Skyler Cooper is an award-winning
filmmaker, actor and consultant

My work as an actor spans over two decades and covers the gender spectrum. I’ve appeared in the films Elena Undone, The Owls, Halloween, Lasso, and on television in RuPaul’s Drag U. Working alongside lesbian film pioneers like Cheryl Duyne and Guinevere Turner allowed me to give visibility and voice to Black queerness in the arts and I’ve received critical acclaim for my gender-bending live and film performances. In 2019 I had the momentous opportunity to become the first Transgender man to perform Othello, as a cisgender character.

I’ve always loved the power of storytelling. I learned how to interpret story as an actor and that sparked my passion for how to find the story. Eight years ago, I marked my directorial debut with Hero Mars, a beautifully cinematic and thought-provoking award-winning short film that tackles the limitations of gender conformity and gender stereotypes’. I also wrote, produced and starred in the film. I am currently working on my next film. It is an epic tale titled Worthy Of Survival. 

WHAT DREW ME TO EQUITY WORK

Having served eleven years in the US Military, followed by eight years in corporate America, I was there at the beginning when both systems began to recognize the need for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. I started my working life as a Black queer female hiding my sexuality from the military so I could serve my country. However, my need to live my truth ultimately compelled me to leave the service. I then joined the corporate world and blended in as an androgynous female. I was frequently assumed to be male and I allowed that to be the case. My experience in both of these settings inspired me to enter my current occupation, as an artist and an consultant. Not only have I observed the unmet needs, I have directly experienced firsthand the lack of support for women; gay, lesbian, transgender and non-binary individuals; and people of color in the workplace. In fact, based on my own intersectional identities, I experienced this exponentially. Because I clearly recognize these disparities I cannot un-see or ignore them. In response, I have dedicated my life towards closing those gaps for future generations. I’ve worked with large corporations, universities, Broadway theater companies to nonprofit community organizations. As a Black transgender man, I have a very unique lens having walked in the world as a cisgender woman who was often seen and engaged with as cisgender black man. My lived experiences provide me rare and vital insights for, Boomers, Xers, Millennials and Gen Z!

MY VALUES AND APPROACH TO EQUITY WORK

I believe that to truly build equity in workplaces, it is crucial to create opportunities that call to employees’ full humanity and not just singular traits that are needed to fill quotas. When I build a diverse team of professionals I embrace and support their full identities as a major part of my mission. This is a win/win practice because everyone’s unique perspectives truly enrich the projects. In the team building process, I also focus on identifying those workers who may not feel like they have shared values on the surface. I spot the commonalities in my individual hiring practice and help them to connect on that level with one another once we are a team. When this happens, a natural process occurs where they really begin to matter to one another. I find bonds will be best established and strongest when they discover this for themselves. The result is pure gold.

Take Action. Create ChANGE.