By erbeeler
Have there been any current international or domestic issue that have affected your volunteer work/research, has your work become more relevant or has it been Hi there - this is my penultimate blog post... which makes me realize just how fast this experience in London is passing by. While it's definitely a sad post to think about, there's also the fact that I get the opportunity to think about and reflect upon the incredible experiences that I've had and the friends I've made here so far.
Also - just an update (mostly for my parents... hah!), but I've gotten some of my first sets of grades back from papers earlier this semester. I've been getting pretty good grades so far, and my professors have been commenting that they have really enjoyed working with me and reading my papers.
As for my volunteer work... there's recently been a release of a really important milestone: the 2017 Stonewall Workplace Equality Index in the UK. This recent report shows that the average UK company in the top 100 has an average 74% score, which illustrates a huge improvement in recent years. Over 439 employers and 91,248 employees across the UK participated in the survey, the largest number of submissions ever.
Top employers included Lloyds Banking Group, JP Morgan, Clifford Chance, the British MI5 and MI6 agencies, KPMG, RBS, Leicestershire Police, and the House of Commons. These employers - which many would traditionally be thought of as 'conservative' or 'traditional' workplaces - show that the situation for LGBTQ+ individuals in the UK is dramatically improving.
The most important thing as individuals is finding a place where we feel welcome, included, and supported... whether that be in our homes, our schools, or our workplaces. I'm so happy to see employers take a step to improve their working conditions for diverse employees... and to have the opportunity to have a hand in helping students feel welcome to step into these communities.