A Marathon Not a Sprint - A Reflection on Launching Our Pride ERG

Business

As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, I’m excited to be involved with VF’s Inclusion and Diversity network. Having grown up and lived in the UK, I was lucky to be surrounded by supportive people who I could be myself around.

However, being a part of a work community that spans so many countries presents its own challenges. Since I started my journey at VF, I've been lucky enough to deal with an open and supportive environment, but that has also made me realise that it's not always like that and the level of acceptance and understanding varies from place to place.

Before the pandemic started, I jumped at the opportunity to lead the Employee Resource Group, as part of the company’s Inclusion and Diversity network. From day one, our goal has been to connect with our LGBTQ+ associates and allies, to raise awareness about LGBTQ+ issues and to create a more inclusive workplace for everyone.

Backed with big aspirations and great enthusiasm from our close-knit team, we were met with the inevitable challenges that came with the pandemic and the shift to remote working. Over the past year, we successfully launched some engaging digital activations and webinars to raise awareness and educate our colleagues about our group and its aspirations.

As a team, we’re looking forward to this New Year and we’ve got some exciting plans to spark important conversations surrounding parenting for LGBTQ+ families, connecting with local LGBTQ+ organisations in the UK, Belgium and Switzerland. We will also continue to collaborate with inclusive workplace networks like myGwork to really advance the work we’re doing internally at VF.

For us, this is just the beginning, I am proud of what we have been able to achieve so far. We’ve learnt that this journey will be a marathon not a sprint and that everyone is on a different level of understanding and acceptance, and with the support of our associates, allies and local organisations, we’re determined to make a difference for the LGBTQ+ community, which covers a very broad but beautiful spectrum. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with an awesome diverse group of people coming together to bring some of our aspirations alive.