Happy Pride Month!

Colleagues explain why LGBTQ+ allyship matters to them

June marks Pride Month, a time to celebrate and support our LGBTQ+ colleagues, residents and communities. It’s also a chance to reflect on how we can continue building a workplace where everyone feels respected and valued.

This Pride Month, we asked our colleagues how they show allyship, and why they think it’s important.

What LGBTQ+ allyship can look like at work

Angela Burdett’s allyship shows up in small but significant ways in her role as Rent Officer in Revenues. She said: “When I ask about someone’s relationship, I’ll say ‘partner’, rather than specifying ‘husband’ or ‘wife’, because I don’t want to assume. I think it’s important to show allyship where I can, so that none of my colleagues or the citizens I deal with feel excluded.”

John Marr, Mental Health and Wellbeing Co-ordinator, also demonstrates allyship in his everyday approach. He includes his pronouns in his email signature, along with a link to an online learning resource ‘Why I share my pronouns’. He said: “I share my pronouns because, as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, I understand how important these small signs of safety are to us. Seeing pronouns in a signature tells us (the LGBTQIA+ community), “this person is safe to show myself to, I don’t need to hide from them” and that means everything to people who often don’t feel completely safe from harm and/or discrimination.

In a time when globally, hate is being directed, particularly at our trans and non-binary siblings, I feel it’s more important than ever to display all the signs of safety we can. My own pronouns are not especially important to me. They don’t form a critical part of my personal identity, and it doesn’t cause me pain if someone gets them wrong however, that is not everyone’s experience. It is a small thing for me to put my pronouns and a pride flag in my signature and to explain to people why I do that, but that small thing can give others a simple but important message, “you are safe here”.

But, what if I say the wrong thing?

It’s normal to feel unsure, especially if this all feels new. If you realise you’ve made a mistake or an incorrect assumption, a quick apology and correction is usually all that’s needed. What matters most is being respectful and willing to learn.

Our commitment to inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. This means valuing the experiences and perspectives each colleague brings, ensuring fair opportunities for all, and fostering a culture where everyone feels they belong.

Inclusion is shaped by everyday actions. These small actions all contribute to a workplace where everyone feels safe to be themselves.

Looking ahead

By listening to each other and making small, thoughtful changes, we can all play a part in creating a workplace where everyone feels respected - during Pride Month and all year round.