Tag: Pride Month

Amazon Dunfermline celebrates Pride Month

‘I’M PROUD TO BE ME’ SAYS DUNFERMLINE AMAZON EMPLOYEE

A team member from the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline is sharing his story in celebration of Pride Month.

Pride Month, celebrated annually in June, honours the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, which was a turning point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. Celebrations now take place in countries all over the world and include parades, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, attracting millions of participants.

This year, employees from Amazon will be taking part in Pride parades in Birmingham, Manchester and London.

John Aitken from Dunfermline is one of the employees taking part in the Edinburgh parade. Alongside his personal Pride Month celebrations, John is sharing his story to showcase Amazon’s #ProudToBeMe campaign in honour of Pride Month.

John , from Falkirk, is the general manager’s assistant at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline.

Before joining Amazon, John attended a performing arts college in Cambridge and went on to work in entertainment on cruise liners in Los Angeles and Australia. During Covid, John wanted to be closer to his family and decided to move back to Scotland with his fiancée. Having discovered a passion for managing teams whilst working on the cruise liners, John found an opportunity to study a business management apprenticeship at Amazon.

Outside of work, John teaches and choreographs for children at a production company in central Scotland. Growing up in the performing world, John now passes down his passion and knowledge to children and watches them grow into their own performers. John also produces his own shows for a variety of theatres in Scotland.

John’s favourite thing about working at Amazon is the opportunities.

“I’ve been given so many opportunities during my time at Amazon, such as working in lead roles and then stepping up to an area manager role. I love to try every new challenge that comes along and Amazon is the place to do that,” John said.

John is also the site ambassador and regional lead in Scotland and Ireland for the Glamazon team, Amazon’s LGBTQIA+ affinity group, and plays a part in the community engagement side of the team.

Speaking on his experience with Glamazon, John said: “With my performance background, I’m the go-to guy for charity and site events.

“From having interest in Glamazon to approaching the team and becoming involved, it all grew quite naturally and organically until I took the role as regional lead. It was very much taking every challenge as it came and it’s been the best experience for me.”

“There is so much support at Amazon for the LGBTQIA+ community. They offer a range of programmes to help employees internally. From policies in the past that are now improving, to pronoun inclusivity, Amazon goes the extra mile to create an inclusive environment.”

Pride is a big event in John’s calendar, and he gets involved in a lot of events both through Amazon and outside of work.

This year, he is organising workshops for the Dunfermline site to educate team members on pronoun inclusivity, touching on identification. The Glamazon team will also be attending the Edinburgh Pride march.

He shared: “Pride is a moment to reflect and look back on how far the LGBTQIA+ community has come, from the civil riots to where we are now – it’s incredible. There are still inequalities, but Pride Month allows us to take a moment to understand the journey and that’s something I try to keep true to heart.

“That moment of standing there as a gay man makes you feel so at home with where you are and what you’re doing, especially when your workplace is as supportive as Amazon. We’ve all got journeys to take, we’ve all had journeys to get to where we are, but the journey that we still have to come is incredibly exciting.”

What’s next for John? He added: “I love working on the community side of Amazon and the more I do, the more my enthusiasm for it grows.

There’s so much more we can do for community engagement in the future and that’s really exciting.”

Ceysa McKechnie, Head of Glamazon in the UK says: “We are incredibly proud to have John as a member of Glamazon in the UK.

“Amazon believes that equality is a driver of innovation, and we strive to create environments that are inclusive to all employees regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation or expression. It’s great to hear stories like John’s that inspire others to be accepting and inclusive to all colleagues in the workplace.”

Amazon has 13 affinity groups, also known as employee resource groups. They play an important role in bringing Amazon employees together and create a sense of community globally while encouraging inclusivity and diversity. These groups include Glamazon, the Black Employee Network, Asians@Amazon, People with Disabilities and Women@.

Glamazon helps Amazon employees  build a network with other LGBTQIA+ colleagues and allies across the business on a global level. The group promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion, and gives mentorship opportunities to members.

There are over 200 active Glamazon affinity group chapters around the world who work with Amazon to create an inclusive workplace, host hundreds of community events, and celebrate Pride annually.

Amazon has also been listed in The Stonewall Top 100 Employers list, the UK’s leading benchmarking tool for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace.

Pride Month: Council shows support for LGBTQ+ communities

The City of Edinburgh Council, in solidarity with LGBTQ+ communities, expresses its support for Pride Month.

The Pride Flag is flying from the City Chambers and the annual Pride March will take place this Saturday (24 March). 

