Reckitt's Nikki Collinson on why allies are essential

We interview Reckitt's Nikki Collinson about why allies are crucial and the two crucial moments, one personal, one professional, that led her to joining the fight for LGBTQ+ equality.

Please introduce yourself and describe your role within your organization

Hi there! I am Nikki Collinson (she/her), and I am a proud ally! I am based in Hull, Yorkshire and my day job at Reckitt is to manage anything technical for the Dettol brand in Europe and ANZ. I am also the allyship lead for the Global LGBTQ+ ERG at Reckitt.

Why do you think allies are important?

We have all had a time when someone is kind to us, even fought our corner. I sometimes think about the fact that; simply for who you love or your gender expression you may have been subjected to years of persecution or discrimination, or just discouraged from being your true self. I think that being an ally is a formal recognition and a commitment to do your part to put a stop to that, by whatever means you can. History is dynamic and ever changing but for sure it remembers, and we need to be on the right side of it, by being active allies now and forever more.

How can allies help create an inclusive workplace?

Allyship is important but we sometimes set the expectation of being an active ally in the workplace too high. We are all busy, our jobs can be high pressure and on top of that the world is hard right now, there are a lot of things to stress about and fight for. This said, there is no excuse for not caring. Allyship can be as simple as actively listening and really paying attention to what any underrepresented community is saying. Then recognizing those people and if you can, give a platform for those who may need it, to enable them to be heard and shine a little brighter. Do not underestimate visual activism too; use your pronouns proudly, wear a rainbow lanyard, be present, proud, and loud at Pride.

What does it mean for you to be an ally?

For me, it is recognizing my privilege and lending my voice to a person or group who needs it more, even if only in that moment. I have never had to come out, I have never been mis-gendered, and I have never had to hide who I am. I am grateful for that, but I acknowledge that for some people, it is an everyday occurrence they should not have to endure. I want to change that.

When and why did you choose to join the LGBTQ+ community in its fight for equality?

There were two distinct moments, I became an active and vocal ally; one personal, one professional. In 2017 my amazing niece Imogen was born, to her proud Mama and beautiful Mummy. In that moment, I knew I wanted this little girl to grow up in a world, where her families love was both normalized and celebrated.

In 2019 I was part of some Women’s DEI activities when I realized there were a group of us who were passionate about Trans Women and LGBTQ+ rights in the workplace. We wanted a platform to do something about it and this was before any formal ERGs were set up. With no corporate budget to sponsor a Pride event, I found a way for 100+ Reckitt employees to participate in World Pride, New York, by carrying the giant river of pride flag through the city. It meant a lot to people to have a forum to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community and since then a work-enabled passion of mine is visible allyship and allyship recruitment.