June is Pride Month in the UK, and while Pride in London may be coming up on 2 July, fair LGBTQ+ representation is needed all year round.

If you’re looking for spokespeople and relevant experts available for comment for your LGBTQ+ news and features this month and beyond, you can get in touch with the people below via the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service.

Send a request for what you need by filling in the quick form here.

Awareness-raising and charity

Nathaniel Hall, award-winning theatre-maker, writer and performer

Expertise: Nathaniel is campaigning for his LGBTQ+ Dibby Community Arts Fund, which was launched to coincide with Pride Month. Nathaniel is an expert in LGBTQ+ media, arts and HIV destigmatisation and is interested in promoting welcoming spaces for all LGBTQ+ people through creative expression and training opportunities.

Stories Nathaniel would like to help with: Nathaniel can provide comment on arts, health, wellbeing, autobiographical stories, HIV diagnosis, stigma and shame, the charity sector and more. 

Pride and LGBTQ+ history

Jamie Love, CEO of Monumental and director of marketing for Pride Edinburgh

Expertise: Jamie’s marketing agency has just been credited as an LGBT+ Business Enterprise with OutBritain. Jamie wishes to spread the message of diversity and recently wrote an open letter to the press, asking for LGBTQ+ stories all year round and not just during Pride Month. Monumental Marketing also works with Edinburgh Pride pro bono every year.  

Stories Jamie would like to help with: Jamie can discuss numerous topics for Pride, including Pride events, and LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace.

Paul Coleman, founder of the National HIV Story Trust (NHST)

Expertise: Paul has worked professionally in the film and TV industry for more than 35 years. He has worked for a large spectrum of broadcasters and productions. He specialises as producer/director, but is also skilled in directing studio multi-camera productions both live and recorded. Paul was BAFTA nominated for his work in Children’s TV, and picked-up an RTS Award and nominations for his work in News and Current Affairs programming. He brings his film expertise to the NHST to create feature films and productions to provide a legacy of support for HIV/AIDS charities.

Topics Paul would like to talk about: The NHST has recently helped to create a play called Moment of Grace by Bren Gosling, which is about Princess Diana’s handshake with an AIDS patient and how it helped to change public perceptions of AIDS and HIV back in 1987. It will be staged at the Hope Theatre in Islington from 28 June – 14 July.

Inclusive hiring practices

Joseph Williams, founder and CEO of Clu

Expertise: Joseph, who founded inclusive hiring platform Clu with his life partner Cayelan, is super-proud to have been awarded one of the UK’s first LGBT-owned business certifications.

Stories Joseph would like to help with: Joseph can comment on the new accreditation, how to hire inclusively and how to support the LGBTQ+ community in the hiring process and then in the workplace.

Aseel Ibrahim, head of the HR division at Tiger Recruitment

Expertise: A CIPD Level 5 qualified HR recruiter and host of the HR Tales podcast, Aseel is an equality, diversity and inclusion champion who sits on Tiger Recruitment’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. She also advises clients on DEI best practices and policies.

Stories Aseel would like to help with: Aseel can provide a people perspective on EDI and discuss how businesses can attract, hire, reward and retain an inclusive workforce where all LGBTQ+ people can be their true selves.

Jamie Barrell, manager within the Learning & Talent Development team at Publicis Sapient

Expertise: Jamie led the successful proposal for introducing gender neutral toilets into the Publicis Sapient London office and was part of the core team that led its global ‘Pride Inside’ campaign, reaching 1,700 employees across the globe over the last three years. Jamie was shortlisted in the ‘Future Leaders’ category at the British LGBT Awards 2020.

Stories Jamie would like to help with: Intersectional approaches when running workplace initiatives.

Creating safe spaces

Caitlin Warfield, VP of marketing at Brookfield Properties

Expertise: Alongside responsibilities for marketing and communications, Caitlin is the co-founder of the Brookfield LGBTQ+ Pride Network and spearheads Brookfield Properties’ internal and external Pride initiatives.

For Pride this year, Caitlin and Brookfield Pride launched a multi-site exhibition of the works of 24-year-old queer artist Ashton Attzs and on 30 June will hold a talk titled ‘Creating Queer Spaces’ with Attzs and Patrick McCrae, CEO of Artiq. The talk will explore creating queer-friendly and safe spaces within the workplace through arts and culture.  

Stories Caitlin would like to help with: Caitlin is available to provide comment on LGBTQ+ inclusion and representation in the workplace, creating safe queer spaces in the corporate sector, and curating corporate arts and culture initiatives to celebrate Pride. 

Simon Crowther, founder of FPS Environmental

Expertise: A champion for diversity in STEM, Simon has been recognised by Attitude Magazine as one of its top 101 people of influence and was chosen by Forbes for its top 30 under 30. He is an advocate for diversity and inclusivity in the workplace at all levels, helping to drive the importance of STEM diversity from education to employment.

Stories Simon would like to help with: Simon is open to talking about coming out, diversity in STEM and what Pride means to him.

On the Journalist Enquiry Service you can reach thousands of expert sources in all sectors; this is just a snapshot of the calibre of experts ready to talk about Earth Day or their specific areas of expertise that you can connect with.

If you want to interview one of these individuals specifically, drop a line to pj.boyd@responsesource.com and we’ll connect you. Otherwise, head to responsesource.com/send to reach these and many more people who can help you with your story.