Pride Month is an annual celebration that commemorates the progress made in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and acknowledges the ongoing work that still needs to be done.

Council Leader Cammy Day yesterday met with Richard Denholm, Chair of STRIDE, the Council’s LGBTQ+ staff network, as the flag was raised at the City Chambers.

Council Leader Cammy Day said: “This weekend our city will be filled with a bit more colour and love in the form of the annual Edinburgh Pride March and Festival. First established in 1994, Scotland’s longest running celebration of diversity, Pride Edinburgh will ensure the rainbow shines over the capital city. I’m looking forward to taking part. 

“Pride month is significant in the city’s calendar each year and a celebration of the diversity, history and dignity of the LGBTQ+ community. We hope to help raise awareness of this important month and continue to progress and encourage inclusiveness.

“I’m proud that we will support our LGBTQ+ colleagues and citizens by flying the rainbow flag above the City Chambers once again. It’s also important to consider the heritage of the Pride movement, which came from protests to address deep rooted issues of discrimination, intolerance, injustice and prejudice that exists and sadly still exists in some places.

“Edinburgh has always been a welcoming and inclusive city – and we’re rightly proud of our thriving LGBTQ+ community.

“An attack on anyone because of their sexual orientation or transgender identity, or their race, religion or disability is abhorrent. On behalf of the Council, I repeat my call for tolerance, understanding and respect right across our city. I hope everyone who is taking part this year has a great time.”

Richard Denholm, Chair of STRIDE network, said: “STRIDE is the Council’s LGBTQ+ staff network. We welcome all colleagues who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as supportive allies.

“We are passionate about people being able to bring their whole selves to work, not just here at The City of Edinburgh Council, but across our entire capital city. I would like to thank STRIDE members and supportive allies for their continued contribution over the past year. This vital effort ensures that LGBTQ+ members of our workforce can feel respected and included.

“Council colleagues have been invited to join Edinburgh Pride march this weekend, in support of raising awareness that diversity is valued and celebrated across all our workplaces.

“I’m pleased to let you know that the Council have recently joined Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme.

This Programme will promote a more inclusive working environment for LGBTQ+ colleagues. We are committed to supporting the Programme, to embed it within all Council Directorates, in the months and years ahead.”

Find more information about equality and diversity at City of Edinburgh Council 

Pride Month: The Real Mary King’s Close introduces new character

New special tour platforms the story of Marie Maitland, brought to life in underground experience journeying through centuries of LGBTQIA+ history

To celebrate Pride Month, The Real Mary King’s Close is hosting a series of educational and thought-provoking ‘Pride History Tours’, designed to reveal the hidden histories of LGBTQIA+ community life in Edinburgh from as far back as 1546 until 1912.

As part of the tour, The Real Mary King’s Close will shine a light on Marie Maitland. Born in 1550, Maitland was a poet whose work was compared by contemporaries to that of Sappho, the Ancient Greek lesbian poet from the Isle of Lesbos, and wrote one of the first poems in Europe about same-sex love between women.

Maitland’s story has been researched by Adam Armstrong, one of the Tour Guides at The Real Mary King’s Close, with the research verified by Dr Michael Penman from the University of Stirling, and will be told as part of the new special tour.

The LGBTQIA+ community tend to be missing from the history books, and it can often be difficult to imagine the struggles they had to face throughout the centuries. This 1-hour guided tour, led by the renowned Scottish poet, Robert Fergusson, or Marie Maitland, allows guests the chance to journey beneath the iconic Royal Mile to learn about key moments in history, influential figures who paved the way for change and those who tried to stand in their way.

Whilst wandering through the now-hidden streets, guests will discover real stories from real people. During the tour, Sophia Jex-Blake and Dr James Barry will also shed light on their successes as well as the struggles they faced as LGBTQIA+ identifying members of the community.

During Pride month, it’s important to look back as well as forward, to realise how much the discourse around sexuality has evolved over the years.

The vocabulary and terms used today to describe sexuality didn’t exist until around the mid-20th century. When talking of homosexuality from the 16th to 19th century, it was described in various terms such as “buggery” and “sodomy”. If someone was seen to be disobeying the heteronormative codes of society, they would be brutally condemned, ostracised and even sentenced to death.

Participation in The Real Mary King’s Close Pride Tours will provide guests with a deeper understanding and nuanced insight of the history of the LGBTQIA+ community in Edinburgh and in Scotland.

The specially curated tours actively support the health, well-being, and equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex young people through its partnership with LGBT Youth Scotland.

