COME OUT AT 40 YEARS OLD

SANDRA BRYDON, DIRECTOR HOME GROUP SCOTLAND

WITH the news of Phillip Schofield coming out as gay at the age of 57, it made me reflect on my own experience of coming out later in life. I, too, am 57 and incredibly proud to be part of the LGBT+ community.

Although I had a very happy childhood, I was brought up in a conservative family at a time when being different wasn’t celebrated.

I kept a part of myself hidden for a long time and it wasn’t until I was 40 that I felt proud enough to call myself a lesbian.

Before then, I had self-esteem and confidence issues. This was partly down to society’s view then that being different was not a positive thing. I empathise with Schofield as he grew up in the same era that I did and felt he had to conceal his true self by creating his TV persona and his heterosexual lifestyle.

For me, it was counselling and the support of great friends that helped and made me feel confident enough to come out.

Telling my family was traumatic and my parents took a bit of time to understand but no one rejected me, which had been my biggest fear.

That was 17 years ago and, since then, I’ve earned a master’s degree, met and married my wife and become a granny through my wife’s daughter.

I know first-hand how challenging it can be when someone feels they need to hide who they are in the work place.

That’s why I am so proud of the work Home Group has achieved. Home Group is the No1 LGBT+ housing association employer in Scotland and one of the top 100 employers for LGBT+ people in Stonewall’s UK Workplace Equality Index.

It’s obvious there are the same drivers within other organisations, like Skills Development Scotland and the Crown office and Procurator Fiscal Services – both of which feature in the index. However, Home Group is the only housing association in Scotland out of more than 160 housing associations.

We have established support networks for LGBT+ colleagues and set up an ally’s network. We’ve made a good start on our work with trans inclusion – developing a transitioning in