Ale talks Allyship

 WHY ARE YOU AN ALLY? 

I am an Ally because I can’t enjoy love and being who I am if I know others can’t. Before working in luxury, I worked in a white, straight-dominated environment where the LGBTQ+ Community didn’t feel accepted. It is hard to be the only voice disagreeing, but it is harder to feel you are not being true to yourself because you have to worry about repercussions. Allyship was a very powerful tool in the network to support those who weren’t comfortable being out. Having someone say what they couldn’t, they felt less isolated and had a higher sense of belonging. It isn’t one person’s comment that hurts us the most, it’s seeing our whole community not standing up to prove them wrong. And we shouldn’t underestimate the power of someone casually seeing a Harrods Pride sticker on a colleague’s computer. As a white straight person, I have the privilege to choose how much I expose myself in sharing my beliefs in D+I. Choosing to be on the same side as the LGBTQ+ community with no personal interest I am making a statement. That statement is that it isn’t really a choice, the only option is to be on the side where we all feel safe, that we belong and are accepted for who we are. And that is beautiful. 

THINKING OF OUR WE ARE ONE VALUE, ALLYSHIP IS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR PEOPLE NETWORKS. WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEING AN ALLY AND HOW HAS BEING A COMMUNITY ALLY AFFECTED YOU? 

'We are One', is a very important value to me, at Harrods and at a personal level. We are a social species, we always do better when we are together, learning from each other and supporting one another. Being an Ally has made me less entitled and helped me appreciate love and my own uniqueness more. When you are denied something, when you have to fight for it, you value it more. I feel I need to do more to deserve the generosity and inclusiveness I have always felt from this network. There is so much more I can learn to make myself better for others. 

 HAS BEING AN LGBTQ+ NETWORK ALLY ADDED VALUE TO YOUR ROLE AT HARRODS AND INFORMED YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY? 

Marketing is about understanding our customer's values and needs to connect with them in meaningful ways. The more we connect with people that are different from us, the broader vision we have and the better marketeers we are. That is why these networks are not only very valuable to our employees but also to all of us as professionals and human beings.