Paul Nixon, General Manager at The Real Mary King’s Close, said: “We’re so excited that our Pride Tours are back for Pride Month this June. It was such an amazing experience last year welcoming so many people to The Close and celebrating diversity, resilience and the importance of inclusivity throughout the centuries.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with LGBT Youth Scotland, they are such an incredible organisation with a powerful message which we are passionate about voicing and helping in any way we can.

“We both share a mutual aim to encourage acceptance and community through storytelling and this is something we have encapsulated together in our specially curated tour. We can’t wait to welcome everyone, share our knowledge of the past and help shape the future.”

Tours will be running throughout June, every Friday and Saturday at 17.30 and 19.00. Prices are £25 per adult / £19 per child.

For more information and bookings please visit: 

https://bookings.realmarykingsclose.com/book/pride-history-tours-2023/160

Bield marks Pride Month with launch of Rainbow Network

Bield Housing and Care, a specialist provider for older people, has launched a new volunteer initiative to bring together its diverse community.

Coinciding with Pride Day, Bield‘s ‘Rainbow Network’ initiative will see tenants invited to join a volunteer-led group focused on inclusivity and fostering a safe and social environment for members of the LGBT community.   

It is hoped that bringing together like-minded tenants will not only create a social space but also actively engage and encourage tenants to share ideas for enhancing inclusivity.  

The group is part of Bield’s efforts to highlight the importance of the nine legally protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

Zhan McIntyre, Head of Policy and Customer Standards at Bield, said: “The Rainbow Network has been set up to create an inclusive space for our diverse community to come together.

“We’re delighted to be launching during Pride Month and to host the first meeting on 28th June – Pride Day.  Tenant opinions and feedback form the baseline for our entire business, so we are always looking for ways to improve communication and engagement with our customers.”

One of the tenants already involved in the Rainbow Network said: “The LGBT scene is very oriented around younger folk but many of us older ones have been active and ‘out’ for decades, it’s just as we get older we can become marginalised and lonely.”

Anyone interested in attending the virtual group should contact feedback@bield.co.uk in order to receive a link to the meeting.

The Rainbow Network is one of many initiatives recently introduced to get feedback from the people who know and use Bield’s services.

It comes just days after Bield held its first major customer engagement event since the pandemic, which saw the important annual fixture on hold for more than two years, enabling the organisation’s CEO and Directors to meet face-to-face with customers.

The engagement event gave tenants the opportunity to influence Bield’s strategy for the next five years at a time when the sector faces numerous challenges including soaring energy prices, the introduction of new legislation and climate change.

Bield is a registered charity dedicated to providing flexible housing solutions and support for older people with around 180 developments and over 5000 customers across Scotland.

To find out more about Bield, visit https://www.bield.co.uk/housing-and-other-services or follow on Facebook @bieldhousingandcare and Twitter @BieldScotland.

Pride takes centre stage at Musselburgh Racecourse

Specially designed Racing With Pride jockey silks appeared for the first time at a Scottish racecourse yesterday as Musselburgh celebrates Pride Month.

Leading racehorse owner, Gerry McGladery, swapped his normal blue and yellow colours for the distinctive Pride colours for all his horses competing at the Racing TV raceday (Mon 27 June) at the East Lothian track, as will The Musselburgh Lunch Club syndicate.

The silks were created by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) to increase visibility of LGBT+ support within racing and after a public vote the winning design was brought to life by racing silks supplier Allertons. 

Musselburgh will also fly the Pride flag from its historic grandstand this week, racecourse staff will wear Pride ribbons, and promotional activity around the course will mark the global event held each June to mark the 1969 Stonewall riots in the US which changed gay rights history.

The racecourse is also marking its support for the LGBT+ community with two specially named races – The Musselburgh Racecourse Celebrates Pride 2022 race over five furlongs, which took place last night, and again on Wednesday over 1m 1f at 3.50pm.

Musselburgh also received a vote of confidence as an LGBT+ welcoming venue from Edinburgh hairdresser Leo Gourlay who attended a recent race meeting.

Leo said: “I was really anxious, as a flamboyant gay man, to go racing for the first time. Being a member of the LGBT+ community I was really apprehensive before I got to Musselburgh Racecourse and going into such a traditional sporting environment.

“The whole racecourse staff, especially Jane Walker, were very gracious and welcoming. They made the whole race day enjoyable and inclusive and I will definitely be back.”

Musselburgh Racecourse Senior Operations and Commercial Manager, Sarah Montgomery said: “We are delighted to hear that Leo enjoyed his first experience at Musselburgh and look forward to welcoming him back. We also really appreciate the support of Gerry McGladery in helping us to celebrate Pride Month with his adoption of the Racing With Pride silks for his runners.

