Celebrating Pride Month - Gwilym Stone
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Safer lives, safer ships, cleaner seas
It is Pride Month, and here at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) we wish to celebrate all of our incredible colleagues who are part of the LGBTQ+ community.
We've met up with Gwilym Stone, Co-Chair of our LGBTQ+ Network, who took some time to offer his advice, to discuss his own experiences and how to be a better ally to the community.
Introduce yourself
I am Gwilym Stone, Deputy Director for Regulations and Standards. I lead the teams responsible for our regulatory policy functions.
I have worked AT the MCA for about 16 and a half years in a range of different roles, but mainly within the policy side of UK Maritime Services.
Tell us about the LGBTQ+ Network and your role
I am Co-Chair alongside Julia Fountain. The LGBTQ+ Network was founded towards the end of 2019 to build on the positive experience of MCA presence at Pride events around the country.
It was a challenge to maintain and grow the network when COVID came along so soon after we launched, but we are looking forward to building fresh momentum over this summer’s Pride season.
Have you had to face any challenges to get to where you are today, and if so, how did you overcome those challenges? How did the MCA and the LGBTQ+ Network support you?
I feel that I have been lucky that I have had a good relationship with all my various MCA line managers over the years and have been able to be open with them about being gay – it has been good to be able to be my ‘real’ self at work. ?
That said, at times I have been more careful able disclosing my sexuality when engaging with external stakeholders and that perhaps took more mental energy than I realised in the past.
One of the reasons I have been committed to the network is to ensure that the positive experience I have had in my career is available to all LGBTQ+ people within the MCA.
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What does Pride Month mean to you? Why is it important?
Pride Month is an important opportunity to give visibility to the diversity of LGBTQ+ identities. It is a chance to celebrate the progress that has been made towards LGBTQ+ equality but also to acknowledge that there is still a long way to go, especially for trans rights.
Expressing the freedom we have within the UK to celebrate Pride is also an act of solidarity with LGBTQ+ people in other parts of the world where Pride events are not possible.
How can others be a good ally to the LGBTQ+ community?
A good ally will show acceptance to the wide spectrum of identities within the LGBTQ+ community, and avoid making assumptions about people based off stereotypes. They will also model good practices such as sharing their pronouns so that this becomes a natural thing for everyone to do and not just something for trans and non-binary people.
Showing up to support Pride events is also not only a great day out but it can be a really powerful signal of allyship!
What advice do you have for others in the LGBTQ+ community and for those who wish to come out?
The biggest bit of advice is to remember that being LGBTQ+ is fabulous, that you are a unique and wonderful person, and you should not be afraid to celebrate that fact. At times living in a straight world can be a challenge so finding connections with other LGBTQ+ people can be a really important channel of support.
Just the comfort of knowing you are not the only one facing those challenges can make a massive difference to your wellbeing.
Coming out for the first time can feel like a really big and scary thing.
The decision to come out is an intensely personal one, and it is important to remember that you don’t owe anyone information about your sexuality or gender identity. You should come out how and when you feel comfortable, take the time to feel safe. ?
It is ok to be ‘out’ in some situations and not in others. It is also important to remember you don’t come out just once, you will continue to be coming out throughout your life as you encounter new people and situations.