James Winstanley on Lloyds Banking Group's Inclusive Culture

Interviews

James Winstanley, manager for Lloyds Banking Group and personal development lead for their LGBTQ+ network Rainbow, talks to myGwork about identifying in the LGBTQ+ community and how LBG provides an inclusive work environment.

Please can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you identify:

I am a 46-year-old gay cis white male, partnered with my husband for over 15 years. I have worked for Lloyds Banking Group for 19 years.

How was growing up part of the LGBTQ+ community for you?

Being at school during the 80’s and 90’s in a small and very conservative town meant that I had very little awareness, let alone contact with, the LGBT+ community. My initial contact with the community was meeting other gay men through newspaper ads, in hindsight not always in the most open and secure of places. Only when I started going to pubs when I was 17/18 did I connect with the “scene” but the nearest gay bar was almost 20 miles away so even then it was infrequent.

What challenges did you have with identifying the way you do in the time you were growing up?

Whilst I was aware of my sexuality from a young age, the lack of information, education or visible role models made it a very lonely and confusing time. There was a lot of bullying at my school and anyone who was deemed as “different” for whatever reason would be targeted. I wasn’t aware of anyone else who was gay within my class or wider year so it was something I kept hidden as much as I could.

What support did you have as a member of the LGBTQ+ Community?

Very little, I started exploring my sexuality at the age of 16 without the support of a peer group, family, or friends. It wasn’t until I was at university that I started to properly socialise with members of the LGBT+ community, going to gay venues and talking more openly about my sexuality to friends before coming out to my parents when I was 18.

What support do you wish you had as a member of the LGBTQ+ Community?

There were so many times when I was growing up when I felt there was something wrong with me, I knew that I was different but didn’t know that that was ok. I suffered from depression for many years and felt unable to speak to anyone about it, instead trying to conform with what I believed was expected of me this unfortunately involved the bullying of others.

How is life now, and how has that changed over the years?

Life now is much better; I am much more comfortable with who I am and my authentic self. I live with my partner, have a great group of LGBT+ friends and am always trying to be a visible role model for others.

Have you ever experienced homophobia, biphobia or transphobia?

Yes, whilst at university I was subjected to a prolonged period of bullying and harassment which included name calling, having my student accommodation broken into vandalised and items being stolen. It resulted in an attack that ended with a fire extinguisher being discharged in my face and with me being hospitalised. Is there anything you still remain cautious of for our community?

There are still rare times that I find myself conscious of holding my husbands’ hand in certain public places although as I have got older, I am becoming more resilient, and it is less of a concern.

Can you tell us about how working at LBG as a member of the community has been for you? Has it always been this way?

I feel very proud to be an openly gay colleague who is visible in the organisation, I try to use that platform to be the best possible role model for other colleagues as this is something I wish I had had during my early years in the bank.

I spent several years ‘back in the closet’ after being advised by a senior manager that being openly gay would damage my career. Fortunately, through the Rainbow network, I was able to attend an authentic leadership course. This helped me realise that by bringing my authentic self to work I have so much more to offer.

Whilst there is still some way to go, the culture within the bank has changed very much for the better over the years and I would hope no one would experience this now.

Why do you think it is important for LGBTQ+ people to have a network like Rainbow?

It helps support a sense of belonging in the organisation, knowing that there are other colleagues like you or with similar life experiences that you can link in with helps create a safe place that enables you to bring your whole self to work. Seeing senior colleagues who are openly LGBT+ or allies also helps colleagues feel they are able to flourish and progress within the group.

How do you think allies support LGBTQ+ inclusion?

Allies play a really important role and certainly within Lloyds Banking Group we have an amazing group of colleagues who raise awareness, champion and support their LGBT+ colleagues, friends and family.

Keep up to date with the latest myGnews

________

LGBTQ+ professionals, LGBTQ+ Graduates, LGBTQ+ professional network, LGBTQ+ professional events, LGBTQ+ networking events, LGBTQ+ Recruitment, LGBTQ+ Friendly organizations, LGBTQ+ Friendly companies, LGBTQ+ jobs