Pride Month, which takes place in June every year, is about acceptance, equality, celebrating the work of LGBTQ+ people, education in LGBTQ+ history and raising awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. It also calls for people to remember how damaging homophobia, transphobia and biphobia were and still can be. Pride is all about being proud of who you are no matter who you love. At Borough Care, when we talk about Life in Colour, we mean everyone! For Pride Month, we spoke with Lisburne Court’s LGBT+ Champion and Night Care Assistant, Lewis Pierreponte (he/him), about being an LGBTQ+ Champion, coming out at Borough Care and what Pride means to him.
Meet Lewis Pierreponte
“I have worked for Borough Care for 18 years and in that time, I’ve worked in various capacities, including support of service users and training. I was approached by my manager with the idea to be the LGBTQ+ champion at Lisburne Court, and I felt it would be a fantastic opportunity for other staff, our residents and myself to learn more about how to enable people to live an authentic life.
I made the personal decision to come out at work as I had married my husband and felt that I needed to be visible and understood. I was extremely impressed that the staff were so comfortable with my decision and asked what they could do to help me feel supported. Borough Care has partnered with Stonewall, so we can all learn to be more accepting of each other and create a safe environment to be proud of. Stonewall provides training, advice and support to enable us to understand everyone’s uniqueness and individuality. I don’t think it matters if you are part of the LGBTQ+ community or not, we are all here to provide care, support and understanding to our residents, and to celebrate our differences.
Pride Month is a chance for everyone to learn the history of the LGBTQ+ community; show our Pride together and find the best in ourselves and each other as a team. I’m proud to be able to live and work as the best version of myself and know I’m respected and understood. To anyone who feels that it’s the right time for them to make the decision to come out, Borough Care is a safe space where you will find support and trust. Be brave. Be you.”
Pride at Borough Care
We’re proud allies of the LGBTQ+ community at Borough Care and are honoured to work so closely with fantastic organisations such as Stonewall and Opening Doors. To keep up to date with the latest Pride celebrations at Borough Care, make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
