Allies Event at the DEC

To celebrate LGBT+ history month February 19th saw a successful and extremely engaging Allies training day hosted by the DEC Pride Network in conjunction with the CSLGBT+ Network at the Darlington Economic Campus (DEC), featuring a coffee morning and two impactful workshops. The guest speaker was the co-chair of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) LGBT+ Network Thomas Edwards who delivered an outstanding presentation to a hybrid audience – both in person and online with over 200 participants joining the afternoon session.

Tom broke down key LGBTQ+ terms, explored the principles and history of allyship and shared practical advice on supporting colleagues, especially those coming out.  He covered best practices for using inclusive language, challenging discrimination – whether by calling out or calling in and kept us captivated with interactive scenarios.  He concluded with simple powerful ways allies can make a difference: supporting networks, attending events, wearing rainbow lanyards and respecting pronouns.

The event left us with a deeper appreciation of allyship and our role in reducing the discrimination LGBT+ individuals face on a regular basis. We capped off the day with an after work social at the Juniper Tree in Darlington, hopeful that we’ve gained a few more allies and friends along the way.