Wild about inclusion

WWT is inclusive.   

My background was one of not daring to come out because of social norms at home and, in fact, when I came out in my 30s,  it was to work colleagues and friends here because I felt it was a safe environment. I did experience two close friends ceasing all communications, probably because it was out their comfort zone. That came as a shock. Everyone else just carried on as nothing had changed. Eventually I came out to my parents and they were fine, saying ‘you get to a certain age where you’ve seen everything so there aren’t surprises anymore.’ 

When I was abroad in Eritrea, in my 20s,  it was absolutely taboo and couldn't be mentioned. In fact, coincidently, HIV – then still known as the gay plague - was rife in Eritrea and was linked to heterosexual community (but the state denied it existed).  Funerals were common place and I suspect I lost work colleagues to it.  

In Worcestershire I used to be sensitive to the language people used on our sites.  Before I came out, for example, people would often use phrases such as ‘gay’  in a derogatory way referring to someone else.  I suspect if they knew I was gay they wouldn't have said that! But times have changes and its rare to hear.    

I prefer not to think of sexuality as having any relevance in the work place and feel lucky that in our work environment it really does seem irrelevant. However, we should celebrate this freedom and always encourage other organisations and people to be as open. I hope that no-one should feel they have to hide their beliefs through fear of any repercussions.   

In my character I am caring but have never found it easy to conform to language expectations and as a result have on occasion ‘'put my foot in it’. However, I do feel it is best for folk to talk using the language and words they feel comfortable with; we should all be respectful but I would encourage others not to take offence if no harm is intended. Follow up discussions usually ease any confusion. I have worked with and around people from many ethnic backgrounds and from different walks of life including child soldiers, foster children and those from the margins such as refugees.  Correct use of language is important but open communication is even more so.  Genuine mistakes are best overlooked or understood.  A person's background may mean that they use different words. I gained the nickname ‘white boy’ amongst young local Eritrean lads, for example, and initially took offence but my own name translated into a swear word so that wasn’t good for them! I was the only white boy and it was said playfully; words like ‘black’ were used by Eritrean individuals to describe friends of darker shades.  An example here would be the word gay; it's about how it is used – if said in the wrong manner it can be derogatory but, of course, for most people it means happiness or a celebration of just one type of sexuality. 

Hi! I’m Dom, reserves officer of the Trust's nature reserves in the west of Worcestershire. I’m straight, female and in my 30s. Considering my gender, identity and ethnicity isn’t something I’ve ever given much time to and I think to be able to say that shows what a stable, simple and privileged upbringing I’ve had. Through school, university and now work, I’ve generally felt accepted and it’s only now that I've come to understand how lucky I’ve been.

Growing up in a largely white, middle-class society gave me quite a restricted view of the world but my parents taught us to always treat others how you’d like to be treated - with respect, politeness and compassion. I suppose I’ve also got quite a broad view of things; I see my fellow humans as just that – other lifeforms of the same species as me – rather than noticing differences between us. I hope that doesn’t sound like uniqueness and individuality aren’t things I think we should celebrate to the full. It’s more that I like to look beyond the details to simply being part of the vast web of life.

Maybe it’s just the way my brain works! I have autistic tendencies that help to explain how much I hate noise, prolonged eye contact and being in a crowd. It all makes so much more sense now than when I was a teenager, refusing to go clubbing or even to the pub with friends – the idea of casual chat over drinks filled me with horror!

Of course, everyone has challenges to work through and I’ve had my own struggles with mental health through stressful times. There have also been times, especially when I used to work in hospitality, that I’ve felt patronised and talked down to as a young woman. Occasionally my male colleagues would join in with a customer’s “banter” directed at me, which I think was supposed to be amusing but was actually just degrading, cringeworthy and pathetic. At the time, I felt that I wasn’t in the position or armed with the tools to stand up for myself beyond an icy glare and leaving the room but I feel that there is much more awareness around respecting women along with improvements in gender equality that I rarely face this now. Maybe it’s just an advantage of getting older.

I’m not keen on labels and there’s something stopping me from putting my pronouns out to the world. I like people to know me just as Dom and beyond that, it really doesn’t matter to me. However, with the Trust being more diverse now than it ever has been before, it gives me an opportunity to learn from colleagues about the best language to use and how to support others to whom it matters a great deal. The culture at work has developed so much over the last 10 years, which is something I’m really proud of. I’d say people are a lot more open now about mental health and learning more about diversity.

Finding nature conservation as a career and the Trust as a place to work have been so beneficial for me. They've really helped me to find my place in the world and understand what I’d like to dedicate my life to. Retiring at 65+ doesn’t seem so bad if I can spend my working life in nature!

Growing up in a tiny village where all the boys played football meant that I identified myself as “one of the girls”, joining in with their games; doing cartwheels, playing hopscotch and making daisy chains.  From an angelic young boy wearing flower crowns to my current role at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, a lot has changed in my life.

My name is Finley, I use they/he pronouns and I am genderfluid* and demisexual*.

