West Midlands Railway staff celebrate what Pride means to them

Workers at West Midlands Railway have spoken about what Pride means to them ahead of this weekend’s Birmingham Pride event.

This year, West Midlands Railway will have the company’s biggest presence at Birmingham Pride yet, with over 25 staff members taking part in the parade, as well as acting as a sponsor of this year’s event.

Ryan Mason, Aspect LGBTQ+ Inclusion Group lead at West Midlands Railway, discussed his role in the Pride parade, and how working for an inclusive employer is important to him:

“I'm really pleased to be heading up the parade march for London Northwestern and West Midlands Railways along with colleagues across our business. We are marching to show that as a company we strive to be inclusive and be active allies. With our other inclusion groups, we are committed to making our company welcoming, inclusive and diverse, just like the communities we serve every day.

“We want to stand with the whole community to say that everyone is loved, and love comes in all shapes and sizes. As this year’s theme says, love has no limits.”

Hannah Cotton-Diederich, accessibility strategy and projects manager at West Midlands Railway, talked about what Pride means for her family: “For me, Pride is about celebrating the unique and beautiful family I have and embracing my identity and the identity of my family. It is important for my wife and I to be proud of who we are, and to teach our child to be proud too. I want to be part of building a supportive community and provide strength for others to be able to live and work without fear and judgement.”

James Rogers, social media manager at West Midlands Railways, explained how the sense of community is key for him: “For me, the idea of Pride isn’t just members of the LGBTQIA+ community being okay and proud of their own identity – it’s the coming together as a collective community to support each other.”

Birmingham Pride kicks off on Friday 23 May with a free community event, held on the Main Stage at Smithfield. The annual Pride parade will leave Centenary Square on Saturday 24th May at 12pm.

To find out more, visit the WMR website.