing.
Ask yourself: Am I ready to lead with others, not over them? Can I lean into the discomfort of vulnerability and still show up? What legacy do I want to build—not just for myself, but for the generations to come?
This is the kind of leadership that changes lives. It starts with being real, being present, and being willing to carry both pain and joy together.