Proud to be a Partner

When I think back nearly 10 years ago, some of my friends in Waitrose were the first people I was every comfortable to talk about my sexuality with. Ever since, The John Lewis Partnership has always been a place for me that is symbolic of inclusion and support.

There is no time of year when this is so apparent than Pride Month. On 7th July, Pride in the Partnership (PiPs) - the John Lewis Partnership's LGBT+ Network, prepares to march in London Pride. Partners from across the business get the opportunity to join 500 pride groups to march through the streets of London in support of the LGBT+ community.

I was fortunate enough to take part last year, and being surrounded by nearly 1 million supports of LGBT+ rights, there was no doubting the sense unity.

However, this year more than ever, we cannot stop the march for these rights. A recent report published by Pride in London showed 1 in 3 LGBT+ people have been verbally abused because of their identity, sexuality or gender, and over three quarters of LGBT+ people don’t feel comfortable showing affection to a partner in public. I have been fortunate enough that my friends, family and company I work for, will remain focused on the fact that #PrideMatters - If you'd like to find out more information on Pride in London - follow this link

So on 7th July, ask yourself - What does Pride mean to you? How can you support your friends, family, colleagues? And most importantly, will you be coming to show Pride Matters in London, alongside the John Lewis PiPs network?