I saw my own father achieve his personal goals; my own aim was to be involved in sailing and to work overseas, experiences I enjoyed as a child.
Yes, I had tenacity and a drive to achieve my goals. But what would that journey have looked like if I hadn’t enjoyed these privileges and hadn’t seen people like me achieve their goals?
Having been involved with LGBTQ+ causes and taken part in many diversity and inclusion discussions and panels, I always thought I had a pretty good idea of the importance of representation.
So it was a shock, having cried my way through the new Netflix queer teen coming-of-age story Heartstopper, to suddenly realise that while I might have understood the mechanics, I hadn’t really understood what it really meant to see oneself represented.
Why did a TV series, one that should have been aimed at a teen audience, have such a dramatic impact on me?
The reason? It gives people like me the chance to see ourselves represented, particularly our younger selves, and that was something I was robbed of growing up.
The lack of LGBTQ+ representation growing up may not have impacted my career aspirations, but it had certainly affected other aspects of my life.
As we rebuild our industry, it is essential we rebuild our businesses to be places where diversity and inclusivity can flourish. We need to work harder to attract people back into, or to join, our fantastic industry.
We must create open, inclusive, and inspirational workplaces that welcome people from all backgrounds, and be an industry with sustainability at its heart, taking its impact on the environment seriously.
’No barriers’
At a recent industry sustainability summit, I was moved by someone’s suggestion storytelling was a good way to get more people interested in sustainability. We are all so good at telling stories that inspire people to travel to destinations around the world, and at using our intimate knowledge to educate guests on the potential impacts of their travels – and what they can do to mitigate these impacts.
We must start telling stories about people and the personal interactions we enjoy within this industry. After all, it is the people that make this industry as vibrant, fascinating and exciting as it is.
Let’s shout about it and inspire others to join us. Heartstopper is a story about making people who don’t feel visible feel seen. Our job is to ensure children – no matter their background, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation – see no barriers to working at all levels within our industry.
Sam Ryder was asked what the Eurovision Song Contest meant to him after his recent performance representing the UK – unity, peace, love, togetherness, inclusivity and expression, he said. These are the values our industry should aspire to.
Chris Wright is managing director of Sunvil.
