Legally Queerly: 30 lesbians and queer individuals in the legal sector tell us why visibility is important this #LVW26

In my role as the Deputy Mayor of London for Communities and Social Justice, it’s a privilege to use my platform to engage with LGBTQIA+ Londoners, celebrate the community in all its diversity and advocate for the protection of their rights.

Every day I’m inspired by the incredible organisations, initiatives and individuals making a difference to people’s lives. In the legal profession Legally Queerly, which was founded by Jacqui Rhule-Dagher, in April 2023, is at the forefront of this – highlighting and supporting LGBTQIA+ women through the unique challenges that they face in the workplace. This work remains ever vital, as diversity, equity and inclusion are increasingly being weaponised to stoke hate and division.

As a first-generation lesbian, I’m no stranger to the conflict stalking immigration. However, my career has been marked by privilege. Across 20+ years in the US Treasury Department, Justice, HSBC and now Kroll, I’ve denied terrorists the money to kill people and traffic fugitives across borders, and protected banks from dark web fueled fraud.

Visibility is important to me because it is what allowed me to openly serve and love in this tough industry. The foundational courage of pioneers like Audre Lorde and Alan Turing, and my great-grandfather fleeing tyranny, enabled me to do so. Their sacrifice is preserved for the future only by my – our – visible service.

Growing up, I didn’t know anyone who was openly gay, and I didn’t come out until I was 38. I worried it might affect my career. But instead, I found genuine encouragement, from clients interested in my “later-in-life” story to colleagues who showed nothing but support. I’m a commercial disputes partner at Stevens & Bolton, specialising in technology disputes.

LGBTQIA+ representation matters deeply to me because no one should feel they must hide who they are to succeed. Visible diversity challenges stereotypes, strengthens culture and creates workplaces where everyone can thrive authentically.

Fourteen years ago, I was living in St Petersburg, Russia, when local legislation banning “homosexual propaganda” was introduced. At the time, I felt lucky to be able to return to the UK, where there were no longer such laws. But I don’t think I’ll ever shake the feeling I had when some of my rights were taken away.

Since then, I’ve come to see visibility as a gift. But I also see it as our greatest weapon against those who might try to take our rights away. I am determined to always be proud.

In 2025, Garden Court Chambers named me the UK’s first Black trans lawyer – though, to some people’s surprise, I am not a solicitor or a barrister. My work sits in the public-interest tradition of community lawyering, stitching together the moving parts that keep the most marginalised from justice.

Queer people are not innocent. There are those of us who seem incapable of acknowledging Black trans women as intellectual beings, possessing sound judgement or adept at critical analysis. Instead, we are often treated as something to be managed, debated or moved on.

Visibility matters because it distinguishes those whose knowledge counts from those who must prove themselves human before they are heard. It determines whose justice is optional.

I have never found being out at work difficult. I practise commercial law, having retrained and qualified later in life after over a decade at Penguin Books and time in trade mark licensing.

What really made a difference for me was regularly encountering out gay women lawyers during my City firm training contract and seeing them succeed professionally. Their visibility proved that I could be ambitious and authentic simultaneously.

I stay active in LGBTQIA+ networks, because professional representation changes what people believe is possible. We need to see queer women not just participating in law, but leading and thriving.

My practice as a family law barrister is shaped by a strong human rights background, including work with asylum seekers and disabled adults.

As a queer, non-binary person, I know LGBTQIA+ visibility matters, both to help clients to feel seen, and to build a Bar where people can thrive without hiding who they are. The latter is not always easy.

In my personal life, I am bold and proud of my identity. As a barrister, I constantly encounter new people, and coming out to each of them is daunting. Writing this is my commitment to choosing bravery anyway.

As a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I am so pleased to be working at an organisation that prioritises diversity, equity and inclusion and takes meaningful positive action.

