Does the fmcg sector walk the walk on LGBTQ+ issues?

But for the LGBTQ+ people working in the industry, it’s what happens behind the scenes that makes the difference. And not all are reporting positive experiences – in fact, some have felt actively “uncomfortable” in the workplace.

So once the party’s over and the confetti has settled, what’s the reality for LGBTQ+ people in the industry? Is the sector really walking the walk on inclusion, or does much of its activity amount to little more than ‘rainbow washing’?

For LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, discrimination remains an issue across all industries. Its latest LGBT in Britain Work Report found one in eight trans people (12%) had been physically attacked by customers or colleagues in the past year because of being trans.

Meanwhile, almost one in five LGBTQ+ staff (18%) had been the target of negative comments or conduct from work colleagues because of their sexuality, and more than a third of LGBTQ+ staff (35%) had hidden or disguised their sexuality at work because they were afraid of discrimination.

“Sadly, workplace discrimination is still an ongoing issue for LGBTQ+ people,” says Dr Luke Fletcher, an associate professor in human resource management at the University of Bath. “My research with the CIPD found 40% of LGBTQ+ and 55% of trans/non-binary workers we surveyed reported experiencing a form of mistreatment at work over a 12-month period – being humiliated, verbally abused, and direct harassment or discrimination.

“Such experiences may be more pronounced in highly masculinised environments and in public-facing roles such as the grocery industry,” he says. “However, such risks of discrimination and mistreatment are apparent in all industries.”

Varied experiences

For those working in the industry, the picture is decidedly mixed. Take Brighton Gin founder Kathy Caton. She identifies as a lesbian/gay/queer woman – “I use those terms interchangeably” – and believes the reality “depends on the day of the week you’re asking”.

“Things have changed really positively over the past 15-20 years or so,” says Caton, whose brand counts Waitrose among its stockists.

Due to those “huge strides forward”, it’s now a rarity for food and drink brands, big or small, not to have an equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policy that covers LGBTQ+ issues, she points out.

“If you only talk about this for one month a year, it becomes a marketing exercise, and a lot of LGBTQ+ people will see through it”

Rafael Rozenson

But the level of discrimination can depend on “where on the LGBTQ+ spectrum one comes from. I think our trans and non-binary siblings can have a tougher time of things than others,” she points out.

“It also depends on what part of the industry you’re in,” she says. Although Caton is quick to mention the positive changes in the craft distillery scene, she notes that “as a fairly ‘gay-looking’, middle-aged woman, I know there are certain places I go into where I’m not the right ‘fit’, that I don’t look right”.

“Some of the trade and industry shows, for example, can be very ‘blokey’ and that can be very intimidating,” she explains.

She also references gay male friends in the industry “who are not ‘out’, particularly because of the environments they work in, where they’re worried about what implications those things might have”.

“But on the flipside, we hear from people around the world saying they saw our limited-edition Pride bottle – we release a new one every year – loved it and want to know where they can get it. So, yin and yang.”

On the positive side, there are people like Popcorn Shed founder Sam Feller, who sells his gourmet popcorn brand through Ocado, Harrods and numerous wholesalers. He has only had good experiences of being gay in the industry.

“I certainly haven’t experienced any kind of stigma, bullying or bias because of my sexuality, so I’ve found it [fmcg] a very welcoming place for LGBTQ+ founders,” he says. “I came from a corporate background in the commercial property industry, and I did find certain elements of that industry quite homophobic. But I don’t feel the same within the food and drink space at all, and I certainly welcome that as a gay man.”

“Business has played a very important role in changing people’s acceptance of different groups”

Giles Gibbons, founder and CEO of Good Business

At the other end of the spectrum, though, is Rafael Rozenson. He worked for numerous fmcg giants before founding a challenger brand and “consistently faced discrimination pretty much everywhere I worked. This made me feel uncomfortable and, I feel, has always affected my work performance.”

He points out that some of his experiences took place a number of years ago – like when he was laughed at by a new boss when mentioning diversity and LGBTQ+ work, and was told by a colleague that his blond hair made him “look gay”.

“I’m sure many people might say these are isolated incidents, but the impact is that it makes it really hard to fit in and work effectively. At one large fmcg brand, I never really fitted in and left,” he says.

Since leaving the more corporate side of the industry to start Vieve, a protein water brand, new problems have presented themselves. “The main challenge I face is the dilemma of being an ‘out’ founder and supporting LGBTQ+ causes as a business,” Rozenson says.

“When I first started Vieve, we used to make a big deal of Pride – we’d alter our social media logo to be a rainbow, have posts with gay or lesbian couples in them, but I was met with so much hate and backlash I decided to sort of go ‘back in the closet’ for the business. It really reinforces some of the trauma I feel from initially coming out.

“Also, as someone who has faced discrimination for being gay in the industry, it makes me think, will being openly gay affect our chances for retail listings, investment, etc? Will customers stop buying from us?”

Walking the walk?

While the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in the industry vary dramatically, the fact remains that Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers 2024 list includes only three fmcg brands: Tesco, Boots and Budweiser.

