Sydney takes centre-stage this #WorldPride

Sydney WorldPride takes place from 17 February 2023 to 5 March 2023. What is this festival and how can we support diversity and inclusion in the actuarial profession?

The city of Sydney has been chosen to be the host of WorldPride in 2023. Held every two years, WorldPride is a not-for-profit festival that promotes LGBTQIA+ Pride. There will be parades, parties, First Nations gatherings and a human rights conference. If this is the first time you are hearing of WorldPride, this shouldn't be a surprise as this is the first time that a city in the Southern Hemisphere has been chosen to host this festival. ^[1]

2023 is particularly exciting as it sees Sydney WorldPride unite with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade, which is held on 25 February.

Looking at the statistics: So, how does Australia and the actuarial profession shape up?

In 2022, the Actuaries Institute's Diversity and Inclusion Working Group (DIWG) ran a survey to better understand the experience of the Institute's members. From the 530 survey respondents, 10% identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual.

It is difficult to compare this 10% statistic to a population-wide estimate, as the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) does not publish population estimates with a breakdown on sexual identity. ^[2] However, the research that is available suggests that 3% to 4% of Australia's adult population identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual. ^[3] It also suggests that a higher proportion of younger people identify with a minority sexual identity compared to older people. As Wilson et al. puts it, "This suggests that a cohort effect may be at work. Sexual identities and the willingness to disclose one's identity can be influenced by the social attitudes and legal environment of the time when each cohort passes through their formative years." ^[4]

Similarly, increasing numbers of youth are identifying as gender questioning, gender diverse or transgender. ^[5]

What can actuaries do to support LGBTQIA+ diversity and inclusion in our profession?

We've looked through past Actuaries Digital articles and podcasts from our LGBTQIA+ actuaries to answer this question. Here are some things to consider doing:

• "Use a pride-themed background during virtual meetings to raise awareness and spark a conversation." ^[6]
• Be an ally - "I've been in situations where something said to me was quite homophobic …when an ally stepped in and called that out, that's been absolutely brilliant." ^[7]
• "Seeing others respect you for who you are and speak up for you." ^[8]

For more information on events during WorldPride, check out https://sydneyworldpride.com/ . The festival is open to all, and we encourage you to get involved. 

Stay tuned, as we plan to release more articles over the course of WorldPride. If you are an LGBTQIA+ actuary interested in sharing your story on your career to date we would love to hear from you at [email protected] .

References

[1] https://sydneyworldpride.com/who-we-are/

[2] Wilson, T., Temple, J., Lyons, A. et al. What is the size of Australia's sexual minority population?. BMC Res Notes 13, 535 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-020-05383-w

[3] https://www.rainbowhealthvic.org.au/media/pages/research-resources/research-matters-how-many-people-are-lgbtiq/4170611962-1612761890/researchmatters-numbers-lgbtiq.pdf

[4] Wilson, T., Temple, J., Lyons, A. et al. What is the size of Australia's sexual minority population?. BMC Res Notes 13, 535 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-020-05383-w

[5] https://aifs.gov.au/webinars/working-gender-diverse-young-people-and-their-families

[6] https://www.actuaries.digital/2021/03/05/under-the-spotlight-ricky-au/

[7] https://www.actuaries.digital/2019/02/28/lgbtiq-in-the-profession-diversity-and-inclusion/

[8] https://www.actuaries.digital/2019/02/28/lgbtiq-in-the-profession-diversity-and-inclusion/