Over 200 people, including C-level representatives from Mindshare UK, Wavemaker, Wunderman Thompson UK, The &Partnership and m/SiX, WACL, Grey and Creature are calling for action on queer female inclusion in advertising.

Our Open Letter, published today in Campaign magazine can be read in full below and began life from honest and open discussions that took place on International Women’s Day in March.

There are still many barriers for non-binary and queer women working in our industry to feel included and safe. Our letter calls on everyone, but especially those with power, to dismantle these barriers using the work we create and workplaces we are a part of.

We are committed to driving change. We hope that on reading our letter you are too.

People of our industry,

Have you ever noticed that there are more openly out LGBTQ+ men in your workplace than LGBTQ+ women?

Have you ever wondered why that might be?

It isn’t because there are fewer LGBTQ+ women.

It’s because fewer LGBTQ+ women are out at work.

Queer women are one of the least represented groups in our industry.

With so many negative stereotypes still being portrayed in the media and society, it’s no wonder that queer women are also almost twice as likely as queer men to stay in the closet at work (Pride Matters Survey, 2018).

In an age where we should feel comfortable being our most authentic selves at work, it is clear that many queer women do not feel comfortable at all.

And that is simply not good enough.

As members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community, it’s our mission to change this. Queer women should not only feel like they belong in our industry, but they should feel like they can thrive. So on 11th March 2021, we came together as LGBTQ+ women and allies. We shared our stories, our struggles and our diverse perspectives.

And we shared solutions—that we can’t implement on our own.

Which is why we’re asking you, at every level of every communications agency, to take action and hold ourselves and each other accountable in the following ten ways:

To stop using stereotypical images and cliches that portray queer women negatively.
To never disclose that a colleague is LGBTQ+ in the workplace without their permission.
To create safe and inclusive workspaces and events to help queer women feel included and supported to come out.
To call out any microaggressions overheard in the workplace and report if necessary.
To work with media publications that are actively inclusive of queer women (Curve & Diva are notable examples).
To support more research and insight into queer women to better understand this group and their attitudes and beliefs, ensuring that ‘lesbian’ is listed in a separate category to ‘gay’ in surveys to achieve a more accurate representation of ‘L’.
To establish and monitor company KPIs specific to supporting queer women, especially around recruitment and progression.
To stand in solidarity to support transgender women and those who identify as non-binary.
To actively support the promotion of queer female and non-binary role models within the communications industry.
To represent at every level, within employee network groups—appointing more queer women as co-chairs—and most importantly, on our leadership teams: welcome, champion, and celebrate queer women.

We, the signatories of this letter, commit to making our industry more welcome, open and inclusive for all, and we ask you to join us.

Add Your Name

Signed by:

Abi Ravichandiran, Reckitt, Global Search Lead

Adam Cochrane

Adam Russell, Essence, EVP, Global Client Partner

Alejandra Garcia, Essence, Analytics Supervisor

Alex Barber, Common Good Company, Co-Founder

Alex Mullins I

Alexander Meadows-Rocks, Landor & Fitch, PA

Alexandra Bousquet-Chavanne

Alicia Pulver, Essence, Client Director

Ally Chapman, Havas, Strategy Director

Amy Durrant, Bold Strokes Ltd, Creative Lead

Andrew Kinnersley, Essence, Analytics Associate Director

Angharad Planells, Radioactive PR, Head of business development and culture

Angie Gola-Ebue, Intermediary, Founder

Anjali Oldfield, HR Director

Anna Brent, Across the Pond, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion & Executive Producer

Anna Brown, The Thread Team, Business Director

Anna Hickey, Wavemaker, Global Client President

Ant Delany, Makerhouse (WPP), Managing Director, EU

Ant Jackson, Wunderman Thompson, Senior Copywriter

Arthur Jones, ATG, Head of Production Marketing

Asad Dhunna, The Unmistakables, CEO

Betty Ward, Havas Lynx, Operations Executive

Camille Bouyer, AnalogFolk, Junior Designer

Carolyn Bondi, The Thread Team, Founding Partner

Carolyn Bondi, The Thread Team, Director

Casey Sheehan, Grey, Account Executive

Catherine Whiterow, Essence, Content & Innovation Manager

Celeste Dalairac, Grey, Executive Creative Director

Charlotte Davis, m/SIX, Marketing and New business manager

Charlotte Schreurs

Charlotte Scott, Grey London, Business Director

Chelsea Jackson, WPP, Global Racial Equity Operations Manager

Chloe Wong, m/SIX, Audience Planner

Chris Dunne, Thinkbox, Head of Marketing

Daisy Bard, Grey, Creative

Dan Cullen-Shute, Creature, CEO

David Clasen, Outvertising, Co-director of Finance

Devin O'Loughlin, RAPP Worldwide, Global Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion & Communications Officer / Global Chairperson, Omnicom OPEN Pride

