Letters, Labels and Putting People in Boxes

Speaker & Moderator

Haroon Ali

Haroon Ali brings sensitive topics such as identity, inclusion and polarisation into the open within organisations where conversations often stall or are avoided. As a journalist, author and creator of award winning documentaries, he knows exactly where tensions lie and how to break through them. He creates greater understanding, sharper conversations and more inclusive collaboration. On stage, he is personal, thought provoking and unifying, with space for genuine dialogue and interaction.

Rate indication: Price on request
Available for booking as: Day chairman Interviewer Debate leader ConversationLeader Presenter Panelist Speaker
Languages: Dutch English

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As a socially engaged commentator, Haroon regularly appears on Spraakmakers on NPO Radio 1, as well as on other talk shows and podcasts. He is also invited to join panel discussions during debate events, is interviewed about his work as an author and gives readings at literary gatherings. Haroon is also an experienced interviewer and moderator who enjoys engaging with a wide range of people.

Author

Growing up with a Pakistani father and a Dutch mother was not always easy for Haroon, particularly when he discovered that he was attracted to men while being raised in a Muslim family. He wrote about these conflicting identities in his first book, Half (2020). For the book, he also travelled through Pakistan for two months and saw his father’s homeland through new eyes.

His second book, Spectrum, was published at the end of 2023. In it, he explores the Dutch LGBTQI+ community: what connects these different identities and which issues divide them? For the book, he interviewed dozens of queer activists. Spectrum was longlisted for the Brusse Prize, awarded to the best Dutch language journalistic book, and was also nominated for Rainbow Book of the Year.

Documentary and Podcast

In 2022, Haroon created the widely discussed television documentary Het M-woord, about homosexuality and homophobia within Muslim communities. The documentary earned him a Tegel, the Netherlands’ most prestigious journalism award. Together with Yora Rienstra, he also created three seasons of the podcast Opgewonden, which explores sexuality in all its forms.

Haroon’s commitment to the LGBTQI+ community has also been recognised by LGBTQI+ organisation COC, which presented him with the Bob Angelo Star of the Future award in 2021. In 2023, he received the Rising Star Award at the inaugural Pan Asian Awards. In 2024, Haroon was appointed as a new ambassador for Pride Amsterdam and was invited to deliver the annual Mosse Lecture.

Haroon Ali as a Speaker and Moderator

Haroon aims to challenge prejudice, while always taking a personal and unifying approach and, whenever possible, doing so with a smile. He wants to break through social bubbles, remains open to every conversation partner and firmly believes that we learn the most from people who think and act differently from us.

He has a broad range of interests, but the topics he feels most passionate about and aims to contribute to include:

LGBTQI+ issues and the rainbow community
Homosexuality within religious communities
Bicultural families and cultural differences
Diversity and inclusion
Gender and changing perceptions of men and women
Popular psychology and mental health
Challenges facing young people and online culture

Themes

Sessions

In this keynote, Haroon Ali shares his personal coming out story and journey of self discovery as a Pakistani Dutch gay former Muslim. He discusses how many people feel different and struggle with imposed social norms, but how useful are all the new labels and identities emerging today? He also examines the most common assumptions and prejudices surrounding the LGBTQI+ community and explains when they can become harmful. Finally, he shows organisations how they can strengthen diversity and inclusion and how colleagues can learn from one another’s differences.

Haroon always delivers a personal and passionate keynote, avoiding distant or forced management jargon. His keynotes usually last around 45 minutes and include interactive elements and visual material to maintain the audience’s attention. There is always time for questions and comments afterwards, as these topics often spark strong responses among participants. The discussion that follows is frequently the most interesting part. Haroon does not try to impose a particular way of thinking, but encourages people to reflect. He also uses humour to maintain an open atmosphere and always seeks to connect with his diverse audience.

This keynote is suitable for groups of all sizes.