We fill keynote stages and workshop slides with buzzwords like “diversity,” “belonging,” and “inclusive leadership.” But too often, these words stay at the surface — intellectual concepts, rather than embodied truths.
What if we took it deeper?
What if we asked not, “How can we fit people into existing systems?”
But instead, “What systems need to be undone so people can show up fully?”
This is where drag comes in.
Yes — drag.
Not just rhinestones and lashes (though I love those too), but drag as a disruptive, liberatory, truth-telling practice.
As a non-binary drag performer and corporate speaker, I don’t just bring sparkle to the stage — I bring a message:
True authenticity requires unbecoming.
Unbecoming outdated roles.
Unbecoming silent agreements that tell us to leave parts of ourselves at the door.
Unbecoming the idea that professionalism has only one look, one tone, one voice.
Drag as Disruption
In my work, I use drag to open a different kind of conversation — one that doesn’t tiptoe around identity, but dances boldly into it.
When I walk into a room in drag — not despite, but because of my non-binary identity — I invite others to ask:
- What parts of yourself have you been taught to hide?
- What norms have we mistaken for truths?
- Who benefits from your silence?
And most importantly: What would it mean to lead, to collaborate, to innovate — not in spite of your difference, but because of it?
Unbecoming for Better Business
Unbecoming isn’t a personal indulgence. It’s a business imperative.
When teams feel safe to shed performative roles, creativity flourishes.
When leaders model vulnerability and fluidity, trust deepens.
When people are allowed to be whole, everyone benefits.
My keynotes aren’t just performances — they’re activations. They turn stages into mirrors and invite professionals to see how rigid binaries — not just in gender, but in thinking — hold back potential.
Drag doesn’t just challenge gender. It challenges rigidity.
It makes space for play, nuance, self-inquiry, and growth — all essential ingredients for modern leadership.
Gender Fluidity, Corporate Solidity
As someone who lives beyond the binary, I’ve learned that ambiguity isn’t a weakness — it’s a strength.
In a world that changes daily, fluidity is an asset.
And yet, too often, we reward sameness. We promote predictability. We dress diversity up in corporate branding but resist it in boardroom behavior.
My work is about flipping that script.
When I speak to corporations, I bring lived experience — and fierce insight — into what inclusion really looks like:
Not checking a box, but expanding the box.
Not just celebrating Pride in June, but practicing equity in every room.
Not just hiring “diverse talent,” but building cultures where that talent can thrive without shrinking.
This Is Bigger Than Me — And That’s the Point
Yes, I tell my story — as a non-binary person, as a drag artist, as someone who has unlearned everything to arrive at the truth. But the real message is this:
Every person, no matter their identity, has something to unbecome.
And when we do that together — in teams, in companies, in leadership — we build workplaces that are not only inclusive, but transformational.
Because when the wig comes on, the masks come off.
And in that space — brave, bold, beautiful — we meet the future of work:
One where authenticity isn’t a liability, but the greatest competitive edge we have.
Want to bring this message to your organization?
Let’s start a conversation about keynotes, workshops, and corporate events that don’t just inspire — they shift culture.
Shaun Lee (they/them)