I am committed to creating an environment where people feel safe to be their authentic selves. Everyone should be able to feel confident challenging discriminatory or inappropriate behaviour, whether related to sexuality or any other aspect of their identity.

Visibility helps promote safety, confidence and self-expression. By being open about who I am, I hope to contribute to that.

After training and qualifying at Travers Smith, I then attended music school, studying composition at masters level. I now work at Bates Wells, specialising in data & privacy while continuing to write music.

Thankfully, within the legal sector, I’ve had some great gay senior role models. They have been vital to developing my confidence. I’m proud to be out as non-binary at work and have had some extremely supportive colleagues.

Being able to live authentically is key to both wellbeing and growth. I try to embody that as much as possible and inspire others to do the same.

I have worked in planning and environmental law since qualification and find it a really interesting, exciting and rewarding sector. However, I was too unsure of myself to take (what I saw as) the risk of coming out as a trainee.

But when my training firm set up a formal LGBTQIA+ network, it gave me a sense of security. I knew I was in a safe space and I haven’t looked back since!

I firmly believe in the need for visibility so that no other lawyers ever have to wonder if they will be supported for who they are.

I have been out since my late teens and embraced being out at work upon achieving tenancy. Although I initially feared coming out during pupillage, I have found the Bar to be overwhelmingly supportive.

For years, I believed that being out by reputation was enough. However, I’ve come to realise how powerful visibility is. It reassures the public that the legal profession reflects the diverse communities it serves.

As a bisexual family barrister, specialising in complex children law cases, I strive to promote fairness and equal justice. My aim is to embolden aspiring LGBTQIA+ barristers to pursue their legal careers unapologetically as their authentic selves.

When I was growing up, there was limited lesbian representation and I never saw myself reflected in it. Being gay simply didn’t seem like an option. It didn’t even cross my mind until I reached my mid-twenties.

Since coming out, I’ve been open and proud at work – this means coming out a lot as people usually assume I’m straight! It’s important to me to try to be a small part of that representation I never had, so that other people don’t go through the same thing.

LGBTQIA+ visibility helps us feel safe, valued and free to be our authentic selves at work. In today’s challenging political climate, showing up visibly as an LGBTQIA+ professional feels more vital than ever.

I am a planning lawyer, and a co-founder and former managing partner of Town Legal, a specialist planning law firm based in London. My undoubted career highlight was leading the work on the development of Battersea Power Station, but I no longer actively work as a lawyer. Now I am a full-time coach, acting as a thinking partner to leaders and executives.

I’m trans and proud of it. I recently became a trustee of Stonewall and a director of Freehold, the property industry LGBTQIA+ network. I have always felt supported as a trans person, but recent shifts in attitudes concern me greatly. This is why I am becoming more active and visible. I want to play a part in restoring the prevalence of reason and kindness in public life.

In 2022, while I was qualifying as a lawyer, my partner and I had our first child. I was always out at work because I never wanted to reflect any shame onto my kids. Back then, our family was legally invisible. The injustice of that lit a fire in me, which has driven my whole career.

It has been my pride and privilege to champion parents having children in same-sex families and in non-traditional ways. It seems so obvious – what matters to children is not how many parents they have, or their parents’ gender or sexual orientation, but whether they are loved.

In my twenties, I took part in Stonewall’s Young Talent Programme. I remember discussing the fear I felt about entering what seemed to be a conservative profession.

Visibility matters because if even one person reading this feels a little less afraid to pursue their goals, the world is better for it.

This profession is for you, whoever you are. Don’t underestimate the power of difference; seeing the world through unique eyes is a superpower. You do belong here.

Growing up in 1990s Ireland, I rarely saw queer representation. I came out in my twenties during the Marriage Equality campaign, and I’ve been proudly out at work ever since.

My career began in human rights, before I trained as a solicitor. Currently, I am a lawyer in London and co-chairperson of the OUTLaw Network, representing LGBTQIA+ lawyers in Ireland. Soon I will also join the board of a European LGBTQIA+ lawyers association.

