Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We met with Katie Bird (she/they), Specialist Clinical Educator at Mid Yorkshire Hospital to discuss their experience.

Do you feel that your workplace is LGBTQ+ inclusive/supportive?

‘My immediate workplace, the MY Therapy team,  is extremely inclusive and supportive. They are really engaged, keen and there is no ambiguity.’

How about the wider organisation?

‘From a Trust’s perspective, there have recently been some significant developments but there is always more that can be improved – not just related to LGBTQ+ issues but Equality, Diversity and Inclusion as a whole and awareness of our own biases and privilege.’

What strategies does your workplace have to support LGTBQ+ staff?

‘In Mid Yorkshire, we have had the rainbow badge scheme for a while now. This includes staff training to raise awareness.

There has also been an LGBTQ+ staff network developed, and we’ve made a really strong start increasing visibility and updating policy, for example the Transgender Policy which is in the final stages of being completed.

We are also developed a training programme for staff to address issues around understanding our own bias and privilege, unconscious and conscious bias and education around the different challenges people may have. It would be great if in the next five years is that every single member of staff within the Trust will have had a specific training around inclusive culture.’

What makes an inclusive work environment and why is it important?

‘It sounds really basic but for me is just being interested in and caring about people. There is a big difference between curiosity and interest and taking a real vested interest in people. Something that really resonates with me is that we need to care and be interested in each other’s lives.’

From your experience, what needs to change?

‘One of the big barriers is the fear of saying something wrong, and this extends wider than LGBTQ+. Our expectations are so high of ourselves, we then do not feel comfortable to ask. We don’t feel comfortable to hold our hands up and say I don’t know what that means, or I don’t know what that means for you. Then, it perpetuates this cycle of “Now I feel embarrassed because now I’ve not asked and now, I can’t ask and now I’m going to continue to not ask”.

So, for me it is about creating a culture of being comfortable with not knowing and develop a more open and honest workforce and create a culture of inquisitiveness.

You do not need to know what every single letter of LGBTQIA stands for. What is important is understanding and embracing that every single one of us has different needs so we use our communication as healthcare professionals to make somebody feel comfortable to tell us what those needs are.’

Do you ever feel the pressure to come out to people you meet/patients?

‘All the time.

I was really frightened about coming out when I was younger even though I have a supportive family. I knew that they would be fine and they would love me regardless. But I know that for many people, even me with a supportive family, there is the fear of being rejected, regardless of how rational that is.

Since then, I think I’ve kind of forced myself to be quite extroverted at work. It started out as a very conscious thing and now it just means not holding back on things, consciously using my language and not missing out words e.g. rather than using Partner, using Wife.’

Has there been any significant points in your life that has made you consider being more active in being open about your personal life at work?

‘After I had my first child, I realised I needed to do more at work. Everybody knew that I was married to a woman at that point. I felt it was my responsibility to do more because at that point I need to do my bit to make the world the better for her because she didn’t ask to come into this situation with two mums and that was kind of a bit of an eye opener for me that it is actually my responsibility.

To make her situation more accepted, at work I made a real conscious effect to absolutely not hide who I am but that doesn’t mean that it was easy. For example, I was on a training course last week for three days, I would probably have to come out 6-10 time a day last week, which I am used to but does not take away from the additional mental energy to do so in assessing with each person ‘Is this a safe place?’, ‘Does this person seem receptive?’, ‘Do they want to know?’, and ‘Why do they want to know?’.

I put on my name badge ‘she/they’ as my pronouns and it was really lovely that I had so many people ask my why I’d put ‘they’ as a pronoun which was great. Even a few years ago, that would have been unheard of because they would have had the assumption on themselves that they should know, so they shouldn’t ask.’

Why is allyship important?

‘Lived experiences and role modelling is really important. Role modelling is one of the most powerful tools we have.

A little while ago, I did a video for Lesbian Visibility Week. I did not really think it would have that much of an impact but it is surprising how something which might be perceived as being quite small, can actually shine a light on what you do, how you do it and can actually have an impact on other peoples lives. The power to be able to impact someone positively is fantastic and that’s why lived experience and role modelling is so important.

I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t have people that wanted to know more, people that cared, and people that were fiercely protective. They are my allies and having allies gives me the confidence to be able to be absolutely be myself.’

Do you feel there is still a lack of understanding around terminologies?

‘Of course, there definitely a lack of understanding of terminology because we have 5 million different terms that try label every single person’s different sexual or gender expression. It creates a barrier because somebody uses a term that you don’t know and we’re back to this guilt that we don’t know and “why don’t we know” and “why should we know” but also “it doesn’t really affect me so I’m not going to bother”.

There are now so many different ways for people to express themselves which is amazing that we’ve now got a culture and generation of people who can absolutely own who they are.

The problem comes when people want to label what they are and there’s an expectation that we know what these labels mean.

My personal opinion is that it should be less about the names and terminologies and more about respecting the fact that everyone is different, that it is okay to ask someone how they wish to describe themselves and find out what is important to them.’

How can representation be increased within the AHP professions?

‘Personally, I’m trying to really break those barriers down, trying to make ourselves visible and be really proud of that visibility.

When I was interviewed for the Lesbian Visibility Week, they asked if I had someone from the LGBTQ+ community that influenced me to be who I am. My answer was no, because the role models that really stood out in my life haven’t necessarily been those from the LGBTQ+ community, instead they have been the people really encapsulated empathy and interest and passion. They were the things that I’ve role model myself on but they are not things that you see.’

What does being in the LGBTQ+ community mean to you?

It has been my safe space since I came out at 14. The community feels like a home and it’s something that I am certainly getting more fiercely defensive when it come it the support of every single person that’s in it and it think if you’re in a position where you can really push ideas of acceptance and understanding, it makes me proud of how things are moving forwards.

It made me proud to be standing under the Mid Yorkshire banner at Wakefield Pride this year and talk about the things we are doing.

There is so much still to be done, such as healthcare accessibility for trans individuals, I want to be able to do more and influence. The LGBTQ+ community, feels like being part of a team that ultimately wants to make things better for everyone. That’s the resounding feeling for me being part of the community.’

Motivated to do more?

Inclusion is not just something to focus on for one day or one week, it is a something that needs long term commitment and action.

What do you want to improve over the next 12 months both individually or as a group?

It is Time to act. Make a pledge to show how you will continue to make progress towards inclusion over the next 12 months.

A small action we can all make is to share our pronouns. See below for where you can share them and please feel free to use the images below to share your pronouns. We have included a blank image for individuals to add their own.

We also encourage you to find out about networks and information around you? Is there a group or network at school, university or in your workplace? Is there training or awareness sessions available to you so that you can find out more?