Preparing this piece put me in a reflective mood. It’s been over 12 years since I qualified as an urban planner, 10 years since I moved to London, five years since I joined Stonewall, four since the inaugural Freehold meeting and two months since I started a new role at a City law firm.
So what has happened in the interim?
We can confidently say that society has been greatly transformed. Thanks to the Stonewall, lobbyists and many other inspirational partners, the UK is now one of the most LGBT-friendly countries in the world.
I was fortunate enough to lead Stonewall’s work in engaging with the real estate sector in helping businesses become more inclusive. It was not an auspicious start. Doors were closed, conversations were shut down, and attitudes were not progressive. A common response was, “We don’t need to work with Stonewall because we don’t have any gay people working here.” This from an employer of 2,000 people.
The tide has shifted, though. All the major players in the sector are now working with Stonewall through its Diversity Champions programme and are making their workplaces as LGBT inclusive as possible.
That’s not to say that our work is done. People in the profession regularly tell me of times where they’ve been felt marginalised and subject to homophobic “banter”.
It is not just the responsibility of gay people to change the status quo. We all have a role to play. Not just individuals, but businesses too. Since joining Travers Smith in April, I’ve already witnessed the potential organisations have in instigating positive change. The firm recently introduced a procurement policy that interrogates the LGBT credentials of potential suppliers. This process is becoming commonplace and its message is clear: if the sector wants to continue doing business with the City, then it needs to catch up with wider society.
I’m hugely proud of everything Stonewall, Freehold, LGBT people and allies have achieved across the sector, and I’m excited to see where the next few years take us.
Chris Edwards is CSR and diversity manager at Travers Smith
