I didn’t always think I would be able to bring my whole self into a place like this.
Law is a profession that carries a certain image. There’s an unspoken understanding of how you present yourself, how much of yourself you reveal, and what parts of your life stay firmly outside the office.
For a long time, for many people, identity was one of those things. And for some, it still is.
Pride, for me, isn’t just about celebration. It’s about that quiet, often invisible calculation so many people, including myself, have made at some point in their careers:
- Is it safe to say this?
- Is it easier if I don’t?
- Will this change how I’m seen?
Those questions don’t belong in a truly inclusive workplace, and yet, they haven’t disappeared.
What makes this space, and this moment, so complex is that we are not all starting from the same place.
Not just between past and present, but between generations. Some of us entered workplaces where being open about identity was unthinkable. Others are beginning their careers expecting, rightly, that they should not have to hide at all.
Both realities exist here, at the same time. And that can be uncomfortable. But discomfort is not something we should avoid; it is something we should examine.
Because progress doesn’t just happen. It’s shaped, often quietly, by everyday decisions.
By whether we challenge something or let it pass. By whether we make space for someone else, or assume they feel included already. By whether we choose comfort, or growth.
It’s easy to celebrate Pride when it’s visible. For example, during Pride Month when it is recognised, marked and expected.
What’s harder, and more important, is what happens outside of that.
It’s not about having all the answers or getting everything right. It’s about being willing to notice. To listen. To adjust.
I don’t think Pride is asking us to be perfect. I think it’s asking us to be honest.
Honest about where we are. Honest about where we’ve come from. And honest about whether the environment we’re part of today truly allows people to be themselves, without calculation, without hesitation, without cost.
Because in a profession that prides itself on fairness, that should matter to all of us.