“Our aim is to be a fully inclusive, friendly and accessible racecourse and it is only right that we take these symbolic but important steps in recognising and supporting the LGBT+ community during Pride Month. We fully support Racing With Pride and hope the community get a taste for the joy of racing during Pride Month and become frequent visitors to Musselburgh.”

The BHA has been a long-time supporter of diversity in the industry and in 2020 launched Racing With Pride, the official LGBT+ network for British racing.

The network is designed for British racing’s participants, workforce and fans who identify as lesbian, gay, bi, trans and other sexual orientations and gender identities as well as allies of the LGBT+ community, who want to demonstrate their support, regardless of their own identity.

The network offers a safe space for LGBT+ people and allies to meet, receive support, have fun and enjoy racing online and in person and promotes a better understanding of LGBT+ inclusion to ensure racing is everyone’s sport, encouraging all to step up as allies.

Gates open at noon tomorrow (Wedneday) and the first race is off at 1.40pm.

For further information and to book tickets please visit www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk

Yotel Edinburgh pledges charity support with Pride!

YOTEL Edinburgh is pledging its support for Pride month by investing in updated LGBTQ+ awareness training on allyship and history for staff, as well as donating 100% of proceeds from a charity cocktail and mocktail to LGBTQ+ helpline charity Switchboard. 

Switchboard provides support through phone, email and instant messaging for people who may feel isolated in their community, have an issue or question they want to discuss or are simply looking to talk to someone who shares their experience.

The UK’s national LGBTQ+ helpline has provided support to millions of people since its inception, promising that all calls are confidential and no topic is off limits. The helpline operates 10am-10pm daily, and can be reached by dialling 0300 330 0630 – find out more at www.switchboard.lgbt . 

YOTEL Edinburgh’s stylish bar and restaurant Komyuniti will roll out the ‘YOTEL Pride’ cocktail and mocktail for the month of June , as well as YOTEL Crew across the UK taking part in updated LGBTQ+ awareness training.

Priced at £6 and available until 30 June,  100% of proceeds from the cocktail and mocktail will directly benefit Switchboard. Switchboard answers on average 18,000 calls a year, with each call costing the charity around £17 for wrap-around support which means they can be there for each and every caller. 

Pledging support for Pride, YOTEL has invested in LGBTQ+ training sessions for YOTEL Crew across the UK, led by Polly Shute, Co-Founder of ‘Out and About’ and former board member of Pride in London.

With training sessions specifically tailored to hospitality staff, Polly’s sessions for YOTEL include open discussions on how to be an ally, LGBTQ+ history and challenges in the workplace. 

Guests in YOTEL Edinburgh can also directly donate to Switchboard via digital ‘Tip Jar’ QR codes located in the hotel’s rooftop bar and restaurant Komyuniti for Pride month. So guests can donate an amount of their own choosing to the charity, even if not purchasing a cocktail or mocktail! 

Stephanie Fuller, General Manager at Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline said, “We are delighted to be supported by YOTEL as part of its Pride campaign in 2022. Switchboard is the national LGBTQ+ helpline in the UK, and the visibility of our helpline that this partnership will bring across the UK is vital.

“Each year our dedicated team of listening volunteers hold over 18,000 conversations with people in need of support with conversations ranging from, but not limited to coming out, sexuality, gender identity, isolation, and mental health.

“Each call costs us around £17.00 for all the wrap-around support which means we can be there for a caller. The support and visibility this partnership will provide cannot be understated, ultimately it will mean our confidential non-judgemental service will continue to be there 10 am -10 pm, 365 days a year  by phone, instant messaging and email to support people from the LGBTQ+ communities that need someone to listen.”

Polly Shute, Co-Founder of Out and About Festival, organiser of Southbank Surfing and YOTEL consultant said: “It’s great to see a brand as big as YOTEL pledge its support for the LGBTQ+ community with proceeds from the sale of the Pride cocktails this month.

“Through my work, I’m keenly aware of the discrimination and injustices our community continue to face, some of which do occur in the hospitality industry.  It’s essential we educate people on how to be an ally, and I’ve enjoyed starting conversations with YOTEL about how brands can better interact with LGBTQ+ patrons and staff.”

Olivia Donnan, Vice President Brand & Communications at YOTEL HQ said, “We’re thrilled to partner with Switchboard and Polly Shute to celebrate and support Pride in our communities across the UK. At YOTEL, we strive to be an inclusive space for every guest, visitor and Crew member and are pleased to continue our ongoing work supporting the community through donations and training this June.”