The lack of out queer female lawyers, particularly at senior levels, has been challenging. I’ve often felt different. That’s why my work promoting community and visibility has been so rewarding.

Early on in my legal career, I learned to edit myself. When meeting new clients, attending networking events or even encountering new people in the firm, I quietly removed my now-wife from conversations. Simple questions like “Did you do much at the weekend?” would fill me with dread. A response of “not much” felt safest, but prevented making meaningful relationships with colleagues.

As I became more senior, I began to recognise the importance of the role I play in lesbian visibility. I want to show aspiring lawyers that there is a place for them in the legal profession. Lesbian visibility matters because it allows incredibly talented lesbians not just to enter law, but to stay and build lasting careers.

I am an experienced business leader with a strong track record in operational excellence, governance and strategic transformation. In my role at LSEG, driving innovation and efficiency across global teams, while championing digital adoption and organisational resilience, is very important to me.

I served as the global co-lead of LSEG Pride and I am also an executive director of Trans in the City. Championing LGBTQIA+ inclusion is something that I am extremely passionate about.

Visibility matters; I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to show up as the best version of themselves in all areas of their life.

As a private wealth & inheritance solicitor, I specialise in LGBTQIA+ client services. I established the specialism at the firm and also work in contentious estate administration.

I came out at 10 and have always chosen to live openly. That includes in my career. But my freedom to do so was only made possible by those who came before me, the people who lived their authentic truth despite facing adversity.

It is crucial that younger LGBTQIA+ individuals see role models in the legal profession. I am committed to being one of them, by being visible, proud and providing support to help pave the way for a more inclusive future.

I am a competition law associate at Charles Lyndon, with an LLM from Cambridge University. I have lived in five countries, and in some of them, like Brazil and the US, homophobia is still very much part of daily life. Luckily most of my career has been spent in Canada, the UK and, briefly, the Netherlands, where being openly queer is more accepted.

Coming out isn’t safe or possible for everyone. Culture, family, geography and personal safety are all factors which impact whether a person can come out. For those who can come out, I would say: do it! Visibility matters. Living openly makes space for others to do the same.

When I was a young adult, someone very close to me said, “You can’t be a lesbian. It’ll ruin your life.” This comment highlighted societal prejudice, much of which still exists today. I was the first solicitor, in Scotland, accredited in both mental health law and incapacity & mental disability law. I was the first openly LGBTQIA+ President of The Law Society of Scotland. I founded Buchanan Millar.

Visibility isn’t just symbolic; it’s imperative where possible. By being out, present and leading with authenticity, I aim to widen the path for those wondering whether they belong, and work towards a society where everyone can take their place. #MuchStillToDo

When I joined Mishcon de Reya as a trainee 20 years ago, I promptly went back into the closet. It was not until Emma Woollcott (a Legally Queerly 2025 alumna) arrived a few years later, and seemed comfortable being out and proud, that things changed for me. I have her to thank for being a role model for me.

Ten years ago I became a partner and three years ago I took on the role of the firm’s equity, diversity and inclusion partner. I hope that by being out and proud I, in turn, continue to role model for junior colleagues. Representation is crucial to feeling comfortable bringing your whole self to work.

I’m a strong believer in the phrase “you can’t be what you can’t see”. Early in my career, I was encouraged to stay in the closet, which was isolating. Everything changed when I joined a team led by an out, loud and proud partner. She showed me what true authenticity looked like. Being afraid to be yourself at work helps no one.

As a gay parent, I strive to be open about every part of my life. Coming out is a continual process as networks evolve. But by being as visible as possible, I hope it helps others be unapologetically themselves.

As well as being a barrister specialising in children and family law, I sit part-time as a deputy district judge and a fee-paid tribunal judge. Alongside practice, I teach the Bar course at BPP University and deliver advocacy training through the ICCA, both nationally and internationally.

