This year, Harding Evans returned as a sponsor for Pride Cymru and, for the first time, had an engagement stand at the weekend festival. Our support of the LGBTQ+ community doesn’t end there. When we first pledged to sponsor both Pride Cymru and Pride In The Port in 2023, we were determined that this would not be a tokenistic, ‘throw a logo at it’ type involvement; we wanted to know what we could do to support the community ‘beyond Pride’.
Let’s not forget that, along with the celebrations, Pride is a protest at heart and a demand for equality. From speaking to members of the LGBTQ+ community in South Wales, it became apparent that people were struggling to find the services that they needed and were having to go to firms in London or Brighton to obtain specialist advice. How could we take part in Pride and not take note of its roots? All our communities should be able to access the help and advice they need, on their doorsteps.
That’s why, in 2023, we launched legal services that are specifically tailored to the LGBTQ+ Community alongside our day-to-day offering. We draw on expertise from lawyers across the firm while understanding the nuances of our LGBTQ+ clients, the narrative and the added complexities.
We launched these services on our engagement stand at Newport’s Pride In The Port. The response was fantastic. One individual felt that ‘law firms just don’t do this sort of thing’. They do now, and Harding Evans aims to grow our tailored support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Let’s face it, very rarely does anyone need a lawyer for something positive, and law firms can feel intimidating. This feeling may be heightened when you are a member of a community that can often feel marginalised.
By fostering and promoting a safe, inclusive environment, we are making it clear to the LGBTQ+ community that everyone is safe to be their authentic selves with us.
But this doesn’t stop at clients, our investment also makes it clear to our colleagues who identify as LGBTQ+ that we see them, and we support them.
Gian Molinu, a Senior Associate in the Residential Conveyancing team and Chair of Pride Cymru, sums it up perfectly:
“I am proud to be a team member of both Pride Cymru and Harding Evans. Seeing my employers embrace Pride so openly, while actively promoting their ongoing commitment to the needs of the LGBTQ+ community all year round, perfectly demonstrates our values to our clients and colleagues.
“Pride means a lot of things to different parts of the LGBTQ+ community and for me, it’s about acceptance and inclusion. Harding Evans is the first place I’ve worked in where my colleagues have embraced those principles.”
As a firm, we will keep learning and keep developing our services in this area. We are also excited to be back at Pride In The Port in September. Visibility is key and we are proud to put ourselves out there as an ally to the community, all year long.
