"Pride is important, especially for those people who do not feel accepted for who they are"; an interview with Jodee Hill
Pride Month
Happy Pride Month! Every year, during the month of June, the LGBTQ+ community celebrates Pride Month in a number of different ways. June was chosen because it is when the Stonewall Riots took place, in 1969. Although there are a lack of physical Pride events this year due to the pandemic, we are working collaboratively with industry partners including Network Rail, other train operating companies and the Rail Delivery Group to deliver a virtual Pride Festival later this month. Keep an eye out for further updates on this! To start off Pride Month, we interviewed our Marketing Executive for WMR, Jodee Hill about Pride.
Working with Rail Industry partners on virtual Pride
Pride means a lot to Jodee and to many of us across the organisation. WMT have a LGBTQ+ group Aspect and there is an Aspect Yammer group so do join into the conversations on there.
Network Rail’s LGBTQ+ network group Archway have a range of activities which are also posted upon our Aspect’s Yammer Page so do check them out. Network Rail have been running LGBTea virtual coffee shop sessions every Friday in May and this will continue throughout June for Pride Month – check out Aspect Yammer group for further details.
We are also working with Rail industry colleagues on a virtual Pride festival which will commence around 22 June. There will be lots of virtual activities including a Pride photo competition so do start digging out your photos from previous prides or take some photos of you celebrating Pride month at home. We will give you more information about these events and competitions in next week’s branch so do watch this space! We would also love to hear your Pride stories and this week, we spoke to Jodee Hill, Marketing Executive, WMR. Check out her interview below.
Chatting about Pride with Jodee Hill
Could you tell everyone a bit about yourself please Jodee?
Sure, I have been in the company for ten months. My role varies from day to day which makes marketing a lot more fun. One day I could be working on websites and updating social media, then another day I am working with agencies and partners to deliver a wider communications plan. Let’s just say, there are a lot of elements to my job role to keep me busy.
What does Pride mean to you?
Pride to me is a time that you can celebrate individuality in the comfort of like-minded people without feeling judged for who you are. It is also a time that I get together with my friends, to socialise, catch-up and have fun.
With Birmingham being one of the biggest Prides in the country, it means that I get to see my friends who live in other areas of the UK as they too travel to Birmingham for the weekend of celebrations. Almost like a reunion.
Why do you think Pride is important?
I think Pride is important, especially for those people who do not feel accepted for who they are. It plays a part in the positive movement of LGBTQ+ rights and increasing the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. It is a time and a place where people can feel comfortable in their own skin without the judgement of others, or a fear of being judged.
What’s your best Pride memory?
I would say one of the funniest memories, maybe not my friends, was when we ended up in a tattoo studio. My friends were trying to convince me to get a tattoo at Pride… obviously I refused, and I think they regretted not following my decision when they woke up the next day with a tattoo they probably wish they never had.
What was the first Pride you attended? How have things changed since then for the LGBTQ+ community?
I think one of my first Prides I attended was in 2013 where I went with my brother, his friends, and my partner at the time. I remember being a little surprised at what Pride was like; even then I don’t think being part of the LGBTQ+ community was very much accepted in society, so seeing people dress differently and expressing themselves a lot more was different to what I was used to. At this time, I was also in a same-sex relationship that nobody knew about, so my partner was disguised as my ‘friend’, so seeing people be who they are made me feel a little bit more comfortable with accepting who I was.
In regards, to how things have changed over the years, I do think things are improving gradually in relation to LGBTQ+ people being more accepted and treated more equally. If you look at Pride alone, numbers grow year on year, which means that people are becoming more comfortable with who they are, or are attending because they accept the LGBTQ+ society and want to join in with the fun and support their friends or family. Pride ‘acts’ are also getting bigger year on year, which means that people who are well known in areas like the music industry are also accepting and supporting the cause in which Pride stands for.
I also believe the media is having a bigger influence on people now. In many instances you see same sex couples, whether that is in adverts, TV programs, or modern films. It’s almost becoming the normality that businesses are becoming more diverse in their advertisements or becoming more diverse when casting people for shows.
It was only in 2014, that gay marriage was legalised in the UK, which to me, seems pretty recent for a country that is looking to move forward in equality. So, I do think things are looking up, however, there is still a long a way to go.
So, I do think things are looking up, however, there is still a long a way to go.
What advice would you give to someone attending Pride for the first time?
My advice would be to have fun, whether you are attending as someone who is part of the LGBTQ+ community or if you are not. I would also say get your tickets early. The earlier the better as they rise week by week.
What can we all do to make sure Pride is inclusive for all LGBTQ+ people?
I think it is important for organisations to acknowledge Pride as it makes people who are part of the LGBTQ+ community feel more accepted. By celebrating it makes me feel more comfortable that I am working for a company who embraces people’s differences.