I have been openly trans since pupillage, and I am the first openly trans woman of colour at the Bar of England and Wales.

Visibility matters to me because it normalises presence. Seeing LGBTQIA+ people in serious, responsible roles helps others imagine themselves there, without needing to explain or justify their worth.

I grew up in a small Irish village and was lucky to be comfortable in my identity from a young age. After training with A&L Goodbody LLP, in Dublin, I have recently relocated to London to work in the charity sector.

I am also the co-chairperson of the OUTLaw Network, a volunteer network that brings together the Irish LGBTQIA+ legal community.

I have always been out and proud at work. But for me, the most difficult part of my career has been the lack of representation. It’s difficult when you don’t have role models. It can feel quite lonely. If being visible helps even one person feel less alone, then being out in my career will have been worth it.

I have been a barrister for 28 years. It’s always been important to me to be out at work. Really so that I can be my authentic self. As a butch lesbian, I present in the way so that my inside fits my outside. I am always surprised if anyone assumes I am straight!

I am a family lawyer and regularly advise prospective parents about navigating queer co-parenting, fertility treatment, surrogacy and adoption. It’s a really important part of my work as being a parent to my son has been such a life-changing experience.

In 1989 I qualified as a solicitor, and then transferred to the Bar in 2011. When I was doing my Articles, the bill that became the S28 Local Government Act 1988 was passing through Parliament. Section 28 prohibited “the promotion of homosexuality” by local authorities and schools. I went on numerous demonstrations to “stop the clause”, but to no avail.

The freedoms we enjoy now as lesbians are hard fought victories that should not be taken for granted. So visibility is vital, especially as things can change quickly in this volatile world. I am proud to have played my part in creating the path for younger lesbians to follow.

As a junior associate at Greenberg Traurig, I am grateful to have kickstarted my legal career at a firm that is inclusive and welcoming. Feeling comfortable being myself has directly supported my training, confidence and growth.

While I do not believe sexuality should define a person, being open in everyday conversations matters. This has allowed me to focus on developing my legal skills and building strong working relationships without having to hide parts of who I am.

I also recognise that many still feel unable to be out at work. This is why lesbian visibility within the legal profession remains so crucial in shaping more supportive workplaces.

I sit on the committee of the OUTLaw Network as one of the Bar of Ireland’s representatives. OUTLaw promotes and drives the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people across the Irish legal community.

I started working in law in 2014 and, for me, being visibly out has opened more doors than it has closed. I believe that supporting LGBTQIA+ barristers is important, as it encourages visibility and respect among colleagues.

For the Bar to remain competitive and progressive, it is essential that newly minted lawyers don’t go elsewhere. The perception that practice at the Bar is archaic or homogeneous needs to change. Barristers are recognised for their collegiality, good spiritedness and passionate advocacy – what better place to be yourself.

My beloved career in the rail industry was taken away from me, because I was trans and chose to be honest about my identity with my employer. I rebuilt my life by turning to the employment and discrimination Bar. After 15 years at the Bar, I became the first discrimination barrister to transition in practice, which, in 2011, did not attract the toxicity that it does today.

As I have a public voice, and some respect from the media, I believe it is an obligation to speak up and counter the untruthful negative stories. This is a time for all LGBTQIA+ folk to stand together. In the words of the Welsh poet and writer Dylan Thomas, I will not be “going gently into that good night”.

Throughout my legal career, I’ve made a conscious decision to be out. That’s been the same through private practice and human rights work in South Africa, and now in-house in the UK. I can be out safely, because of those who came and fought before me.

Queer visibility in the legal profession is important because representation shapes culture and confidence. When colleagues and clients see people living openly and practising law at a high level, it challenges assumptions about who belongs.

Visibility creates psychological safety and shows that authenticity is a strength rather than a risk. It also improves our advice, by broadening the range of perspectives informing decisions.