Kingsley Napley is committed to bringing colleagues together with the shared aim of creating an LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace and community, where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work.
Our LGBTQ+ & Allies Network was established in 2015 and remains an active and vibrant sub-group of Kingsley Napley's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Group. We have a long history of supporting and empowering our LGBTQ+ staff members, while also engaging and educating our allies.
In terms of our aims, we raise awareness and the profile of LGBTQ+ issues, not just at Kingsley Napley but also in the wider community. We prioritise maintaining a safe environment, with visible role models at different levels of the firm, to ensure everyone has support and is able to raise any issues or concerns openly and honestly. We also work with key decision makers to ensure we are formulating and reviewing policies and procedures to make our firm as inclusive as possible.
As a Network, we meet on a regular basis to discuss and plan how we will highlight days of specific LGBTQ+ importance throughout the year.
Here's just some of what we have done recently:
- We held a “Routes to Parenthood” seminar together with our KN Families Network in which our experts discussed the range of options available for LGBTQ+ prospective parents
- We invited all staff members to wear rainbow lanyards and include their pronoun/s on their website profiles and email signatures
- We threw a Pride party, inviting peers, contacts and friends to enjoy an evening of dancing with DJing from our Network members
- We hosted a breakfast in our café, Lennie’s to celebrate Bisexual Awareness Week and discuss important issues such as erasure which affect the bisexual community
- We celebrated World Book Day by inviting The Common Press, a local queer and intersectional bookshop, to run a bookstall in our offices
- For International Non-Binary Day, we held a talk by Oscar Davies, the first out non-binary barrister, discussing how the current state of the law is affecting non-binary people
- We worked with Stonewall to review and update our Gender Identity Policy and training for managers on how to support our trans colleagues
- For LGBT+ History Month, we held a lecture by leading queer historian Noreena Shopland and arranged a trip to the Queer Britain Museum
- We wore rainbow laces in support of Stonewall’s campaign to support LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport
- We have published blogs, written articles, featured in interviews, and spoken about LGBTQ+ issues, including IVF inequality, conversion therapy and being out at work
- We have hosted movie evenings in our café, Lennie’s, to celebrate and mark days of specific importance, such as Trans Day of Visibility
We are proud to be Stonewall Diversity Champions and members of the Law Society Diversity and Inclusion Charter.
Latest blogs & news
Making Space for Homeless Queers: An Interview with The Outside Project
This Pride Month, Kingsley Napley’s LGBTQ+ & Allies Network spoke with Carla Ecola (they/them), Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Outside Project. The Outside Project was first established in 2017 to support those within the LGBTIQ+ community who are homeless, “hidden” homeless, or feel endangered or unable to access key services, such as housing.
Trans+ History Week
Last week marked the second annual Trans+ History Week, founded by QueerAF in 2024.
Trans Day of Visibility – 31 March 2025
Trans Day of Visibility (sometimes referred to as ‘TDOV’) is an annual celebration of trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people, marked every year on 31 March 2025.
Working with your Muslim Colleagues and Clients during Ramadan
Kingsley Napley wishes our Muslim Community Ramadan Kareem.
Grief Awareness Week: Learning to Live with Loss
For this year’s Grief Awareness Week, the theme is ‘Shine a light’ on those resources that might assist those who are experiencing grief.
IDAHOBIT 2024: Banning conversion therapy for all
Every year, 17 May marks the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.
Transgender Day of Visibility
Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) is a day for joy and celebration. It is an opportunity for trans and non-binary people to feel seen, heard and loved, and for allies to visibly show their solidarity.
Communicating difference: the importance of strong representation at the police station for neurodivergent children
Effective representation at the police station is critical especially if the child being questioned is neurodivergent.
Introducing our neurodiversity series
In celebration of neurodiversity week, we will be releasing a series of blogs - over the coming weeks - considering some of the issues faced by our neurodivergent individuals
Expansion of the disregards and pardons scheme for historic same-sex sexual activity convictions
In a long-overdue announcement by the Home Office, women who were in the past unjustly convicted of same-sex consensual sexual activity will be able to apply for their convictions to be disregarded or pardoned for the first time. This is a significant step forward for queer rights in the UK.
The importance of LGBTQ+ & Allies networks
Kingsley Napley’s LGBTQ+ & Allies network is a large, loud and proud group
IDAHOBIT: International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia 2023
May 17th marks ‘International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia’, a day to raise awareness of the discrimination and violence that faces LGBTQ+ people. It serves as a reminder of the challenges the LGBTQ+ community face and the steps we still need to take to achieve LGBTQ+ equality.
Trans Day of Visibility 2023 – Echoes of The Past
On this year's Trans Day of Visibility, our Associate Ellie Fayle explains why it matters so much.
Removing barriers to recruitment for all (autistic) people
There is still much work to be done to remove the barriers preventing so many autistic people from obtaining paid employment.
On autism, art and my sister Lucy
Autism Acceptance Awareness week, (27 March to 2 April) (and its theme this year of colour), is particularly poignant for our Partner Charlotte Bradley, as 2 April marks exactly four months since her sister Lucy died (unexpectedly but peacefully), and the day before her birthday.
Who cares? What you can do to support the carers in your life
With National Carers Rights Day taking place on 24th November, Leena Lakhani, an Associate Barrister in our Criminal Litigation Team, describes in this very honest blog how she balances her professional and personal responsibilities.
National Coming Out Day: How “coming out” is more about “letting people into your life”
How “coming out” is more about “letting people into your life”
The story so far – is the SQE achieving its aims?
The SQE 2 results announcement on August 25th was a huge milestone for the legal profession. After years of wrangling and consulting, those who passed have become the first to meet the new standard of competence expected by the SRA and are within touching distance of becoming newly minted, SQE qualified, solicitors. With that in mind, it is the perfect moment for law firms to stop and reflect on what they have learnt so far and what may have changed as a result of this. Whilst it is too early to draw any definitive conclusions, we can at least take stock of the SQE’s start in life, especially with regards to the SRA’s stated aims around diversity and inclusion.
Oslo tragedy reminds us why Pride still matters
In the final blog of our Pride 2022 series, we say thank you to everyone who, in their own way, seek to make the world a kinder, better place for the LGBT* community.
1975 – 2022: An interview with Queer Strike
Pride 2022 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the first official UK Gay Pride March held in London. We are marking each decade from 1972 to 2022 with a blog every week throughout June.
