Quintus Bekker, operations efficiency champion at Vitality, speaks to Health & Protection about not being comfortable talking about his other half, changing attitudes in the sector and the importance of having a supportive line manager.
What have been your own experiences with regard to attitudes towards LGBTQ+ communities in the sector?
When I started out in the financial industry it was very conservative to say the least. Even though I was never asked about my “other half”, I also never spoke about him as I did not feel comfortable to do so. I had acquaintances in work and I was once asked if I was gay by someone who I had known for almost two years.
It turns out that a group of people in the office had been having discussions about my sexuality, and I’d had no idea. I responded to this person with “yes, is that a problem?”, as if to defend myself. Perhaps that was not necessary, but I felt it was the right way to respond given the nature of the industry and the perception of people at the time. Very few people were actually “okay” with a gay person then.
How have attitudes evolved in the sector?
After some years, I grew more and more confident and I found that less and less people were concerned with my sexuality. From a position of not always being accepted, it has changed to more of an attitude of acceptance within the sector. I am rather now looked at for my experience, skills and work ethic, rather than my sexuality.
What is the sector doing well and where does it need to up its game?
There has been some significant progress made in accepting and understanding more generally, but I do believe that more could be done. I am fortunate to have a manager that supports me and what I may need professionally and personally, but I do not think this is always the case for everyone in the sector.
Regardless of my orientation or how I identify, I am still a person, I have worked hard to develop the skills I have and that I firmly believe this should be the driving factor for progress.
Do you feel encouraged and enabled to bring your whole self to work?
Honestly, walking into a room, not knowing others and or dealing with someone new, I continue to not be who I am and I hide aspects of myself. I have an element of uncertainty about how people will react or treat you if they were to see the ‘home’ me.
The people I deal with daily or regularly know the full me though; a happy, friendly, smiling, helpful and supportive person, who makes a difference to our members and the services we provide them.