myGwork speaks to OMG employees Bethany Hushon, Evelyn Plater and Natasha Henson about LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace
BY DYLAN MANN-HAZELL, IMAGE PROVIDED
Omnicom Media Group UK (OMG UK) is committed to advancing inclusivity in the workplace. This candid conversation brings together OMG employees Bethany Hushon, Evelyn Plater, and Natasha Henson, who offer their personal stories and professional experiences, and an honest look at representation, identity, and the ongoing journey towards workplace inclusivity. They discuss the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ professionals to this day and show how progressive organisations like OMG can create environments where people can thrive in their authentic selves.
Could you tell us a bit about your background and career journey leading up to your current position at OMG?
Bethany: My name is Bethany. My pronouns are she/her. Over the past 10 years, my career has worked within the sport remit – from clubs to brands and now on the agency side. For the last three years, I’ve been part of Fuse, which is part of Omnicom Media Group, working on the Rights Consultancy team. Because of working in that domain, the topic of LGBTQIA+ people and women working in sport has always been part of my journey. Even though I don’t identify as somebody within that group, I still very much am an ally.
Evelyn: My name is Evelyn. My pronouns are she/her. I am a trans woman. I began my transition around 2020-2021, like many, I had my “egg cracked” during COVID. I began working in marketing operations but quickly realized I wanted something more people-focused. That led me to HR. I started my HR career at another media conglomerate very similar to OMG before coming over here. I’ve been at OMG for just over a year now, working at Hearts & Science as the People Advisor.
Natasha: My name is Natasha. My pronouns are she/her. I identify as a lesbian. I’m a Strategy Director at Hearts & Science. I’ve been here for about 18 months, but I’ve been in the industry for about eight years. I’ve bounced around different clients before landing in strategy, which gave me a broader perspective. I actually started in the industry through entry-level experience, and that’s something I’ve always tried to bring back and continue with my career – giving opportunities for people to start in the industry at the very early stages and mentoring people to move through it.
Can you tell us about your childhood – where did you grow up? Did you have any hobbies?
Bethany: I grew up in a small town near Hinckley in Leicestershire, and my childhood was entirely focused on sport. I always joked that I was the boy my dad never got, and interestingly, both my younger sister and I now work in sport. Throughout my childhood, I dealt with significant sexism – there were times when teams wouldn’t play against us because we had a girl on the team. The question of sexuality was always something I was teased about, which made me question my own identity. I realised that participating in sport doesn’t define your sexuality, and sports should be a place of celebration for everyone.
Evelyn: I was raised in a small farming village in Suffolk, which looking back was quite idyllic. I was bullied, of course, and while no one should have to experience that, I’ve come to see it as something that gave me a thick skin. In many ways, those experiences prepared me for navigating the world as a trans woman. Had I not developed that resilience early on, I might find the world much harder to navigate now. Fortunately, I had an amazing, super supportive family.
Natasha: I grew up in Llantwit Major, a town on the south coast of Wales. It was a beautiful seaside town, but not particularly diverse. When I look back now, I realize how limited my understanding of sexuality was. I didn’t know any queer people, and the concept of queer women was very foreign – I only saw representations that were weirdly sexualized through TV. I like to think the kids growing up in that same town now have a lot more access to experiences and understanding who they are at a younger age.
Can you share your personal journey with the LGBTQIA+ community?
Bethany: When playing netball or football, you’re always going to have close interactions with people from the LGBTQIA+ community. It became more and more prevalent, especially in university. When I was growing up, it wasn’t as accepting. I didn’t really know anyone who was owning their identity until university. It was so beautiful to see people just being accepting and being able to be their authentic selves.
Evelyn: For a long time, the narrative I’d heard in the media was always that you know you’re trans since childhood – like putting on your mother’s heels and saying “I’m a girl”. Because that wasn’t my experience, I almost took my uncertainty as proof that I wasn’t trans. I took the fact that I wasn’t 100% sure as evidence that I wasn’t actually trans. During COVID, I realized that even if I wasn’t completely certain, transitioning was a step I wouldn’t regret taking. It would have been part of my journey, no matter the end destination.
Natasha: I was in a heterosexual relationship for a long time, with the same person since I was a teenager. During lockdown, I had more time to take a step back and ask, “What do I actually want?” It was the first time I had actually put thought into my sexual identity. When the world opened back up, I started dating women and people of all genders. It took me a while to come out as a lesbian; I’d gone through a few different identities before I got to that. That’s not to say that I would go through a few more again, and I think that’s really important. Sometimes people inside and outside the community get really bogged down in labeling who you are, but things change. Everyone is welcome to change.
What has been a standout moment in your career so far?
Bethany: Working with Nissan over the last three years has been incredible. They launched a documentary series where we worked closely with Manchester City to create an inclusive LGBTQIA+ program. Bringing Manchester Pride to the first game of the season, with a Canal Street Blues member taking the first team bus with the LGBTQIA+ flag – something you wouldn’t have seen years ago – was truly special.
Evelyn: Becoming an advisor here has been a significant moment in my career. In HR, you typically start in assistant or operations roles, which are more behind-the-scenes and data-focused. This advisor role is where you become more people-facing and leading discussions. It’s been nice to see diversity and inclusion from both a professional HR perspective and a personal perspective as a trans woman. Businesses often talk about DE&I values, but I think it means more when it comes from a minority.
Natasha: From a business perspective, I’ve really grown in who I am as a strategist in the past year, which I’m proud of. I was also listed as a face to watch by Campaign Magazine. On a more personal note, during my leaving do, an executive told me she appreciated how open and vocal I was about my sexuality, saying it was inspiring for her as a lesbian in the industry.
How does OMG strive for inclusivity and provide an open space for LGBTQIA+ employees?
Bethany: We always ensure that as many groups as possible are represented to make sure there’s a voice at the table. For International Women’s Day, we had Bobbie Pritchard take part. We always make sure there’s representation across all groups.
Evelyn: We really do push a culture of openness across all agencies and OMG. We encourage people to challenge leadership and feel confident and protected in having those conversations. If we’re pitching for a client that people don’t think aligns with our values, we actively encourage people to speak up. Leadership genuinely values diversity and looks to instill that within how we work and operate.
Natasha: We have advisory boards across different topics – working parents, carers, multiculturalism – and they’re all given a platform to be visible within the agencies. We pride ourselves on supporting pride all year round, not just in June.
What immediate improvements would you like to see being made for LGBTQIA+ equality in the future – both in the workplace and wider society?
Bethany: We need to react quicker to changes while being careful about messaging. In wider society, people should educate themselves by attending events, visiting spaces like Queer Britain. The more society becomes progressive, the more we need awareness and understanding.
Evelyn: I want to see people actually standing by their values. Allyship is not convenient – it’s a deliberate and arduous thing. I want people to actually step in when they see discrimination. A lot of people don’t actually want to have difficult conversations or put themselves at risk of the kind of ridicule that queer people actually directly face. So, I would like to see people putting their mouth and their feet where their flag is.
Natasha: There’s a lot of fear and hesitation of getting stuff wrong. I think that people feel out of their comfort zone and feel that they might ask the wrong questions or might do the wrong thing, so there’s then kind of this lack of willing to try, because they’re worried about kind of stepping a foot wrong. So, I encourage people to engage the community, have the right people sit around the table, and empower them to help make decisions.
Omnicom Media Group UK is a proud partner of myGwork, the LGBTQ+ business community. Find out more about LGBTQ+-friendly job opportunities at Omnicom Media Group UK.
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