Even though everyone who spoke to The Grocer said attitudes had hugely improved, they believed more could be done. It raises the question of whether the sector is truly ‘walking the walk’ when it comes to LGBTQ+ issues – particularly as LGBTQ+ flags become so ubiquitous during the Pride months.

“Society has changed over the past 20 years, and I think business has played a very important role in changing people’s acceptance of different groups,” says Giles Gibbons, founder and CEO of sustainability consultancy Good Business. “But I think the desire to be liked and use communication platforms to support causes, when they’re not actually delivering on those impacts within the organisation, is being rightly called out. I think that stems from things like Black Lives Matter and issues around gender.”

“We have a saying here: we’re queer all year, not gay for a day”

Kathy Caton, Brighton Gin founder

The activity around Pride has also caught Caton’s eye. “I think that on one hand that visibility is fantastic. But I’m also really aware there are lots of places that are ‘gay for a day’ but then the bunting gets put away and it’s not the same,” she says. “A flipping rainbow can be stuck on anything without anything being done to give back to the community, and that kind of thing does drive me absolutely round the twist.”

That practice of paying lip service to the cause falls under the definition of ‘rainbow washing’. Like its counterparts such as greenwashing, it refers to companies misleading well-intentioned consumers through marketing aimed at establishing a brand’s moral credentials – in this case, on LGBTQ+ issues.

Increasingly, consumers are seeing through more superficial communication. “From a branding perspective, what matters is what the public thinks about brand activities around Pride,” says Dr Olivier Sibai, a marketing lecturer and expert on rainbow washing at Birkbeck, University of London. “Only Pride activities deemed morally competent will be well perceived by consumers.

“So, which initiatives do consumers typically find the most competent? This year, the Pride initiatives that are most commonly positively regarded are internally focused educational initiatives, such as hosting educational panels or workshops, and financial support, by donating a portion of sales to LGBTQ+ charities or organisations,” he says.

“In contrast, the majority of consumers view limited-edition, Pride-themed products and services, and updating logo colours and designs as cynical, performative support aimed solely at increasing profits.”

It raises the question of whether brands should ditch the limited editions and public-facing activity in favour of a more internal, quieter approach. Feelings on this issue are often intensely personal.

“I’m in two minds on brand activities around Pride,” admits Rozenson. “If there’s a charitable aspect, like giving to LGBTQ+ shelters or helplines for young LGBTQ+ people, then I’m largely OK with it. But if it’s tokenistic, and you only talk about this for one month a year, it becomes a marketing exercise, and I think a lot of LGBTQ+ people will see through it as well.”

Popcorn Shed’s Feller, meanwhile, is largely in favour of Pride initiatives. “As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, if I see a brand do a campaign around Pride, I do feel more comfortable buying that brand or using its services, because I feel they care, that they actually pay attention to the cause,” he says.

“Whether they actually care or not, I don’t know. But I wouldn’t say it’s all hollow or rubbish. I’m a consumer as much as anyone else, so my perception of it is the most important thing – and I would prefer them to do something than nothing at all.”

Meaningful action, not trends

Many companies are, of course, doing something. Almost all the major fmcg players have an LGBTQ+ network and/or initiatives, with many winning awards for their work. One difficulty, though, is that clearly identifiable outcomes can be hard to come by in this area, according to Good Business’s Gibbons.

“On gender, for example, it’s much easier in a way, because you can ask very clear questions on the gender pay gap, more specific questions,” he says. “Whereas on LGBTQ+, it’s often things like: do LGBTQ+ people feel comfortable in the company? Do they feel supported? These are qualitative things, so they’re more difficult for companies to respond to in specificity.”

Even so, everyone The Grocer spoke to agrees there is plenty companies can do to build a more inclusive working environment for LGBTQ+ employees – and follow through on Pride-related activity in the process.

“It’s really important that employers don’t follow new trends to keep up with market competition in the area of EDI without doing a lot of their own research and planning,” says the University of Bath’s Fletcher. “It’s pertinent to involve LGBTQ+ employees in this planning and design of initiatives so they are best placed to make a significant, positive impact for the people they’re designed to benefit the most.”

Having LGBTQ+ initiatives that are driven by the team was a recurring theme, rather than someone from on high handing down diktats – though it can also be argued both approaches have value.

For Caton, high-level engagement is linked to the importance of visibility: “That adage that you can’t be what you can’t see is absolutely true, and the more people come out and are their authentic selves at the top of organisations, that can really help people at all levels.”

She also highlighted the potential impact of language workshops, though they should not be about dictating which words people can and cannot use.

“They can be very useful for explaining why language is really impactful, why using someone’s correct pronouns is a great thing and is really no skin off anyone’s nose. I think that most people, if they have the impact of those things explained to them, unless they’re absolute arseholes, will probably think: ‘Oh, OK, actually I can do that, because for a tiny bit of effort on my part, that can be really supportive and validating for someone else’.”

This bleeds into the point that companies must take “extra care when engaging with trans inclusion”, says Sibai. “Fmcg brands should bear in mind that trans identities are very vulnerable and polarising today.”