Voices of LGBTI: Louise Aksglæde, Elias Vargas and Ciara Dowling
#celebratingDiversity
Florida / 16 June 2021
26,000 individuals make up who we are at Siemens Gamesa and it is for each and every one of our employees that we are committed to providing a diverse, inclusive and welcoming work environment. Creating equal opportunities for all is the only way that our employees can reach their full potential. We firmly believe that everyone deserves to feel that they can be themselves and feel valued and accepted for who they are.
26,000 individuals make up who we are at Siemens Gamesa and it is for each and every one of our employees that we are committed to providing a diverse, inclusive and welcoming work environment. Creating equal opportunities for all is the only way that our employees can reach their full potential. We firmly believe that everyone deserves to feel that they can be themselves and feel valued and accepted for who they are.
June is Pride Month, a tribute to the participants of the 1970 Stonewall Uprising in New York City and a recognition of the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people have had on local, national and international history. By highlighting the personal journeys of some of our LGBTI colleagues, we aim not only to raise awareness about LGBTI issues, but also to give them a voice. We stand with them.
Today we introduce you to three members of the LGBTI community who work at Siemens Gamesa. Louise Aksglæde, Group Lead in our Technology Workshop in Aalborg, Denmark, part-time firefighter at Nordjylland’s Beredskab, Elias Vargas (he/him), Scrum Master and Team Manager working in our Service Business Unit in Siemens Gamesa’s office in Zamudio, Spain and Ciara Dowling (she/her), HR Analyst in the Global HR Services Team working from home in the United Kingdom.
Today we introduce you to three members of the LGBTI community who work at Siemens Gamesa. Louise Aksglæde, Group Lead in our Technology Workshop in Aalborg, Denmark, part-time firefighter at Nordjylland’s Beredskab, Elias Vargas (he/him), Scrum Master and Team Manager working in our Service Business Unit in Siemens Gamesa’s office in Zamudio, Spain and Ciara Dowling (she/her), HR Analyst in the Global HR Services Team working from home in the United Kingdom.
Louise Aksglæde
“Deep down I have always known that I am gay, but I truly realized it when I was 26 years old. I wasn’t hiding it before, but at that time I met a woman that triggered something in me. At first, I thought it was just her, but a little later I knew that I was gay.
Shortly after that realization, I “came out.” First to my dad. His first reaction was concern and he asked if he would ever have grandchildren with me being gay. And I assured him that it was still a possibility (he does have a 7 ½ year old granddaughter today).
Shortly after that realization, I “came out.” First to my dad. His first reaction was concern and he asked if he would ever have grandchildren with me being gay. And I assured him that it was still a possibility (he does have a 7 ½ year old granddaughter today).
He took some time to think, but came around in the end saying, ‘You are my daughter and I love you no matter what!’. After that, I came out to the rest of my family and friends. All of them were very understanding and supportive. Some even said that they had known for years.
I haven’t really come out at work. If the topic comes up, I do say that I am gay though. Some colleagues were surprised, but that is ok. After all, I do not have it written all over my forehead. Overall, I believe that Siemens Gamesa is a welcoming workplace for the LGBTI community, although I sometimes wish there would be more visibility for the topic. It is important for employers to be supportive and understanding of underrepresented groups.
I am proud of who I am and that, of course, includes me being gay. Talking about it this way might imply differently, but I usually don’t shout it out into the world. However, I do believe that creating awareness is extremely important, especially when it comes to other members of the community that are still hesitant about being out and proud at work or in their personal life. I am doing this in support of them, so that they know they are not alone.
Pride to me means that I can be who I am and be proud of that, no matter what other people might think. We are all different in our own way and that must be respected and celebrated.”
I haven’t really come out at work. If the topic comes up, I do say that I am gay though. Some colleagues were surprised, but that is ok. After all, I do not have it written all over my forehead. Overall, I believe that Siemens Gamesa is a welcoming workplace for the LGBTI community, although I sometimes wish there would be more visibility for the topic. It is important for employers to be supportive and understanding of underrepresented groups.
I am proud of who I am and that, of course, includes me being gay. Talking about it this way might imply differently, but I usually don’t shout it out into the world. However, I do believe that creating awareness is extremely important, especially when it comes to other members of the community that are still hesitant about being out and proud at work or in their personal life. I am doing this in support of them, so that they know they are not alone.
Pride to me means that I can be who I am and be proud of that, no matter what other people might think. We are all different in our own way and that must be respected and celebrated.”
Elias Vargas (he/him)
"I started to come out to friends and other students when I was at university. Today, I live out and proud in Bilbao together with my husband. At work, I started to “come out” to my closest group of colleagues who I was working with at the time a few years back. But when working with new people almost every day or to network with, “coming out” is almost a daily occurrence. But it has given me a feeling of belonging in the Siemens Gamesa community, because I can freely talk about my personal life when at social events with colleagues – that is very empowering.
