7 May 2021

“Like most people identifying within a minority group, I’ve experienced living in different countries, changing schools too many times, difficulty establishing meaningful friendships, losing friendships each time I “came out as a lesbian”, experiencing bullying and being misunderstood, a broken family, my conservative religious family not accepting my sexual orientation, and more. 

“These things were difficult to digest and had a powerful impact on me.”

“I was lucky to be able to keep a positive and spiritual mindset, and through these I’ve experienced bonding with amazing like-minded people, discovered life-long friendships and love, and learnt huge life lessons.” 

“One of these lessons is that change does happen – by standing up for what you believe in, putting your thoughts into actions, putting one foot in front of the other and connecting with people who align with your beliefs.” 

CNWL launched new Progress Rainbow Badges for staff and volunteers during this year’s LGBT History Month. The badges have an inclusive flag which staff wear to show their support for LGBT+ patients, carers, visitors and colleagues.

Sofia said

“While it’s unlikely that a staff member experiences discriminatory behaviour when working, wearing the lanyard or badge helps other staff and patients know what we stand for and that we are approachable, if needed.  Additionally, even beyond this, we’d like employees and patients to recognise lanyard/badge wearers as role models – as people that will show their values and stand up for what they believe in.” 

What does the progress flag show?

The progress flag includes black and brown stripes to represent marginalised LGBT+ communities of colour, along with the colours pink, light blue and white, which are used on the Transgender Pride Flag. 

“I love the symbolism in this new design: these additional colour stripes are placed to form an arrow (chevron) shape that points to the right which represents "forward movement". They are placed along the left edge of the flag to state that "progress still needs to be made". 

“This is absolutely where our community is at the moment. The flag to me is also a symbol of hope, and 2021 is a year of hope for so many reasons.” 

Why has CNWL changed its flag?

“Our community has come a long way and we’re lucky to be where we are. However our work isn’t done and we need to keep moving. As a group advocating for the LGBT+ community, our network is focused on raising the profile of our Transgender, non-binary, bisexual and other minority group members.  We also want to raise the profile of intersectionality and sharing core values with all diversity groups. Making a change in its visual appearance is just a start – it symbolises our priorities, our intentions, our plans and our actions.” 

“We must put one foot in front of the other, keep moving forward and never stop. By sharing our commitment and vision and asking you to support this cause, we’re taking one of these steps forward. We are the first NHS Trust to use the Progress flag and we want to pave the way for the wider NHS group.” 

Staff can request a badge by emailing the PRIDE@CNWL LGBT+ Staff Network – details on Trustnet