“What we really need is for allies to be more vocal about the fact that they’re allies”
BY DYLAN MANN-HAZELL
As a UX Designer at global travel company Booking.com, Alice Collins has found a workplace that both celebrates her creativity and embraces her identity. Through her role in Booking.com’s employee resource group (ERG) B.proud, and her exciting involvement in Pride celebrations, Alice has played a pivotal part in the organization’s vocal support for the LGBTQIA community.
Alice’s pathway to her current role was paved by a life-long passion for the arts. Initially, she believed her love for graphic design could only be expressed as a part-time hobby. However, during her time at Liverpool John Moores University, Alice came to the delightful realisation that she could make a career out of her talent. After graduation, in the midst of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, she was hired by Booking.com in an Email Design role.
While her professional journey has seen exciting opportunities, Alice’s personal growth has been equally fulfilling. Alice openly shares her coming out experience, recounting how she stayed true to herself through the challenges of navigating identity and sexuality during her teenage years. “I’m really lucky that I’ve always felt confident to be an openly gay woman. Once I had reached that reality, that that’s who I was, I embraced it and allowed it to be a part of me.”
At Booking.com, Alice found a supportive environment that celebrates diversity and inclusion. As a member of the Be Proud ERG, Alice plays a crucial role in organizing events and initiatives that bring the LGBTQIA community, and other marginalised communities, together. Encouraging intersectionality is a key part of the progressive outlook at Booking.com.
“We have what we call the ERG Hub. Myself and the chair of B.proud UK put together a concept where we brought all of the ERG groups in the Manchester office together and created a space in the office where all these events could happen.”
These events range from educational talks on crucial terminology and respectful communication, to interactive workshops where education is put to practical use. Social gatherings are also a key aspect of the ERG Hub, providing a safe space for LGBTQIA employees to find like-minded community within the workplace. In the nearly five years since Alice joined Booking.com, she has noticed an increasingly positive attitude towards diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
“Since joining, I’ve noticed a much wider feeling of acceptance and understanding, especially when it comes to things like caring about pronouns and how people want to identify. I think small gestures like people including their pronouns in their Zoom names have made a big difference in giving people the space to be who they are.”
Alice’s contributions extend beyond the office walls, playing a pivotal role in designing Booking.com’s Pride celebrations. This included a grand gesture of solidarity with the community, the branding design for a roaming double decker bus. Seeing the bus she designed parading through the streets of Manchester was a profound moment for Alice. This made her reflect, more than ever, on the importance of representation and the need for more vocal allies.
“There’s still a lot of room for understanding the importance of allyship,” she explains. “It’s important to make people aware that even simple actions like respecting pronouns and not making assumptions can go a long way in creating a more inclusive environment.”
“What we really need is for allies to be more vocal about the fact that they’re allies,” Alice continues, “There’s still a disparity where people who aren’t part of the LGBTQIA community don’t feel like they can fully be a part of the journey. We need to embrace allies and their support, as we’re all in this together.”
Through continued work with the B.proud ERG, Alice has not only found a supportive community at Booking.com, but has also played a pivotal role in creating spaces where LGBTQIA employees can connect, learn, and celebrate their authenticity.
Booking.com is a proud partner of myGwork, the LGBTQ+ business community. Find out more about LGBTQ+-friendly job opportunities at Booking.com.
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