Since a young age I have been fascinated by nature, letting this love influence my educational and career paths. I studied ecology at Aberystwyth University and went on to do a Masters in environmental management. I now work as a Natural Networks Officer at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.

My teenage years and time at university was very eye opening to me. I learnt about a plethora of sexual and gender orientations and uni provided me with a safety net to experiment with self-expression alongside supportive and like-minded people.  I discovered I was demisexual, a subcategory of asexuality. Later, I reflected on my life experiences with regards to gender expression, eventually discovering genderfluidity, which felt so natural and suited to my experiences and feelings. Being genderfluid allows me to express myself however I feel comfortable day-to-day, as I have been doing for so much of my life without even realising.

Having been born at the turn of the millennia, and thus growing up during the 2000s, I feel very privileged to be living in an era where so much groundwork toward the normalisation of ethnic diversity, mental health awareness and LGBTQ+ issues has already taken place.  Whist this needs to be celebrated, there is still much progress to be made on the path towards true equity for everyone.

All matters of equality, diversity and inclusion are important to me and because I identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, issues on this topic affect me directly.  LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace is important to me because there are still people who don’t feel comfortable truly expressing themselves. This lack of true self-expression due to fear of comments or backlash from colleagues is not a culture wanted in any workplace, especially when negative comments usually stem from an uneducated misunderstanding of the topic. I want everyone to have an equitable, educated understanding of LGBTQ+ identities, thus allowing for true self-expression from everyone.

My current role can be very public facing at times and because I am open about my pronouns, I receive many quizzical questions from people who simply wish to learn and develop their understanding as to why I go by he/they.  Whilst the question can be uncomfortable for both parties at times, I relish the fact that people are willing to listen and want to develop their understanding. As a queer identifying person, I have a duty to help answer the questions of those wanting to learn more, so never be afraid to ask a question on LGBTQ+ issues and I encourage you to stay curious.

*Genderfluid – a gender identity where a person’s gender can move around the gender spectrum, allowing for a fluid identity of one, multiple or no gender(s)
*Demisexual – a sexual orientation where a person needs to find a strong and close emotional bond before sexual attraction occurs

Hi! I’m Yaz, project officer for Nextdoor Nature in Worcestershire. I’m a queer*, mixed-race, cisgendered* woman with ADHD*. I appreciate that, for some, the word ‘queer’ is uncomfortable, given its historical use as a homophobic slur. For me, queerness means I can love anyone, no matter how they identify, and it speaks to my experience of genderfluidity. It means to just be myself and to reclaim the power in a more honest representation of myself, without fear of being ‘different’.

For me, connecting with nature feels like breathing a sigh of relief but it has been a long journey to build that connection. I think that I had a pretty privileged upbringing in the sense of having a stable home, enough food to eat, a loving and supportive parent and an education. But having a single mum who was tired from working to support us on a single wage meant that there wasn’t much opportunity to get outdoors and connect with nature. My love of nature and wildlife as an adult really grew out of having pets as a child. Throughout school I thought that the only way to explore that love of animals was to become a vet, so that’s what I aimed for. Undiagnosed ADHD meant that school was a challenge, I struggled to concentrate and retain information and got fairly average grades, which meant veterinary medicine was off the cards.

By sheer fluke I got onto a wildlife biology course because the university had spare places to fill. My eyes were opened to the world of conservation of which I had no prior knowledge. I became passionate about nature conservation and went on to complete a master’s degree in conservation biology and then into ecological consultancy work. After a few years working for small consultancies I realised that the potential to bring about positive outcomes for wildlife within the constraints of the current planning system was very limited so I looked for a role that offered that opportunity to connect people with nature and bring about positive change.

Nextdoor Nature is about a fundamental shift in the way that we ‘do’ conservation. The Wildlife Trusts recognise that following the same traditional conservation methods that we have done for decades has not reversed, or even slowed, biodiversity declines and that if we want different results,  we have to change the way that we work. We also recognise that the conservation sector is dominated by people that are white, middle-class, middle-aged and male. That needs to change. The UK is a diverse place and the conservation sector, in terms of who works in it and who we work to support, should be inclusive, and representative of, that diversity.

We are starting to see positive changes, albeit they are happening slowly. I can only speak from my experience at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust but in the two years that I have been here I have seen a younger and more gender-diverse cohort of staff join our team. The positive changes that we can see in terms of diversity in staff, and in the activities of the Trust, are partly in thanks to the work of the EDI Group and I hope that we will continue to see positive changes through staff recruitment, particularly at senior management and trustee level, which remain male dominated. Nextdoor Nature is facilitating community work with people that we haven’t historically reached on a geographical, social and cultural level.

*Cisgendered – a gender identity that corresponds with the sex registered at birth
*ADHD – attention deficit hyperactivity disorder results in a person appearing restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse
*Queer - an umbrella term for any sexual or gender identity that does not correspond to established ideas of heterosexuality (eg homosexual, asexual, transgender)