Devon Douieb, Versus Arthritis, Social Media Officer

Dimitar Nikolov, Essence, Media Activation Director

Dominic Williams, Essence

Donal Keenan, D&AD, Awards Director

Dylan Mouratsing, m/SIX, Global Head of Data Strategy

Edward Gregson, FCB, Art Director

Efrain Ayala, Reckitt

Eleanor Matthews, TBWA World Health, Senior Copywriter

Emily Smith, Kinetic, Account Manager

Emiro Mendoza, Outvertising, Co-Director Events

Emma Louise Hansen

Emma Saddleton, dentsu, Strategy Partner

Emma Wilson-Hill, Wunderman Thompson MSC, Video Editor

Eske van Egerschot, H+K Strategies, Communications Director

Euan Brown, Virgin Red, Head of Digital & Social

Eva Bashford-harrison, Superunion, Designer

Eva Schabbach, Just Eat Takeaway

Filipe Zuluaga, Teamspirit, Analyst

Francesca Coia, Republic of Media Ltd, Digital Media Manager

Francesca Stracqualursi, Museum of Brands Packaging and Advertising, Head of Commercial Events

Gillian Beerman, DraftLine, Associate Producer

Giulyanna Loureiro, Dennis Publishing, Digital Project Manager

Guy Duncan, Brand Equality, Founding Director

Hananha Willers, Grey London, Producer

Hannah Lane, Producer

Hannah Robbins, Firefish, Senior Cultural Strategist

Harriet Wiltshire, Karmarama, Creative

Harriette Hanson, Grey London, Account Director

Hiran Adhia, Landor & Fitch, Senior Client Manager

Huw Morris, Lee &Thompson LLP, Partner - Advertising & Marketing

Igor Tolkachev, Shopify, Agency Partnerships

Ingo Duckerschein, Taboola, Regional Director, Central & Eastern Europe

Ivan Palmer, Grey Social, Director

Jack Swayne, m/SIX, CEO

Jack Tanner, Ogilvy | Social Lab, Creative Copywriter

Jackie Stevenson, WACL, President

Jacob Niedzwiecki, Essence Global

James Addison, Forpeople, Associate Director

James Kenrick, Grey London, Account Manager

James Maxwell, Teamspirit, ECD

Jamie Fleming, Essence, Media Activation Executive

Jem Lloyd-Williams, Mindshare UK, CEO

Jeng Au, Amazon, Art Director

Jenni Evans, Born Social, Senior New Business Manager

Jennifer La, Grey Social, Senior Social Media Manager

Jenny Biggam, the7stars, Founder

Jenny Cohan, Dennis Publishing, Product Manager

Jerry Daykin, GSK Consumer Healthcare, Senior Media Director

Jess Fleming, WPP, EA to Toby Hoare + WPP Unilever Team Manager + UNITE, WPP's LGBTQ+ Community Operations & Logistics

Jessica Lee, The Thread Team, SAM

Jessica Lenehan, Essence, VP, Client Partner

Jessica Metcalfe, MFuse, Senior planner

Jim Mccaffery, Outcast, Copywriter

Jiya Asokan, Verticurl Marketing Pvt Ltd, HR Executive

Jo Preston, Teamspirit, Group Board Director

Joanne Henderson, Grey London, Client FD

Joe Hoppard, RAPP UK, Strategy Partner

John D'Arcy, GTB, Managing Partner, Analytics

John Davidson, Kinetic UK, Chief Operating Officer

John Lyons, The NDL Group, Sales & Marketing Director

Jonathan Ayala, Essence, Analyst

Jonathan Palmer, Outvertising, Co-Director Training & Development

Jonathan Palmer, Trouble Maker, Comms Strategy Director

Julie Cohen, Across the Pond, CEO

Julie Zerlang, Wunderman Thompson, Project Manager

June Yeoh, GroupM, Regional APAC Director

Kate Armishaw, Grey London, Account Director

Kate Browne, Essence Global, VP, Business Operations

Katie Cook, Wavemaker Worldwide, Global Client Director

Katie Whittam-Hayes, Five by Five Global / Lawton Communications Group Ltd, Group HR Director

Katie Whittam-Hayes, Five by Five Ltd, part for Lawton Communications Group Ltd, Group HR Director

