Tarmac is proud to mark Pride month and celebrate and reflect upon its meaning to the LGBTQ+ community.
In support, members of the business’ dedicated LGBTQ+ employee community have been involved in shaping and facilitating the business’ Pride events taking place throughout June.
The LGBTQ+ employee community was formed earlier this year and is open to both members and allies. Colleagues may identify as part of the group or are able to provide support as an ally, such as offering skills, sponsorship and amplifying challenges, or simply to learn more.
The group also aims to connect colleagues and foster social inclusion, as well as generating mentoring and coaching opportunities, offering personal and professional development and ensuring visibility for LGBTQ+ colleagues within Tarmac.
As part of Tarmac’s Pride celebrations, the LGBTQ+ employee community’s executive committee sponsor, Chris Mabbott, strategy director, and community chair, Beth Williams, proposals engineer, entered into a conversation about the importance of both LGBTQ+ representation and allyship.
Chris: Beth, thank you so much for putting yourself forward as the chair of this community. What are your aspirations for this community?
It’s my absolute pleasure, and my aspirations for this community are fairly simple. I want us to be a safe space for colleagues who identify as LGBTQ+ to find support and share experiences, and I also want us to be a resource for those who either have people in their lives who are LGBTQ+ or are just looking to be better allies. If we continue to work towards those two goals, we will ultimately be making Tarmac a more understanding, inclusive and enjoyable place to work for everyone.
Beth: You don’t identify personally with the community, so when you found out you were sponsoring the community what were your thoughts?
To be honest I was quite daunted at the prospect. I haven’t had a lot of exposure to the LGBTQ+ community before so I had very little idea of the challenges and issues. I’m learning all of the time, and for me personally the opportunity to develop myself through being involved with the I&D agenda is a real bonus.
Chris: This year Tarmac has for the first time put up a rainbow logo to celebrate Pride month. Does that feel right?
Yes, it does and I’m so happy to be able to say that. Companies using rainbow logos is something that can be met with scepticism from the general public, but Tarmac is doing the work internally and externally to justify joining in with the public displays of support for the LGBTQ+ community. It shows everyone, including employees and customers, that we care, and we’re committed to this cause.
Beth: Chris, before getting involved in the community what were your thoughts on being an ally to underrepresented communities like this one, compared to now?
I don’t think it’s changed really. I got involved for two reasons. Firstly, I’ve been fortunate to have had a really enjoyable career with Tarmac and want everyone to have the same opportunity. Being able to bring your whole self to work is a huge enabler for that. Secondly, I want Tarmac to be the best and it is a simple fact that more diverse teams are the most successful. We need to attract and retain the best talent regardless of who they are.
Chris: What does an ally look like for you?
For me, allyship is about listening, learning, and taking action. Make time to really hear what people are saying. Ask the questions you don’t know the answers to. Speak up when you see or hear injustices, even and especially if no one around you in that moment would take offence. No one is perfect, but the willingness to put in the work to be a good ally is what truly matters.
