Celebrating LGBT+ inclusivity at Defence Infrastructure Organisation

Created by VERCIDA for Defence Infrastructure Organisation

Jamie White’s career has taken him from retail to defence, with the support of LGBT+ networks along the way. 

When I left school, I started working as a supermarket shelf-stacker. My retail career progressed from there and I became a manager in a London store at quite a young age, six years after I joined the company. That is when I got involved with the company’s LGBT+ network.

I was the network’s London rep and I got involved in different events, such as organising our London Pride entry, as well as promoting LGBT+ visibility at work. Then I left London and moved to Hampshire with my now-husband. He works as an aircraft mechanic, so it was easier for me to get transferred to another supermarket than it was for him to move locations.

We were living near an army base where a friend worked. She told me that working in the army was amazing. After 14 and a half years in retail, it was time for a change and I wanted a better work/life balance. That’s when I joined Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), originally in a training role. I managed the south-east region’s training, overseeing budgets and organising necessary courses, such as health and safety.

When I started in 2021, I searched the DIO intranet for anything LGBT+-related, I found the DIO LGBT+ Network and joined it. At the time, the network was mostly about raising awareness, but there wasn’t much happening with events. I thought I might become the network’s events coordinator, but instead, I was told that I should be a co-chair.

Since then, we took a fresh look at the network and we’ve been really busy ever since. A rainbow crossing was installed at Royal Air Force Brize Norton, which was the first-ever inclusive infrastructure at a Ministry of Defence (MoD) site. We held a big event with our community members to mark the occasion.

We have regular catch-ups with our network members and they write blogs, we share the big LGBT+ events in the calendar, we host webinars where people share their lived experiences, and we organise bigger events, inviting everyone across the MoD to get involved. Next month is Pride and I’m really excited. We have so much support for our involvement in Pride and I’m hoping we can work with some of our industry partners this year, as well as maybe getting a band or choir involved.

Since I started with DIO, I have been promoted to Digital Data Manager after doing part of this job when a colleague was on maternity leave. I am quite technically minded, so this position has been a great fit for me. My role has a particular focus on the south-west area. There are all sorts of responsibilities – making sure we store data correctly, making sure the right people have permissions, controlling access to the library, keeping track of who has access to what information, updating access when people leave and join, meeting data protection requirements.

I’ve found DIO to be a very supportive environment for LGBT+ employees – I’ve never had to hide who I am and the network is strongly supported by the senior leadership team. DIO is a really inclusive place to work and I’ve never come across the old stereotypes about defence organisations being difficult workplaces for LGBT+ people. There are no barriers here.

Across the whole MoD, so much has been done to change the culture so it’s more inclusive. HR consults with all the networks when updating or creating policy. It’s great to be involved and share our perspectives. And mental health support is important – a lot of our members are mental health first aiders.

I’m very happy at DIO. It is a very open and accepting workplace where they are mindful of your work/life balance and your mental wellbeing. It’s not just about work, it’s about focusing on people and making sure we all have the right tools and support to do our jobs.