Angharad Stevens on being queer and moving to a big city: “It was like I had 21 years of catching up to do”

“There were no valleys anymore, no green, but I got so much excitement from realising I could be whoever I wanted, and it didn’t matter” 

BY MYGWORK

myGwork spoke with Angharad Stevens, Skin and Hair Innovation Assistant Manager at Unilever, to talk about her experiences growing up, moving to a big city, and navigating her identity. 

Life began for Angharad Stevens in New Quay, Wales, but her childhood involved moving between small towns and villages across England and Wales, sticking to small communities. Even at her university, Warwick, the community was not as large as some other UK cities. It wasn’t until she decided to take a year studying abroad in Australia that she was confronted by the differences presented by life in the metropolis.

“There were no valleys anymore, no green, but I got so much excitement from realising I could be whoever I wanted, and it didn’t matter.” It was completing a childhood mission in many ways: “We were supposed to move as children until my mother got ill, which invalidated the visas. We’d had schools picked and houses looked at, so that story had started for me but never finished.” In no time, Angharad arrived in Melbourne, an LGBTQIA haven, and her world was about to change quite radically.

Arriving after 38 hours of travelling, knowing only one other person, Angharad settled into halls wondering if she’d made a mistake. “I was lying on a mattress without any bedding thinking to myself, ‘What had I done?’” 

Ten thousand miles from home, it was only 48 hours before Angharad was phoning home – to tell them she was a lesbian. She had met a girl whom Angharad describes as “fiercely proud and out” and suddenly something in her clicked: this is who she was, who she was meant to be. “Before then, I hadn’t felt it was a reality. It was like night and day; it became so apparent to me, and it was the weirdest thing.” The benefit of being so far from home was that no one else had to know until she was ready – and this meant a year of being able to explore the queer scene like never before.

In many ways, Angharad feels that Melbourne particularly had this effect on her and others. She shares an anecdote of a friend who had gone from being quite a shy, closeted boy to very quickly marching up the street in thigh-high boots to nights out. “It was so different to anything I had ever known. On ‘Thursgay Nights’, everyone came out, and you could just be yourself, no questions asked, at any bar you chose.” Unlike small rural villages and towns, the curtain-twitching feeling was gone; it was possible to go out and not end up being the centre of attention or conversation for people who knew you. 

“It was like I had 21 years of catching up to do,” reflects Angharad of the experience. What was ultimately clear, however, upon returning to Warwick and Wales, was that small-town life would never be quite the same. Angharad threw herself readily into being authentic and exploring the UK queer community as much as she had in Melbourne.

After undertaking a graduate scheme, Angharad says an email arrived from Unilever, and she just knew she had to take the opportunity. Now, she’s the Skin And Hair Innovation Assistant Manager and is keenly interested in the UK LGBTQIA Committee at the company. It was what attracted her to the company in the first place – after working at an organisation that didn’t have any diversity and inclusion practices, the need to know that her employer was invested in supporting LGBTQIA people in the workplace and beyond was vital. 

Angharad instantly got involved with the committee, supporting co-chairs Austin and Tyler, and is looking forward to getting even more engaged. “It’s so helpful to find your community immediately.” Part of this includes helping other people to find that community too – be it rainbow lanyards, events, or other methods; Angharad sees visibility as key to ensuring marginalised communities in corporate environments can quickly make connections and support networks they need to succeed at work. 

“For me, it’s the comfort of knowing I’m safe,” says Angharad. “It’s about finding connections professionally so that I can get involved and drive the network.” There’s an intersectional angle, too – she’s steadfast in using her voice to advocate for people who perhaps aren’t out or as visible – and demonstrating to them that these safe spaces exist if and when they wish to access them. “You feel like you’re represented whether you want to get involved or not. It’s about us shouting for important causes to provide that visibility and safety.” 

Particularly in the current climate, as attacks on our trans and non-binary siblings increase, Angharad thinks it’s crucial now, more than ever, that we put on a united front and show that any attacks on members of the community are an attack on all of us. “There’s safety and power in numbers. There may be a lot of joy in our celebration, but there’s also shared trauma, and we can all help each other directly or indirectly,” and she’s making sure the network at Unilever is doing precisely that.

Unilever is a proud partner of myGwork, the LGBTQ+ Business Community. Check out their opportunities here. 

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