Proud About Pride in London
I’m so honoured to have been appointed to the volunteer role of Head of Leadership Development and Learning for Pride in London’s 50th anniversary. Really, truly, bursting with pride.
Throughout my leadership development practise, I have had very senior leaders not want to work with me because of my sexuality. I have been removed from work streams and programmes because people have felt compromised by my sexuality.
I've also received post-diversity and inclusion training feedback from participants and delegates of all levels (in particular, middle and senior leadership) that I spoke about my sexuality too much. In fact, it came up just a few times, while bringing my own personal experiences into a conversation about why diversity and inclusion are so important. So that people like me, who are experienced, passionate, intelligent, and energised are able to contribute, bring a new perspective, and make something better.
Those experiences challenged me to my core and made me question if I was in the right industry. They show why representation is so hard. We’re still born into a world that might not necessarily accept us for who we are by default.
This means that we have to have more tolerance. We have to be prepared to be more resilient and we have to get our message out in a brighter, smarter and more engaging way, so that others see that we are there.
We are growing, changing, and adapting with the times
It’s taken 50 years to reach the point where I can own a business and not be beaten up, and can hold my partner’s hand as we walk down the street, and know I won’t be persecuted. But we’re not finished.
Pride in London is transforming as an organisation, to better meet the needs and demands of the LGBTQ+ communities, to stand as an ally, and drive change across every industry – and it’s an honour to be a part of that evolution this 50th anniversary.
My role as Head of Leadership Development and Learning means I’m able to give more back to a community that has supported, nurtured, and encouraged me to become who I am.
This year, we’re aspiring to create a greater sense of accountability and ownership and belonging. So, we’re asking ourselves, “Who are we? How can we make this evolution meaningful? How can we keep volunteers engaged? What is what their experience?”
I want to ensure that all volunteers feel skilled and able to excel, and that the information and resources they require are available on demand. I want to develop teams and communicate messages in a more compelling and more vibrant way, so that everyone feels a part of the greater purpose.
We are still easy targets
The specific dangers faced by LGBTQ+ communities can also be seen on a global scale. The Trans Murder Monitoring project recorded 2,982 murders of trans and gender-diverse people worldwide between the 1st of January and the 30th of September 2018 – with trans women of colour facing vastly disproportionate levels of violence.
In Britain, people who identify as LGBTQ+ disproportionately experience anxiety – 72% of bi women and 60% of lesbians experienced anxiety in 2018, along with 56% of bi men and 53% of gay men. Trans people and lesbians in Britain are also more likely to report unequal treatment and lack of understanding by healthcare staff. Even in LGBTQ+ spaces, women are often excluded. 33% of lesbians and 43% of bi women in the UK say they ‘never attend LGBTQ+-specific venues and events in [the] local community.’
In the workplace, McKinsey found that in 2020, LGBTQ+ women were more underrepresented than women generally in America’s largest corporations. Just four openly LGBTQ+ CEOs head these corporations, only one of whom is female and none of whom is trans. LGBTQ+ women in the workplace also face increased rates of sexual harassment and discrimination based on gender and orientation, and while they make up 2.3% of entry level employees, they comprise only 1.6% of managers and even smaller shares of more senior levels.
Compared with straight women, LGBTQ+ women are more likely to report that their gender has played a role in missing out on a raise, promotion, or a chance to get ahead, despite having the same aspirations for leadership as their straight counterparts. Notably, LGBTQ+ women are also 1.4 times more likely than straight men to seek senior leadership roles in order to have a positive impact on the world.
McKinsey also found that trans people face especially sharp barriers to advancement in the workplace and are much less likely to have management, evaluation, or hiring responsibilities. Trans people are also much more likely to frequently think about leaving their company (32% versus 21% of cisgender people), and they are more likely to expect to stay at their current company for less than a year (18% versus 8% of cisgender people).
What’s more, this stress increases when a person experiences “onlyness,” or being the only one on a team or in a meeting with their given gender identity, sexual orientation, or race.
There is more that unites us than divides us
It is an incredible honour to stand with so many people and organisations in this community striving to make change, create representation, and keep our community relevant and in the media.
Organisations such as Black Pride and Stonewall – after the latter withdrew its support from the Pride in London festival back in 2018 following concerns over a “lack of diversity” (a core element of our evolution over the past few years and a core element moving forward) it partnered with UK Black Pride, to better promote unity and cooperation among LGBTQ+ people of diasporic communities in the UK, because in the words of Audre Lorde: “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives. Our struggles are particular, but we are not alone.”
Black Pride and Stonewall have launched the "We Will Be Heard" survey to better understand the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people of colour in the UK, and will launch UK Black Pride’s First Community Action Plan in direct response to the findings of the We Will Be Heard Survey, distributing community grants to organisations working to support LGBTQ+ people of colour.
Organisations such as Outvertising, who penned an open letter calling on the advertising industry to step up its inclusion of LGBTQ+ women (one of the least represented groups in the ad industry, with negative stereotypes rife in both media and society, and twice as likely as men to remain in the closet at work).
And so many more.
50 is a number that demonstrates that we are resilient, we are coming back for more, and that the next 50 years need to be even better. Utopia can be reality. United, we can create a world where everyone feels safe, supported, and free to be their real selves.
Written by Michael
Michael Mauro is the founder of a forward-thinking organisation specialising in leadership, HR and employee development. With over a decade of global experience, Michael has become a leading voice on topics such as culture, inclusion, wellbeing, and the future of leadership.
