Over 40 of my colleagues were at Wolverhampton Pride, including members of our Proud to be Me Network, other colleagues and board members - a mix of LGBT* and straight allies. Everyone was standing proud to support LGBT* equality in our city.
This is the third Wolverhampton Pride we’ve supported and this year we felt it was so important that we were one of the main sponsors.
However it’s not just an issue that’s important once a year; At Wolverhampton Homes we are working throughout the year to become one of the best places to work for LGBT* staff in the UK and to provide great services for our LGBT* customers.
For over 18 months, our Proud to be me Network have been the key part of this work. They are a growing group of over 20 LGBT* and straight ally staff who are playing a vital role both within Wolverhampton Homes and in the community. They support and advise staff and work closely with LGBT Network Wolverhampton to make sure our services meet the needs of everyone.
I am so proud of the work they have been doing and I’m so proud that we had over 40 colleagues supporting them at this year’s Pride.
I was also really pleased to see the reaction of the people in the city, taking photos and videos on their mobiles and getting involved in the carnival atmosphere. In the year that same-sex marriage became legal it’s wonderful to see LGBT* equality becoming more of a mainstream issue.
Together we’re making a difference and Pride gives us a chance to celebrate that fact as well as show our support. Hopefully one day we won't need Pride because, no one will care who loves who, and people will accept people for who they are. That is my utopia because I truly believe that everyone has the right to be themselves and to be proud of who they are.
