Love Is Love
An Ongoing Journey To LGBTQIA Inclusion
As a business owner, I understand that LGBTQIA inclusion and diversity is vital. It is my responsibility to ensure that everyone that approaches me to design their cake feels welcome and safe. I need to make sure that all my couples, be they traditional or non-traditional are valued. That they know how much I appreciate them when they choose me as their cake designer.
Where Do I Begin
My journey started when I recently heard a talk by Alex Jay from Beyond the Binary. Before this I hadn’t really considered the issues that the LGBTQIA+ community were facing. Yes, I saw the changes that were happening, but hearing Alex talk was an eye opener to these issues. The constant dynamic risk assessment, constantly in fear of not being accepted or having to hide who they really are to ‘fit in’. This made me think about how inclusive my business is and how it is perceived by the LGBTQIA+ community.
As the title suggests, I believe that ‘Love is Love’. That everyone should be able to love who they want, marry who they want and live how they want. I was bought up to treat everyone with the respect and to treat people the same way I would want to be treated.
Coming from a mixed heritage background (My Mother is White British and my Father is Afro Caribbean), born in the 70’s, I know to some extent what it feels like to be treated differently and to constantly feel always on edge and always aware of my surroundings, although in all honesty I cannot say I can compare my situation to those within the LGBTQIA+ community. As the saying goes:
You can’t really understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.
Attributed to Mary T. Lathrap – 1895 – Poem: Judge Softly
I’m Bloody Terrified
I admit that I need to be open and transparent in my support for the LGBTQIA+ community, but I also must acknowledge that I am absolutely TERRIFIED of this journey. I am so scared that
- I will cause offence to someone wanting to work with me;
- I will say the wrong thing;
- I will use the wrong pronoun;
- I will dead name someone.
The problem in having this fear of upsetting or causing offence, is that it stops any progression for myself or my business. Instead of learning from any mistakes I may make, I have kept quiet and not said anything to avoid making said mistakes, and therefore I have not put myself out there to learn or embrace the journey. This now changes…!
Working On LGBTQIA Inclusion
As I re-educate myself, I will no doubt trip up, take a wrong turn, have to stop and reassess. But I also know that I can make a difference if I try, and I do not stay silent.
One of the first things I will be doing during this Pride Month is attending the Don’t Fear Queer Inclusion Workshop with Beyond the Binary on June 8th, where I can start to learn how to get things right. I then need to start ensuring my messaging is inclusive to as many people as possible and to actively collaborate with diverse suppliers and vendors who share the same values as myself, ensuring that my supply chain reflects the communities and couples that I want to serve.
I know that this journey will be ongoing and that there will always be room for improvement and learning. However, I also know that this journey cannot be overestimated and if I’m active in my progress and promises then this will make a small difference to an amazing community.
So Let Me Introduce Myself
My name is Averil Sweeney, and my pronouns are She/Her/Hers, and I would love to work with you on something special. Get in touch via the contact page
