Customer Spotlight – Hive Huddersfield

“At Hive, we embrace a truly diverse range of sexualities and gender identities among our team; gay men, trans men and women, bisexual, straight founder, and a queer-diverse management team. Questioning and straight individuals form part of our staff and volunteer teams. Despite our diverse identities, our day-to-day interactions remain unaffected, we strive to ensure all staff and volunteers uphold these basic forms of respect - Unfortunately, this isn't the norm elsewhere. Our team members have faced discrimination in other workplaces, schools, colleges, and beyond due to their sexuality or gender identity. From sly comments and quizzical looks to outright abuse and being the butt of jokes, we've heard it all. But here at Hive, we've built a sanctuary where everyone is respected and valued.  

Many companies still believe that supporting Pride Month is just about changing their logos to rainbow colours. However, the challenge is in creating a workplace where employees can genuinely be themselves without fear of discrimination. At Hive, we've achieved this by fostering open communication, mutual respect, and treating each other with basic human decency. 

It’s surprising that this is considered radical in 2024. While Pride Month remains crucial, it's essential to look beyond symbolic gestures and make a lasting impact. Remember, our identities don't change when the calendar turns  - Let's work towards genuine inclusivity every day.”

Gabrielle, Founder of Hive Huddersfield CIC