I was one of a group of 35 who proudly marched on behalf of LCP at Pride in London on Saturday.

The atmosphere was fantastic, with an estimated 1.5m people cheering us on.  Each of us wore specially designed rainbow T-shirts, sunglasses and face paints as we made our way across London.  It was LCP’s first time at Pride, following the huge success of our LGBT+ network launch last year.  I’m proud to be co-founder and co-chair of this network, which is committed to strive for diversity, inclusion and equality across the firm, by leading initiatives and providing support to ensure that we provide an accepting environment for LGBT+ individuals to thrive and prosper. 

As a group, we’ve already raised nearly £2,000 for the Albert Kennedy Trust, the national youth LGBT+ homeless charity, because no one should have to choose between being who they are and a safe place to live.

Pride means different things to different people.  For some, it’s a celebration, for others, it’s a protest.  It’s also a way of educating people about LGBT+ issues and standing up for people who don’t feel able to do so themselves.  For me it was an opportunity to be visible, not only within LCP, but also publicly.  I feel it’s important for senior business leaders to stand up for what’s right and use their profiles to make a real difference to society.  I hope that I can be a positive role model and encourage other LGBT+ people to bring their whole selves to work and achieve all they are capable of.

We are already looking forward to taking part in future Pride events, and doing more as a network to support LGBT+ rights both internally within LCP and externally.