Welsh Water celebrates LGBT+ History Month

LGBT+ History Month is an opportunity to reflect on the progress made over the last 50 years, but also a reminder that the fight for equality is very much ongoing.

Here at Welsh Water, we are committed to recognising and promoting equality, diversity and inclusivity in the workplace and work hard to create a culture of respect where people can be themselves.

To help champion inclusion and equality, last year Welsh Water’s LGBT+ Network was launched. The employee-led group is a safe place for LGBT+ colleagues and allies to come together to increase the visibility of LGBT+ people at Welsh Water, and to create an environment where everyone feels confident to be themselves.

In October 2021, Welsh Water’s LGBT+ Network launched its own rainbow lanyards for employees to wear to help inspire us to work towards a fully inclusive culture at work. It was important that the lanyards were fully inclusive of everyone in the LGBT+ community and so the colours incorporated the ‘progress pride’ colours and not just a simple rainbow design.

Here’s a few reasons why our colleagues wear their lanyards:

 Jenna Nicolle-Gaughan

“I am many things to many people. I am a mama, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a colleague. I'm the Performance and Compliance Manager for the Dam Safety team. I am a reader, a foodie, a sports fan. I’m a runner, albeit a bad one. I’m an overthinker. I’m socially awkward at times. And I also happen to be a gay woman. I wear the rainbow lanyard because visibility matters, and it’s important to see LGBT+ people doing normal things. Normalising being LGBT+ will mean that the next generation won’t have to go through being ‘different’ or face the stigma associated with it.”

 Adam Davis

“I'm an average, white Welshman and count myself very lucky to have never been a victim of discrimination. I wear this lanyard with pride, but I do not wear it for myself. I wear it for everyone out there that has received any form of discrimination. I wear it for my colleagues in the business and my customers I meet on site. Everyone has the right to be who they want to be, who they truly are, and I wear my lanyard to not only accept people for who they are, but to also support those people feel comfortable in being who they are.”

 Samuel Tudor

“I'm wearing the lanyard as I continue to explore what it means to me to be an ally. I think the great work being done by DCWW inclusivity ambassadors and the gestures being made across professional sports to show unity against all forms of discrimination is an inspiration but shows we still have a long way to go. Donning the rainbow is my way of showing support to my friends, colleagues and the wider LGBT+ community as well as to provide a reminder that we can all do more to end discrimination.”

 Claire Thrift

“I wear this lanyard because having visible allies is so important to let people know that they’re safe and can be true to themselves without fear of discrimination and/or abuse.”

To celebrate LGBT+ History Month, over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing stories from people across our business about their own experiences as well as help and advice on how to be an ally. Watch this space!