My name is Joey, and I have been Chair of the LGBTQ+ Staff Network for around a year now. As someone who is bisexual and transgender, I identify with multiple parts of the LGBTQ+ community. While I knew I was bisexual from my early teens, it took me longer to come to terms with my gender identity. I was around 20 when I started to seriously consider that transitioning might be the right option for me. I first started living socially as male in late 2012, and even though it wasn’t all smooth sailing I found that overall I was starting to feel much more comfortable with myself. Although most of my family were there for me from the start, some of my friends were dismissive and I found myself having to seek out a new support network. Fortunately, this has led to me becoming closer to some wonderful people I now consider very lucky to call my friends.
I have been fortunate enough to also have a very supportive team in the workplace and hope in my role as Chair I am also able to offer the same for others.