During Pride month, we’ve been celebrating our LGBTQ+ staff, people we support, and LGBTQ+ communities around the world. Active Prospects staff shared what Pride means to them, how they feel and are treated at work.
“Finally, in society we now feel totally accepted and treated as equals. We are now able to live our lives as we want to and be happy together. At first everyone said it wouldn’t last and it was just a phase but 11 years later we are still together and going strong. We got married in 2018 and celebrated our day with all our families and friends. Both families and friends accepted our relationship and were very happy for us and proud. We are both extremely happy to be part of the active prospects team and have never come across any kind of discrimination within our jobs. We are treated as equals and fairly for the people we are not what we are and are proud to be part of Active prospects”. – Sarah & Sally
“I do love to attend London pride to celebrate the gay community all gathering together under the rainbow umbrella. It is about having a sense of acceptance in this modern world. Also, here at Active Prospects I find equality and diversity celebrated as all staff come together to deliver fantastic care & support to the Active Prospects community.
With staff from a wide range of gender / race / creed / colour working in harmony as a community – this is what equality / diversity are about. I find a strong sense of acceptance in the Active Prospects family to feel proud and strong to be respected of whom you are as individual whatever your background / upbringing. This especially evident now due to all staff attending the Equality / Diversity / Inclusion training to ensure wide awareness of respecting and being courteous to others and working in harmony with one another”. – Alex
“Pride, to me, is all about being who I am, loudly, and TOTALLY unapologetically! I’m well aware that I wouldn’t be accepted everywhere. There’s something rebellious about being openly bisexual and openly transgender in the face of that knowledge! Pride started out as rebellion, after all. In all the glitz and glam and the party vibes of pride these days (not that I’m complaining about any of that), I think it’s easy to forget that it isn’t just a celebration of who we are. It’s a big, bright, unavoidable statement against those who wouldn’t accept us: this is who we are and we’re not going anywhere!
Within Active Prospects, however, I have received stunning levels of support from everybody I’ve met. I actually came out as trans to my colleagues back at the Pines before I came out to any of my family! Across the board, the response has been acceptance, support and kind curiosity. I could wax lyrical about the impact this has had on me, my confidence, my wellbeing, but you’d be reading forever! So, without further ado, please enjoy (and laugh at) this picture of me in the pride parade at Brighton a few years ago – I was an orchid, apparently”. – Harley
