Justin Lee is the author of Talking Across the Divide: How to Communicate with People You Disagree With and Maybe Even Change the World (Penguin Random House, 2018) and an experienced public speaker with more than 25 years of real-world experience building bridges between people who disagree.
From 2001–2017, Justin ran an influential LGBTQ advocacy organization that worked primarily in conservative religious spaces—the largest of its kind. His first book on the subject, Torn, made him a well-known figure in those communities, with a reputation for bringing conservatives and progressives together despite their differences.
Today, Justin applies the same principles to non-religious topics such as diversity, inclusion, political polarization, and resolving interpersonal disputes.
Justin’s ability to speak to audiences on both sides of the aisle has made him a go-to speaker for audiences as varied as healthcare workers, city planners, parents’ groups, political activists, university students, and faith leaders.
Click here to check Justin’s availability for your event.
Popular topics
Justin can cater a talk to your group’s specific needs. But if you’re having trouble deciding what sort of talk you want, here are some suggestions:
Talks on Bridge-Building and Dialogue
- Connecting Across Our Divides
- As polarization makes our disagreements and differences more divisive than ever, how do we find shared humanity and genuine connection—even with the people we find most frustrating? In this talk, Justin uses humor, pop culture, and personal stories to illustrate simple-but-powerful techniques for working through our differences in any area of life.
- “Why Won’t They Listen?!”: Changing Minds in a Polarized World
- Connection is one thing, but how do we advance ideas and correct misconceptions in a world that too often seems immune to fact-checking? In this talk, Justin draws on scientific research and real-world examples to show why people are so resistant to correction, why it’s gotten worse in recent years, and how these hurdles can be overcome for our shared future.
Talks on Diversity and LGBTQ Issues
- Why Labels Matter: Historical Challenges of LGBTQ+ Identity
- The history of LGBTQ+ visibility is closely tied to changing identity labels, from scientific uses of “homosexual” in the late 19th century to modern generational divides over the use of the word “queer.” This talk looks at some of the key ways language has been used for and against LGBTQ+ people and what this tells us about the power of language to shape the perception of marginalized communities.
- Pray Away the Gay?
- In a talk filled with true stories from the people who were there, Justin unpacks the origins, controversies, and lasting impact of the “ex-gay” movement—what it hoped to do, what went wrong, and why it continues to have a major impact on people’s lives and public policy around the world. This is a talk filled with surprising, jaw-hitting-the-floor moments from Justin’s decades of research and personal experience in this area, and it includes an analysis of how these lessons from the past should influence our approach to current debates about both sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Faith and LGBTQ Identity
- Justin brings his unique blend of humor and storytelling to the challenging faith/LGBTQ divide, building on his own upbringing as a gay evangelical to invite even the most divided audiences to better understand and empathize with each other. This talk is appropriate for secular audiences, but Justin also offers versions of this talk for faith-based audiences.
Management/Leadership Talks
- Secrets to Building Team Unity
- Aimed at managers and leaders, this talk draws on Justin’s bridge-building principles to offer practical, proven ways to help today’s teams turn their differences into strengths in a world where old team-building strategies may no longer be effective.
Webinars/virtual talks
Is your group virtual or working remotely? Justin also offers engaging virtual talks. Simply indicate on the speaker inquiry form that your event is happening online.
