A Pride Month webinar saw WTW colleagues share their perspectives as LGBT+ parents, or as parents of LGBT+ children. The webinar also provided a further opportunity for LGBT+ parents to connect, support and demonstrate awareness across the company.
Executive Sponsor Suzanne McAndrew, an LGBT+ parent herself, shares why pride awareness matters.
Raising the flag for LGBT+ parenting
When Suzanne fell in love with Christine, it was their hope and dream to be parents. "As lesbians, we moved from being joyous of going on that journey to going on that quest privately," says Suzanne.
When Suzanne and Christine were open about it, they faced a lot of questions like: “How could that possibly work?” or “If you have a son, who will be his male role model?” And then came Aidan – a boy with two moms and more questions directed at him. “Who taught you to play baseball?” or “What’s it like not having a Dad?”
"These are some of the reasons that inspired me and my LGBT+ WTW colleagues to raise the flag for LGBT+ parenting in a global webcast," she adds.
Sharing lessons learned
Suzanne brought colleagues together from all parts of the world to drive awareness to the joyful moments, challenges, and opportunities.
In her story, Suzanne shared three lessons learned as Aidan’s mom:
- Forget nature vs. nurture
Blur those lines – it’s all about unconditional love.
- Allyship starts early
"Aidan was born into allyship and has carried our flag. Because of our diverse family, Aidan was part of these conversations very early on and has given others a safe space to talk about identity," she says.
- There is power in being you
"This is a lesson that I continue to learn from Aidan," she adds.
Empowering their son to be his true self
Suzanne recalls how, for Mother’s Day, Aidan expressed his love for Christine and Suzanne in a “Best Moms Ever” card.
"He said more than anything that we have empowered him to be his authentic self - rational and emotional, strong and compassionate, confident and cautious. During Pride Month, I hope that you are engaging in conversations that bring real stories and real speak to the LGBT+ community, supporters, and allies," adds Suzanne.
Join a company that embraces inclusion
WTW has a highly inclusive workplace culture – one where colleagues are empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.
Want to embark on a career with an inclusive employer?
Search WTW jobs.
Find out more
Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.