A SCOTTISH woman is leading Scotland’s first LGBT+ leadership event 20 years after being sacked for coming out.
Lou Beardsmore, 46, worked for an Edinburgh-based finance firm in her 20s. She had told a handful of selected colleagues about her sexuality, but felt encouraged to bring her girlfriend along to a work Christmas party.
The following day, Beardsmore was given a box of her belongings and let go from her position – despite winning an award for the volume of sales she’d made – for “not sharing the same family values” as the firm.
Now, alongside her partner Ellis, she helps run charity organisation Proud Futures and will lead Scotland’s first LGBT+ leadership conference in November, aimed at helping others feel safe and supported in the workplace.
“I was completely in shock and not a single person within the company reached out to me,” Beardsmore told The National about the original incident.
“I never spoke to anyone in the organisation again. I actually left investments as a career and went into the charity sector, which I hoped would be more inclusive and diverse.”
The Beardsmores (below) founded Proud Futures, a social enterprise, around three years ago. Both faced real-life consequences for coming out in the workplace and are striving to create change as things worsen politically for the LGBT+ community.
Earlier this year, The National reported that the UK had slipped to its lowest ever ranking on the European Rainbow Index, which measures the legal protections in place in European countries for LGBTQ+ individuals. Despite Scotland coming first in 2015, the UK as a whole now sits in 22nd place – ahead of only one country, Italy.
“The reason we started [Proud Futures] is because, despite all the progress that we've made in Scotland around the right for LGBT+ couples to get married, a right to adopt, things have gotten worse politically,” Beardsmore explained.
“Over the last few years, there's been a rise in workplace bullying, discrimination, a sort of rollback of rights, and not just in the UK, but globally.
“So, we started Proud Futures because we wanted to build a better future for LGBT people in Scotland. We want Scotland to be the best place in Europe to live and work if you're LGBT+ again, we want to build a better future so young LGBT+ people can feel hopeful.”
Alongside various events, Proud Futures also provides training courses and resources to improve diversity in the work place.
The conference, called Leading with Pride, is the first of its kind in Scotland. Taking place in The Social Hub, it’s designed to help make Scottish firms more inclusive and supportive for staff members whilst highlighting the strengths and skills LGBT+ individuals bring to the workforce.
Speakers will include footballer Zander Murray, non-binary barrister Oscar Davies and Jas Singh from reality TV show I Kissed a Boy.
Beardsmore said: “We've got everything from Zander Murray, who was the first openly gay professional footballer, telling his inspiring story of coming out in football, right through to Jas who was in I Kissed a Boy, telling how he's used his platform to represent queer brown people in Scotland.
“It's about people sharing their personal stories, and we want everyone to leave feeling inspired and hopeful about the future.”
Her partner Ellis added: “As a trans person, life feels scary right now. What gives me hope is the leaders we work with, the community we’re building, and the chance to come together in spaces like this.
“We want the conference to be inspiring and joyful, full of storytelling, connection, and solidarity, but also practical in giving people the tools to make workplaces and communities safer and more inclusive.”
Leading with Pride is an all-day event, taking place on November 13. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here.
