What better way to kick off the LGBT+ History Month than with an inspiring cross-institutional conversation entitled People Like Me: Careers and LGBTQ+ identity, delivered in collaboration with the Oxford University Careers Service, Cambridge, UCL, Birkbeck and Liverpool John Moores.
The panel explored how sexual orientation and gender identity can shape career decisions, workplace experiences, and progression. A huge thank you to panellists Christian Hewgill, Jessie Weavers-Medina, and Raye Fullard for being so generous, honest and practical in what they shared.
The session covered a lot of ground, but a few themes came through clearly and I hope they’re useful as you start exploring roles, employers and workplaces.
Spotting genuine inclusion (beyond the badges)
It’s easy for organisations to say the right things. What matters is whether inclusion shows up consistently over time.
When you’re researching an employer, look for evidence in the details:
- Who’s in leadership, and how diverse is that leadership in practice?
- Who gets promoted and recognised, and is progression fair and transparent?
- Are there active LGBTQ+ staff networks or communities, and are they visible and supported?
- Is inclusion resourced, measured and owned, or does it feel like a seasonal campaign?
It can also help to ask about policies that shape day-to-day working life, for example: pronouns and inclusive language; transition support; inclusive parental leave and reporting routes and how concerns are handled
Listen for how confidently and specifically people answer. Vague reassurance is usually a red flag. Clear, practical answers often signal that inclusion is understood, embedded, and taken seriously.
A good tip from the session: use the interview process as your culture “sense-check.” Ask specific questions, speak to senior leaders if you can, and where possible, connect with LGBTQ+ staff to hear lived experiences. The quality of those conversations can tell you far more than any marketing.
Visibility, being out, and pronouns
One of the most reassuring points from the panel was this: being out at work (and sharing pronouns) isn’t a moral test, and it isn’t a one-time decision. What you share can depend on the role, the team, the client environment, and what feels safe.
It can help to think in layers:
- what you’re comfortable sharing broadly
- what you’d share with trusted colleagues
- what you’d rather keep private at work
If you choose to be open, you can take it at your pace, for example starting with one person you trust and building from there. If you choose to keep things private, that is equally valid. You can still build strong relationships and be respected professionally without sharing personal information.
The same applies to pronouns. Sharing them can make things easier and can signal inclusion, but you’re never obliged to share to make others comfortable. If you do share, notice the response: do people use them consistently, do leaders model it, and do systems support it (email templates, meeting norms, HR processes)? Those small signals often tell you the most about the culture.
Allyship that helps (and what it actually looks like)
The panel spoke really powerfully about allyship that goes beyond good intentions.
Helpful allyship is consistent, respectful, and backed up with action. It looks like:
- using inclusive language and not making assumptions
- taking responsibility for learning, rather than expecting LGBTQ+ colleagues to educate
- intervening when something is off, in a way that supports the person affected (for example, calmly correcting misgendering or stereotypes)
- using influence to make sure LGBTQ+ voices are heard and opportunities are shared fairly
- ensuring inclusion work is recognised, valued, and properly resourced
The key word here is follow-through. The most meaningful allyship is the kind that shows up reliably, not only when it is easy.
International careers and travel
If you have international ambitions, you don’t need to give them up, but you do need to be realistic about legal and cultural contexts. Research matters, and it is completely okay to decide you do not want to work in a country because of its laws or risks.
It is also understandable if someone takes an opportunity but keeps parts of their identity private while there. Not everyone has the same level of choice, and safety has to come first.
Before travelling or relocating, consider asking what support is in place, for example:
- duty of care and travel policies
- local guidance and who to contact on the ground
- what happens if you feel unsafe
- whether plans can be adjusted if circumstances change
It can also really help to speak to people who already work there, or who have done similar travel, to get a more honest sense of the day-to-day reality. LinkedIn networks and staff communities, including LGBTQ+ groups, can be a useful way to make those connections.
A final note from the session that’s worth holding onto: large international organisations may have stronger processes, but every organisation is still governed by the law of the country you’re in. Size does not automatically equal safety. The bottom line is: research thoroughly, plan intentionally, and make the choice that best protects your safety and wellbeing while still supporting your career goals.
There’s no one-size-fits-all, and there’s no “right” way to do this
One message that really came through is that there isn’t a single correct approach to being LGBTQ+ at work, or to navigating visibility, pronouns, sharing, and workplace culture.
What feels right will depend on you, the role, the team, the organisation, the client environment, and where you are in your life. You might be very open in one workplace and more private in another. You might share pronouns in some spaces but not others. You might decide to be out with colleagues but not with clients, or you might prefer to keep your personal life separate from work entirely.
Whatever you decide, it’s your decision. You do not owe anyone an explanation, and you should not feel pressured either way, by an employer, by colleagues, or even by well-meaning peers.
To close, I just want to say this...
You deserve a workplace where you can do your best work and feel safe and respected. Whether you are weighing up how visible to be, trying to read between the lines of an employer’s inclusion claims, or thinking about international options, you do not have to figure it out alone.
If you’d like to talk it through, you can book a 1:1 careers advice appointment with the Oxford University Careers Service via CareerConnect, and we can help you sense-check employers, plan questions for interviews, and think about what support and adjustments might help you thrive.
Callum Buchanan, Oxford University Careers Adviser
