A note from Charlotte our Managing Director…
This weekend sees another Pride festival in the capital, and I couldn’t be prouder. London is adorned with flags and as I walked into the office this morning, I couldn’t help but admire the representation across the most ornate and historical buildings of the city.
Feels like we have come a long with since my first London Pride in 1995.
I was 16 and it was the most empowering experience of my life to date. For the first time, feeling like I was part of a movement that would not hide away nor fade into the background. There were people shouting abuse, lots of it, but it did not matter. We were a community, an entity that could not be silenced.
As a gay woman growing up in the 90s, there are times I care not to remember. Being punched, sworn at, spat on, and told that I should be dead. That said, I felt like one of the lucky ones. Following a few initial tears, my family could not have been more supportive, a privilege I know I don’t share with everyone.
In addition to my own family, it was the hospitality family that got me through some of the hard times. When joining the industry at a young age it was clear that everyone had a story. A family of misfits where diversity reigned. Any abuse I faced was certainly never at work, in fact, the industry often felt like a shield. The bars I stood behind acted as a wall of confidence.
I appreciate that I was perhaps one of the lucky ones. Every parade since 1995 acts as a stark reminder to those less fortunate. Those who fought, shouted, cried, and died to make that all possible. A stark reminder to those countries in our world where still homosexuality is a criminal offence. Where you can be hanged for being gay. Where you can be murdered for being transsexual.
Often that sadness is consuming, a slap of a reminder that we still have a long way to go.
But the flags this weekend should represent a huge sign of acceptance for everyone. Things have changed and are changing. My own family now consists of four teenagers, who have never understood why people can feel such hatred, they simply do not see why people would treat others differently because of the gender of the person they love, and it is they that are the future.
In the workplace, often employers are accused of tokenism, yet I feel comforted when I see how far those flags have come in the last thirty years.
At our own organisation, we are proud to have developed an organic LGBTQ culture –
– We have a number of gay and bisexual employees.
– We would never travel to destinations where homophobia is constitutionalised.
– We celebrate LGBTQ events.
– We list our pronouns.
– We ensure our language around partners & families is inclusive.
I can only hope that anyone from the community feels proud this weekend. Proud of themselves, proud of each other. We will forever continue to make ourselves heard and always be at the forefront of change.
And this weekend? Go forth and have a bloody belter.
