"When I walk the corridors I now see many more rainbow badges and lanyards"
“I have been working at Barts Health for 7 years now and I am pleased to see many changes have occurred in this time. When I walk the corridors I now see many more rainbow badges and lanyards and my colleagues wear them with pride as allies.
“As an out member of staff I only get positive comments now and managers and senior managers are very encouraging with my role in the LGBTQ+ network. I see more people using pro-nouns on their badges and signatures and although we still have a long way to go to achieve equity I see the seeds sown and the momentum growing.
“As Bi-Rep, my role will be to highlight any issues for Bi identifying staff including those who are pan, poly, omni and multisexual as well as those who may identify as fluid. I see people now embracing different labels that they feel best reflect themselves and more prominent people from celebrities to political figures sharing their pride at being part of the LGBTQ+ community. Finding a label that fits can be a very positive experience for some and we welcome you all however you identify. We should all be free to be who we are without fear and I certainly have less concerns in the work environment at present.
“I have the privilege of seeing young people talking much more openly about their sexualities and gender identities and I know they will push the boundaries further in challenging the inequalities they see and experience. Bi-invisibility remains an issue and its one that has impacted me over the years and still does in some ways, I hope to be able to write more about this in the future. Being part of the community is important to me and I encourage anyone who wants to join the LGBTQ+ network to do so and to find somewhere safe to belong and to contribute to the work happening throughout the trust. I was thrilled to see articles written by our trans members and am cheering all of you on!
"Thank you to the network for all you do and for the allies proudly supporting us. Happy Pride month everyone!
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