EDI SUB-COMMITTEE
We’ve come a long way, but there is more to do Andrew Marks
I
n the last edition of Central London Lawyer, I discussed the progress that has been made in respect of LGBT+ representation and visibility in the legal sector. Whilst we have indeed moved a long way the pace of change appears to be slowing. An EU wide survey of the experiences of 140,000 LGBT+ individuals found that 60% of LGBT+ people avoided holding hands with their partners in public and further noted that fear, violence and discrimination have remained high since the first EU wide survey in 2012. Perhaps of greatest concern is the increase in discrimination against trans and intersex people. In the 2019 survey 60% of trans people reported experiencing discrimination, up from 43% in 2012. Closer to home the Government have again failed to take all possible steps to strengthen the rights of trans people by diluting the proposed amendments to the Gender Recognition Act. Whilst it is promising to see that just last month over 100 major companies joined together to release a statement saying that trans rights are human rights, the scarcity of trans role models in the legal profession must be a concern. This is not something that can be rectified overnight. I reiterate my statement from the last edition – it is vital to build a culture of inclusion from the ground up. C-suite and partnership representation is key. Todd Sears, the founder of Out Leadership, noted that: “LGBT equality can be expedited through business and increasing the number of out leaders […] amplifies that”. High level representation not only changes corporate culture but also inspires. When Tim Cook came out in a 2014 essay in Bloomberg, he stated that: “If hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it's worth the trade-off with my own privacy”. Only when firm foundations are in place can we expect to see
U
mar Kankiya is a Mental Health and Mental Capacity solicitor with over 10 years’ experience in these fields and has been a qualified solicitor for the last eight years. As part of The Solicitors' Charity's ongoing listening project and research in the legal profession, Umar shares his own view on how the last six months have gone. In this special guest feature, he talks about the impact of COVID-19 on the profession, Black Lives Matter and representation within the legal sector. “Representation matters and COVID-19 has served to shine a spotlight, on so many levels, the fact that the old way of doing things in over”. Read more via the link: https://bit.ly/Umar-Kankiya ■
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out LGBT+ people leading our law firms. The firmness of these foundations is key. I consider myself a member of the LGBT+ community but am also able to acknowledge that my understanding in respect of the experience of the trans and bisexual members of our community is not as strong as it could be. Personally, I must do better, and arguably we must do more as a community. Full equality cannot be achieved until everyone is equal. Gay, white, cis men must acknowledge that they retain a level of privilege that the rest of the community lacks. We must use that privilege to the advantage of the rest of our community. It is not enough to rest on our laurels. If we fail to acknowledge the struggles we still face, and especially that the rest of the community faces, we risk a reversal of the progress we have thus far enjoyed. I previously noted our duty to continue to fight considering the sacrifices made by those that have come before us. That fight is as important now, if not more so, than ever before. Attitudes to the LGBT+ community have indeed moved forwards, but the progression to true equality is stalling. We cannot become complacent and we can not acquiesce. The legal profession is reportedly full of so-called 'legal activists' and those working to ensure legal rights are protected and where necessary expanded. We are therefore perfectly positioned to continue the strive towards real equality and it is incumbent on us that we do so. It necessarily starts with the leaders of today taking firm steps to ensure that the best talent continues to enter the profession and that the profession continues to represent the people it serves. ■
Andrew Marks
Trainee Solicitor Taylor Wessing LLP Member of EDI Committee
The impact of COVID-19 on the legal profession, Black Lives Matter and representation within the legal sector