James Stocker, Brand Manager for Whitley Neill said, “We’re delighted to support YOTEL during Pride month and hope guests across the UK enjoy this special cocktail. As Pride celebrates 50 years in the UK, we’re glad to be able to support the community in some small way.” 

For further information on Switchboard visit www.switchboard.lgbt, follow the charity on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or call 0300 330 0630. 

Pride Month: Childline reports rise in counselling sessions about gender identity and sexuality

The NSPCC’s Childline has delivered 305 counselling sessions to young people in Scotland about gender identity and sexuality in the past year.

In more than 170 of these counselling sessions, young people mentioned coming out as a concern – an 11% increase from the previous year.

The children’s charity has released this data to mark Pride Month. Childline currently has around 370 volunteer counsellors, across its Glasgow and Aberdeen bases, who have heard first-hand how tough the past year has been for many children and young people due to challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic. Many have struggled with local lockdowns and being cut off from their usual support networks, while others have been worried about returning to school.

However, some young people described the lockdown as a time of reflection and a chance to take stock, and finding confidence to come out to their friends and family. Some also talked about feeling worried about the reaction they would get from other people.

A young person who spoke to Childline said: “I want to tell somebody that I’m gay but I just can’t find the courage to. I don’t want people to judge me or treat me any differently if they find out. Some people really hate gay people and I’m scared of what will happen if I tell someone”. (Girl, aged 12)

As restrictions continue to ease, it remains vital that all children and young people know where they can access help and support.

This Pride Month, Childline reminds young people that the service is here for them. All children can speak to a trained volunteer counsellor over the phone, via email or on a one-to-one chat on the Childline website.

The NSPCC also has information on it’s website for parents and carers on how to talk to children about their sexuality and advice on how to help keep them safe.

Lauren Burke, Childline Glasgow team manager, said: “At Childline, we know that coming out or speaking about sexuality and gender identity can be really challenging.

“Many children and young people who have spoken to our trained volunteer counsellors have described their time under lockdown as a period of reflection, a chance to think about important issues in their lives, both recent and historic.

“Some children with sexuality and gender concerns revealed that lockdown had been particularly hard for them, as they’d been cut off from their usual support networks. Whereas others told Childline that lockdown had given them the confidence and freedom to come out to their friends and family.

“No matter what a young person’s experience is with coming out or speaking about their gender identity or sexuality, at Childline we believe every young person has a right to be listened to and speak about any worries or questions they may have without feeling judged.

“If a young person feels unable to speak to a trusted adult in their life then we would encourage them to speak to Childline.”

Adults concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111.

World Blood Donor Day: Fairer assessment for blood donors

Eligibility for blood donation updated

Changes to the questions people are asked before they are accepted as blood donors come into effect today – meaning all potential donors are treated the same.  

The changes, implemented on World Blood Donor Day, will allow more men who have sex with men, and people whose partners have previously lived in areas such as sub-Saharan Africa, to give blood if they meet the other blood donation criteria.

Questions about recent sexual activity will be the same for all donors, regardless of their sexuality.

The changes follow recommendations by the specialist research group For Assessment of Individualised Risk (FAIR), made up of leading medical and academic experts and LGBTI+ groups. The new questions will mean that people will still be unable to donate where there is evidence of recent sexual activity that could lead to a higher risk of a donor having blood-borne virus infection.

Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “I welcome the changes being made today and am grateful to everyone who currently gives blood and everyone who wants to give blood in future. Your support is vital to save lives and ensure our NHS has enough blood components to meet the needs of all those who will need a blood transfusion.

“Previous rules meant that automatic time bars were in place for a number of people, including men who have sex with men. It’s clear that such a blanket approach was simply not fair – not least to gay and bisexual men in committed relationships.

“There are also some people who have partners who previously lived in sub-Saharan Africa, but have been in the UK for a long time. These changes to the questions will allow more people in these groups to donate, and continue to ensure the blood supplied to our hospitals is safe.”

Development Manager for the Equality Network Scott Cuthbertson said: “I’ve been campaigning on the issue of blood donation for gay and bisexual men for over 15 years, and I welcome the support of Scottish Ministers in approving this change.

“For me this was never about a right to give, but the fact that there were many gay and bisexual men that could do so safely.

“I’m pleased the evidence, assessed by experts, has concluded that to be true, and that many thousands of gay and bisexual men will be able to donate their blood and help save lives.

“Today, during Pride Month, I’m proud to donate my blood for the first time alongside many other gay and bisexual men across the UK as the rules are changed to be fairer for all.”