June 2020 - Pride Month
It’s impossible for me to write about Pride Month without reflecting on the anti-racism protests that are taking place as I write. Like millions of others, I’ve spent the last few weeks watching in horror as the news covered the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd. As millions of people have taken to the streets to protest this week, I have reflected on the similarities between the #BlackLivesMatter protests and Pride. The fact that these protests have taken place at the start of Pride Month simply serves as a reminder that Pride has its roots in protest and the struggle for equality.
Whilst a large part of Pride is about celebrating who I am and the progress that’s been made, it’s also an opportunity to remember how much more there is to do.
My privilege means I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to live openly and to have the right to be treated equally enshrined in law. Sadly, those rights aren’t shared by millions of LGBT+ people. 73 countries criminalise private, same-sex sexual activity and in 12 of those countries, homosexuality is punishable by death. Even in America, the “leaders of the free World”, it’s perfectly legal to be fired for being gay in 32 states.
For me personally, I still hesitate to hold my wife’s hand in the street – when we’re out in public, especially with our young son, I’m constantly assessing how safe we are. Being LGBT+ means never booking a holiday without checking out the laws on sexuality in that country; which is why the likes of Dubai and Russia are off limits for us. Whilst those countries might not be surprising, you may be more surprised to learn that Barbados, Saint Lucia, Malaysia, Jamaica, Egypt and the Maldives are also too dangerous for us.
In many ways, progress is stalling or even sliding backwards. A recent survey of 140,000 people across Europe shows 43% of LGBT+ Europeans have suffered discrimination in the last 12 months compared with 37% in 2012.
I am one of the 43%. Despite ‘passing’ as straight, just a few weeks ago - in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic - I was attacked in the street. I was screamed at and told to “hurry up and go and kill yourself”. In the past I’ve been physically assaulted and spat at. I’ve even had a young child, who was alone, shouting derogatory remarks. It’s humiliating and it can be terrifying. But I will not let narrowmindedness change my life.
There are plenty of positives too. As I write this I am enormously encouraged to work for a progressive and inclusive organisation that is taking huge strides to become even more inclusive. I am one of eight Inclusivity Ambassadors that have been appointed to help with this by championing the cause, educating colleagues, reviewing policies and workplace culture documents, and identifying areas in which the business can improve its efforts to harvest a culture of mutual respect where everyone is able to be themselves at work and has an equal opportunity to flourish.
I am excited about the opportunities that lay ahead – we’ve just launched our LGBT+ Allies employee network via Yammer and I’m sure this is going to be a great platform for instigating real change.
For me though, this Pride Month is about remembering how much more progress needs to be made. As the #BlackLivesMatter movement shows, the fight for equality is far from over. We are all allies. And we all need to do more.