Katrina Hedditch, Ogilvy, Project Manager

Kevin Tewis-Allen, Preen, Managing Director

Kirsty Clegg

Klaus Bockholt, Essence, Head of Country Management

Kostie Kontorravdis, AnalogFolk, Creative

Kyoko Adachi, Essence, Strategy Director

Laura Inker, Landor & Fitch, Client Manager

Laura Jordan Bambach, Grey, President & CCO

Lawrence Hunt, Essence, Planning Account Director

Lee Beattie, John Doe Group, CEO

Lee Manton, Outvertising, Board Director & Creative Director

Liam Rezende Outvertising, Co-Director Communications

Lily Holt

Lily Wadsworth, GSK, Brand Manager

Lina Obregón, Wunderman Thompson, Ejecutiva de cuenta

Lindsay Jackson, Mindshare Media UK Limited, Chief People Officer

Lizzy Davis, Analogfolk, Designer

Louis Persent, Outvertising, Co-Director Communications

Louise Newton, Grey London, EA

Lucy McKillop, Outvertising, Joint CEO

Lucy Rennie, Consultant, Strategy Director

Lucy Sabelnikova, Essence, Business Intelligence Developer

Luke Tutt, Autovia Limited, Marketing Manager

Lukeisha Paul, GroupM, Head of Diversity Equity & Inclusion

Marcus Brown, The Great Pitch Company, CEO

Marie Hughes, Grey, Senior Producer

Mark Runacus MBE, Outvertising, Joint CEO

Mark Thistlewood, Crohn's & Colitis UK, Brand officer

Marty Davies, Smarty Pants Consultancy, Founding Director

Matthew Chew, MediaCom, Paid Social Manager

Mayur Varma, 82.5 Communications, ECD

Melody Meacher-Jones

Michelle Jacques, Octopus Farm, Director

Micky Tudor. The & Partnership, ECD

Mik Levin, Essence, Associate Director

Mike Pantelides, Senior Copywriter

Miles Zilesnick

Montserrat Tojeiro, Teamspirit, Managing Director

Mr Stafferton-Barber, Common Good Company, Co-Founder

Nancy O'Connor, School of Communication Arts 2.0

Naomi Taylor, Grey, Creative

Natalie Joseph-Lowry, Wireless, Head of Digital Trading

Neil Hopkins, Freelance Consultant

Nicholas Banbury, BanCoe Consulting Ltd, Director

Nina Aguilar, Essence, Media Planning Manager

Nishita Upadhyay, VCCP, Senior Integrated Producer

Olivia Clarkson, Grey, Director of Connected Culture

Orla Reaper-Reynolds, Core, Client Director

Paul Confrey, GTB, President, EU

Paul Dazeley, TMW Unlimited, Strategy Director

Paul Hewitt, Google, Freelance Creative Lead

Peter Reeves, Dennis Publishing, Product Manager

Pip Hulbert, Wunderman Thompson, CEO UK

Pollyanna Ward

Rachel Barber, Creating Stories Ltd, Director

Rachel Cawley, Essence, Director, Media Planning

Rachel Cook, Thompson, Director

Rebecca Marchant, The Brooklyn Brothers, Social Director

Remy Le Mentec, Dennis Publishing, Marketing Manager

Rob Gray, Grey LDN, Account Director

Robin Mitchell, The Brooklyn Brothers Limited, Finance Director

Robyn Frost, TBWA\Chiat\Day, Sr Art Director

Rochelle Ryan, VaynerMedia, Assoc. Director, HR

Sam Lewis, The And Partnership Worldwide, Managing Director

Sandy Downs, Teamspirit, Head of Diversity & Account Director

Sanjana Shirke, GroupM Media India, Head of Talent Management, India

Sarah Clark, The&Partnership, Managing Director

Sarah Golding, The&Partnership, CEO and Partner

Sarah Ismail, Essence, Client Director

Sebastian Martínez, Wunderman Thompson, Business Strategist

Sherifa Benjamin-Ifill, Essence, Head of Production

Sheryl Agyemang, Sky, Media Planner

Sonam Lakhani, VCCP Business, People Partner

Sophie Cohen, Essence, Media Activation Executive

Sophie Gadd, The LEGO Group, Creative

Sophie Kozlowski-Dormon, Sophie Writes Copy Limited, Copywriter

Sophie Sheard, Team Spirit, Account Manager

Stephen Lynch, Havas London, Senior Creative

Stephen Palin, Taboola, Director, Sales

Stephen Renou, Barrows Global, Strategic Director

Steve Wheen, distillery, Founder/CEO

Steven Bull, m/SIX, Credit Manager

Talia Osler, Essence

Tanner Davis, TikTok, Product Marketing Manager

Terry ONeill, Grey, Senior Creative / CD

Tess Alps, ASA, Council Member

Theo Erasmus, C-90, Head of Strategy

Thom Binding, Essence, Head of Creative Strategy

Thomas Nyiri, NABS, Head Of Partnerships

Tim Glister, Teamspirit, Creative Director

Toby Hoare, WPP, Global Client Leader

Toby Jenner, Wavemaker, Global CEO

Tom Ollerton, Automated Creative, Founder

Tracey Barber, The Brooklyn Brothers, Global head of brand

Trak Ellis-Hill, Momentum, Creative Partner

Victoria Fichaut, Essence, Producer

Wega Bratsch, Essence, Business Director, Client Services

Wendy Watherston, Teamspirit, Director

Xavier Cookson-Edwards, Hogarth Worldwide, Senior Account Manager

Xavier Totor, Essence, Senior Global Internal Communications Manager

Zanthi Galiatsatos, Connectit Networks | Cōv communications, Marketing Communications Director

Zoe Bowen-Jones, Wavemaker, Insights Director

Zoe Conning, Amplo Lettings, Director

Zoe Miranda, Teamspirit, Head of Social

Zoe Scaman, Bodacious, Founder

Add your name

Announcing the winners of the Outvertising Awards 2021

The ad industry unites for queer female inclusion

People of our industry,

Across the Pond's Anna Brent elected as Co-director of Community and Culture

Donating to Outvertising will help support the LGBTQIA+ community in the workplace.