So far, I would say that I have been very fortunate, because I haven’t experienced any discrimination in the workplace for being gay. However, I am of course aware that I am privileged in other ways that make discrimination less likely. Giving a voice to all people of the LGBTI rainbow who work with us, empowering them and making them visible and seen is the biggest challenge for companies. Representation is key when you want all your employees to have a sense of belonging. That is why employee resource groups are so important – they provide that essential visibility and a voice to underrepresented groups like the LGBTI community or for example employees with disabilities. These groups have even more impact when they have the support or are sponsored by members of the top management.
As an employee, I try to be inclusive and make the company a welcoming place for all. But Siemens Gamesa is a big company, and it is highly likely that not all employees have had the same positive experiences that I had on my journey in the workplace. That is why we have launched an employee resource group for LGBTI colleagues as well as straight allies. We are hoping to raise awareness and to some extent make people aware of their own unconscious or even conscious bias and thereby create change for the better.
Pride to me has had different meanings throughout my life. Before I was really at ease with who I am and proud of who I am, Pride was something that I was afraid of but wanted at the same time. Once I was out (and proud), it felt like I had reached the end of my journey. It seemed like the feeling of being out and happy about it was enough. In the years since I have come out, I have learned a lot about diversity and inclusion. Pride for me now represents not only what I have accomplished but what I want everyone else in the LGBTI community around the globe to accomplish – that being who you are is not a privilege but a fundamental right.”
So far, I would say that I have been very fortunate, because I haven’t experienced any discrimination in the workplace for being gay. However, I am of course aware that I am privileged in other ways that make discrimination less likely. Giving a voice to all people of the LGBTI rainbow who work with us, empowering them and making them visible and seen is the biggest challenge for companies. Representation is key when you want all your employees to have a sense of belonging. That is why employee resource groups are so important – they provide that essential visibility and a voice to underrepresented groups like the LGBTI community or for example employees with disabilities. These groups have even more impact when they have the support or are sponsored by members of the top management.
As an employee, I try to be inclusive and make the company a welcoming place for all. But Siemens Gamesa is a big company, and it is highly likely that not all employees have had the same positive experiences that I had on my journey in the workplace. That is why we have launched an employee resource group for LGBTI colleagues as well as straight allies. We are hoping to raise awareness and to some extent make people aware of their own unconscious or even conscious bias and thereby create change for the better.
Pride to me has had different meanings throughout my life. Before I was really at ease with who I am and proud of who I am, Pride was something that I was afraid of but wanted at the same time. Once I was out (and proud), it felt like I had reached the end of my journey. It seemed like the feeling of being out and happy about it was enough. In the years since I have come out, I have learned a lot about diversity and inclusion. Pride for me now represents not only what I have accomplished but what I want everyone else in the LGBTI community around the globe to accomplish – that being who you are is not a privilege but a fundamental right.”
Ciara Dowling (she/her)
“I probably realized that I was gay when I was 13 or 14 years old but wasn’t 100% sure until I was around 18. I started telling people when I went to University as I felt this was a good opportunity to be open with people who didn’t already have pre-conceptions about me or who I was. It was around this time that I met a group of LGBTI friends who were instrumental to me accepting and enjoying who I was and then ultimately coming out to my friends and family back home. To my relief, everyone I cared about was absolutely accepting of me and really it wasn’t a big deal at all. I know I am extremely lucky to have had this type of response and others are not so fortunate.
I have been out at work at Siemens Gamesa since the beginning. For me, the biggest challenge is the feeling that you are always ‘coming out’ every time you disclose something about your personal life to someone new. There is always a niggling worry that referring to ‘my girlfriend’ will result in an uncomfortable reaction from the person I am speaking to and they may treat me differently in the future. Although this has never actually happened, that fear is always there.
Feeling as though you have to hide yourself at work takes up a lot of mental energy. I don’t think people can really be their best selves and give their all to their work if they are spending time worrying about judgement or ridicule from others. Feeling a sense of belonging can also make you feel more confident in sharing your ideas and opinions with your team which is ultimately beneficial for the business when it comes to creativity and innovation. For that to happen, I believe that companies should take a clear stance against homophobia and discrimination in all areas of the business, not just on a corporate level.
The importance of something like Pride cannot be understated. I know many people may look around and feel that things have never been better for the LGBTI community and question why Pride is still needed, but we must remember that homosexuality is still criminalized in 69 countries around the world. Even in more liberal countries like the United Kingdom, we know that homophobic discrimination or abuse still exists despite many protections in the law. For me, Pride is therefore about saying ‘we exist, and we are not going anywhere’.”
Feeling as though you have to hide yourself at work takes up a lot of mental energy. I don’t think people can really be their best selves and give their all to their work if they are spending time worrying about judgement or ridicule from others. Feeling a sense of belonging can also make you feel more confident in sharing your ideas and opinions with your team which is ultimately beneficial for the business when it comes to creativity and innovation. For that to happen, I believe that companies should take a clear stance against homophobia and discrimination in all areas of the business, not just on a corporate level.
The importance of something like Pride cannot be understated. I know many people may look around and feel that things have never been better for the LGBTI community and question why Pride is still needed, but we must remember that homosexuality is still criminalized in 69 countries around the world. Even in more liberal countries like the United Kingdom, we know that homophobic discrimination or abuse still exists despite many protections in the law. For me, Pride is therefore about saying ‘we exist, and we are not going anywhere’.”
