“It’s important to me that I am able to bring in my authentic self "
“My name is Mahie Sumathipala (pronouns: She/her/hers) and I am a Speech and Language Therapist working at Whipps Cross Hospital.
“I joined the Trust nearly two and a half years ago. With any change in environment, no matter how ‘out and proud’ you are, I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I did initially find myself thinking about how I’ll do the ‘big reveal’. But ever so casually, of course, like ‘ah, my wife-to-be has a black biro just like yours’ - smooth right?
“On my first day at Whipps, however, I recall seeing posters of LGBTQ+ meet-ups and events for staff, lots of rainbow lanyards and LGBTQ+ pins on staff - although it may not seem like much, the visibility really gave me a sense of pride, acceptance and safety at work. Being born and raised in Sri Lanka, I do not take for granted the privilege of not only being able to live openly as a gay woman, but also be able to feel safe in the work place.
“It’s been incredibly valuable and important to me that I am able to bring in my authentic self without the need to compartmentalise my life. When I started at Whipps I was in the middle of planning my wedding - two and a half years on, my colleagues have become more than just colleagues and I’ve been able to share some very special moments in my life with them. My wife and I are currently starting our own little family through adoption and the support I’ve felt through work in order to navigate the next steps as an employee has been immense. I feel really proud to be able to share my experience at Barts Health because visibility truly makes all the difference when it comes to feeling like you belong.”
Read more: