Why Organizations Need to Be Visible in Their Support of Pride
June 9, 2023Peter England, Director of People Services at London Business School, spoke to myGwork about the integral role organizations play in supporting Pride Month and LGBTQ+ rights. Having previously worked in HR and culture roles in sport, major events, advertising, and digital agencies, Peter has now been at London Business School for just under a year.
As an open gay man, he described how he tries to use both his personal and professional experiences to role model that being part of the LGBTQ+ community can be a positive and inspiring experience.
Why do I think Pride is important?
I think Pride is important for several reasons. Firstly, visibility. Pride is a great big celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. It can serve as an opportunity for those still unsure over their identity, that being gay, bi, queer etc is ok. I remember when I marched in the London Pride Parade with England Cricket a couple of years ago, I received emails from people saying that as a result of seeing us, it gave them the courage to tell their teammates about their own identity at their local cricket clubs, which has enhanced both their lives and their enjoyment of the sport.
Secondly, I think Pride is important for social change. The very nature of Pride is a celebration of the 1969 Stonewall riots, a turning point in LGBTQ+ rights. Pride can raise awareness about LGBTQ+ rights, equality, and social issues that affect our community.
What was the first Pride I attended? How have things changed since then for the LGBTQ+ community?
I think I was 17 when I attended my first Pride. This is showing my age, but it was when London Pride was held in Finsbury Park. I remember going with a bunch of mates and being overwhelmed by the festival atmosphere, seeing and meeting all sorts of like minded people, and just having a great time.
Lots has changed for the community since then – both good and bad. The age of consent has been lowered, gay marriage has been legalised, discrimination protections have been introduced, and we are seeing more main stream representation. However, even with all those positive strides forward, we are still seeing hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people increase, equality rights in other countries are being rolled back or stripped away completely, and in the UK approximately 24% of the youth homelessness population identifies as LGBTQ+ with the leading cause as family rejection due to their sexual orientation of gender identity.
This shows there is still so much we need to fight for, and whilst Pride should absolutely be about having a good time, we owe it to our community to ensure that we don’t give up.
Do you think it’s important for organisations to celebrate Pride?
Yes, I do. I know there has been debate around organisations rainbow washing, and I absolutely think there are those that are out there that simply do it to tap into the event and community to sell stuff. But I think if organisations celebrate Pride for the genuine reasons, it demonstrates their commitment to equality and inclusiveness. I know I am more likely to want to work for an organisation that visibly celebrates Pride.
I also think it’s important that organisations celebrate Pride, as there feels like there is so much polarisation at the moment, around lots of LGBTQ+ issues but especially around trans rights, and showing support at this time is vitally important.
How can we keep the momentum for LGBTQ+ equality going all year long?
There is so much we can do as a community to keep the momentum going all year long. We can promote ongoing education and awareness, through organising or taking part in workshops, seminars, panel discussions, and community events. We can continually support LGBTQ+ organistions, either through donations, volunteering, or advocacy. We can use the platforms we have to amplify the voices of the LGBTQ+ community – something I try to do at LBS, either in my HR role or as part of the staff network. We also have the opportunity to engage allies to support LGBTQ+ equality; encouraging these allies to speak up and support our causes. And then, finally, we can never stop learning. We can take responsibility to stay informed about current LGBTQ+ issues and experiences, and to be open about challenging our own biases and be open to personal growth.
As I’ve said before, there have been so many positives in LGBTQ+ rights in recent years, and it is right to celebrate this, but there are still so many around the world, who don’t have those rights, or are having those rights taken away from them. If we don’t stand up and help fight, who will?
Keep up to date with the latest myGnews