Celebrating Pride Month – an Interview with Alex Southern

Happy Pride Month! 🌈

Pride is a celebration, but it’s also a reminder of why visibility, inclusion and allyship still matter.

Last year, we spoke to Alex Southern, Senior Practice Manager at Tanfield Chambers, about his experiences as an LGBTQIA+ professional working at the Bar.

Alex reflected on how different the profession felt when he first entered clerking compared to today. While he was fortunate to work with supportive colleagues, there were times when being openly LGBTQIA+ at the Bar could feel isolating. One of the biggest positive changes he has witnessed has been the growth of FREEBAR, the LGBT+ network for the Bar, which was established in 2016 to bring together barristers, clerks and all those working within the profession.

For the past five years, Alex has been involved in the FREEBAR Visibility Project, which shares the experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies across the Bar. The project provides valuable insight, support and reassurance for those entering the profession and considering how much of themselves they feel comfortable sharing at work.

As Alex noted, there is no obligation for anyone to be open about their sexuality in the workplace. That choice is deeply personal. However, having visible role models, supportive networks and inclusive organisations can make a significant difference to those navigating their own journey.

This Pride Month, we’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Alex for sharing his experiences so openly, both through our interview and through his continued work with FREEBAR. By speaking candidly about his own journey and helping to create spaces where others feel seen, supported and represented, Alex has played an important role in making the profession more inclusive.

For those entering the profession today, seeing individuals like Alex thriving, leading and advocating for positive change sends a powerful message: you belong here. If you’re interested in learning more, getting involved, or accessing support and resources, we encourage you to explore FREEBAR and the Visibility Project

What does it mean to you when your workplace acknowledges or celebrates Pride?

It means a lot when it happens. Pride celebrations are a visible demonstration of an employer’s commitment to inclusion. Many Chambers already celebrate international Women’s Day, and I cannot see why Pride should be any different.

Can you tell us a little about your background and your journey into the legal profession?

I am not a conventional person and my career path into clerking was anything but traditional. I came to the profession with a public school education, a university degree and after a five year stint at Estee Lauder Companies, at a time that most clerks were still entering directly from school. My role had been advertised in the Evening Standard, it was the first time Chambers had advertised a clerking role externally, and I got the impression that many didn’t think it could possibly work out.

What has your experience been like as an LGBTQIA+ person working in Chambers?

Back in 2007 at Estee Lauder I was surrounded by colleagues who also openly identified as LGBTQIA+ and extremely naively didn’t think that another industry would be any different. In the months leading up to my employment, I wrote to BLAGG (the Bar Lesbian and Gay Group) to enquire about attending their social events but never received a reply. In reality, the Bar felt a desolate place to work at in comparison to what I had known – but I was very fortunate both that my new colleagues at Brick Court treated me no differently, and that I never felt excluded within the wider clerking fraternity. But, nevertheless, being someone who openly identified as LGBTQIA+ it did feel lonely at times.

Were there any particular challenges or positive moments you’ve experienced in being out at work?

One of the most positive moments has been the advent of FreeBar (the LGBT+ network for the Bar) in February 2016. Secondly, I was invited by Nick Hill to take up an equality & diversity role on the Institute of Barrister’s Clerks committee, and I was asked to speak about FreeBar at the IBC Conference in 2018.

2016 was also when University College London’s ‘Sexuality at the Bar’ Report was published, which presented a gloomy account of the experiences of barristers and pupils who identified as LGBTQIA+. FreeBar came in to being as an organisation that was not exclusive to barristers or to clerks: it brings together everyone across the Bar who identifies as LGBTQIA+ and gives them an equal voice and footing.

So in 2016 there was finally a recognition of a disparity at the Bar coupled with the forming of credible initiatives for change!

What does “being out at work” mean to you, and how has that experience evolved over time?

I think it is important for people to be their authentic selves, particularly at work – so that the Bar is seen to be representative of the society it serves, and so that potential talent isn’t dissuaded from entering the various professions. A more diverse Bar is surely better for everybody.

Identifying as a Gay man is an important part of who I am. Only really those who identify as LGBTQIA+ will comprehend the enormous achievement of coming to terms with one’s own sexuality (in a society, even here in a western liberal democracy, that contains so much homophobia) and admitting to themselves and others who they truly are, particularly when they knew from such a young age they were gay. I was very conscious that the society in which I grew up generally frowned upon same-sex relationships and had the mistaken belief that gay men would end up lonely. I am proud of who I am.

Only since the movement that began in 2016 have people more openly identified as LGBTQIA+ at the Bar and in the world of clerking; before that it just wasn’t the done thing.

What advice would you give to LGBTQIA+ individuals who are entering the profession and unsure about being open in Chambers?

I would encourage individuals to read our FreeBar Visibility Project (https://freebar.co.uk/visibility/) which features profiles and reflections on experiences of being LGBTQIA+ or being an ally at the Bar and how it has changed for the better.

There is no obligation for either barristers or clerks to be open about their sexuality and individuals need to decide for themselves whether or not they are comfortable sharing their sexual orientation at work.

FreeBar offers ongoing advice and support; and I am a mentor for those who identify as LGBTQIA+ for the IBC.

What can colleagues, members, or senior leadership do to create a safer and more inclusive space for LGBTQIA+ people?

Trans rights are a hot topic at the moment, particularly in relation to bathroom use, but one of the most positive things that a Chambers can do is to create gender-neutral bathrooms to visibly demonstrate their commitment to acceptance without exception. Some organisations have suggested that disabled toilets should double as gender-neutral toilets, but of course that could lead to other unhelpful connotations and complexities.

Chambers are also all invited to sign up to the FreeBar..Charter (https://freebar.co.uk/resources/the-freebar-charter/), which allows them to display a kite mark demonstrating a commitment to adhere to best practices for LGBTQIA+ inclusion.

Another idea would be for Chambers to add ‘positive signals’ to their websites and social media content. These are another way of demonstrating a commitment to LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Some examples might be a news story that clerks attended an LGBTQIA+ event or a declaration / equality statement stating that Chambers supports LGBTQIA+ initiatives.

Chambers can also make a point of challenging discriminatory language in any form. They can also invite those who identify as LGBTQIA+ to be a part of their ED&I Committee.

Why is Pride Month still important — both in society and in the legal profession?

Pride is both a celebration and a protest. It is a celebration of being LGBTQIA+. It serves as a reminder of the achievements of LGBTQIA+ people from 1967, when homosexuality was decriminalised in England & Wales, and the further advances which have been made since, primarily over the course of the last 30+ years. It also serves as a protest against those countries who continue to employ repressive measures and unequal rights to LGBTQIA+ people; and those who continue to discriminate in our own society. Thirdly, it enables inclusive organisations and individuals to lead by example, being visible and proud of their commitment to inclusivity.

What’s one thing you wish more people understood about being LGBTQIA+ in a professional environment?

That those who identify as LGBTQIA+ may not appear to be any different, but they may have their own unique experience and culture. They may also have their own unique mental health challenges due to experiences of discrimination, stigma and social isolation.