“I want to see a society that protects one another, regardless of if they themselves are impacted”
BY DYLAN MANN-HAZELL
Mhairi Williamson, Employee Relations and Reward Administrator at Kellanova (the company which owns Kellogg’s and Pringles) spoke to myGwork about the importance of visible allyship in the workplace and ongoing advocacy for marginalized groups.
Like many in her generation, Mhairi was raised in an environment ingrained with heteronormative ideals, navigating the complexities of her sexuality during a time when “gay” was considered an insult. The concept of identifying as LGBTQIA didn’t truly resonate with Mhairi until after high school when she would initially label herself bisexual. After grappling with challenging societal expectations, especially those rooted in the male gaze, Mhairi would finally come to understand and accept her lesbian identity.
“Growing up very femme and girly also contributed to my own misconceptions of the lesbian community as there was a lack of role models who were like me,” Mhairi explains. “People telling me ‘You don’t look like a lesbian’ or assuming I have a boyfriend influenced me more than I realise looking back. Although I know I benefit from femme privilege, I think it did influence how easily I came to realise my own lesbian identity.”
Finding herself in spaces where queer representation was scarce, Mhairi found solace and solidarity as she delved deeper into the LGBTQIA community. The more she learned, the more she found her perspective broadening, kindling a desire to advocate for inclusivity.
Soon after university, Mhairi made the bold decision to relocate from her hometown in Scotland to Manchester. Driven by the desire to apply her academic knowledge practically, she sought opportunities that aligned with her educational background in Human Resource Management and Marketing. After securing a position at Kellanova (which has its UK HQ in Manchester), Mhairi was able to swiftly settle into her role as an Administrator, contributing to her falling in love with life in Manchester also.
She continued to progress within the company, where she is now the Employee Relations and Reward Coordinator, also serving as the Coordinator for Kellanova’s Pride and Allies Business Employee Resource Group (BERG). Within the BERG, Mhairi drives initiatives to promote LGBTQIA inclusion and equality throughout Kellanova – a task she takes seriously – and commits to with enthusiasm and pride.
“Our Kellanova culture is very unique, we ensure there is a seat at the table for everyone and it’s the heartbeat of what we do,” she says. “Our culture unlocks all aspects of ED&I as it celebrates boldness and empowers our people to challenge the status quo, achieve results, and win together.”
To Mhairi, ED&I (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) is an evolving landscape, with the goalpost constantly moving. She reflects on her coming out in 2017, mentioning that during this time, it wasn’t as significant a topic. Mhairi notes that the evolution of inclusivity is considerable, with an increase in business focus within these areas. However, she also observes a sense of fatigue among people who have long worked within ED&I spaces, expressing concern that ED&I may not always be considered important.
“I’m a lesbian woman in a straight male-dominated world and I will always inherently care. I think the difficulty is how we get allies to continue to advocate and speak up, even when it doesn’t impact them day to day,” she continues. “I do think support for some of those big topics is dwindling due to over-consumption of information about so many things but the best way to combat this is to be creative and bring the agenda back to what we need as a community.”
Mhairi also wants to use her voice to put a spotlight on the safety of the trans community, who still face significant threats in the workplace and broader society. She advocates for stronger legislation to protect trans rights and the complete elimination of all conversion therapy practices. She stresses the importance of inclusive workplace policies while remaining hopeful for a future with more awareness of wider LGBTQ+ issues, the creation of gender-neutral spaces, and visible allyship beyond Pride Month.
“I think we can often operate in our bubble in the LGBTQIA community, focusing on our own letters and not realizing our experiences differ and even more so if we are intersectional. I want to see a society that protects one another, regardless of if they themselves are impacted. Loud allies can massively contribute to the initiatives of the LGBTQIA community and without them, we cannot make the impact we need to.”
Kellanova is a proud partner of myGwork, the LGBTQIA business community. Find out more about job opportunities at Kellanova.
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