Pride Month 2025 - interview with Cieran de Valmency

Tell us a bit about your journey, both as an entrepreneur and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community

My journey very much highlights my neuro-spicy, jack of all trades nature, and wanting to know anything and everything there is to know. Starting off with studying law at university, moving into making coffees, to retail customer service (in-person and in a call centre), to finance, to dipping into hospitality through Home Leisure Direct and Inntegra, to establishing my own design agency and helping found the Gamechangers Organisation.

I consider myself lucky to have lived much of my life through a sapphic lens, identifying and living as a butch lesbian woman until I was 28; because while lesbian nights are nearly always tucked away in basements, they were some of the most creative and uplifting spaces I’ve ever known.

In terms of coming out as a trans-guy, for a long time, I fully resisted opening the door to exploring my gender; not because I feared what I’d find, but how it would dramatically alter the way the world works around me. Fortunately, whilst I was 'hiding out' under the lesbian umbrella, my trans siblings were out there doing the work fighting for visibility, rights, and acceptance. And thanks to their hard work, when I did finally admit it to myself and came out as trans, my transition was met with compassion and openness from my friends, family, and even my work colleagues.

I think that’s part of why the current surge in transphobia - especially in the media and now through the legal systems - makes me so furious. I knew coming out as trans would be hard, but I was lucky to have come out during a relatively calm moment. Now, the landscape is obscenely hostile. To hear, day after day, that the UK is rolling back the rights of trans people is devastating - especially for anyone still in the closet.

So even though I am pretty introverted, I am here now- to try and give back to the community that fought for my right to be here. I want to challenge the harmful narratives being pushed onto us, and fight for a future where trans people can experience what I had - however briefly - acceptance (and some more basic rights!).

Why is Pride Month important to you personally and/or professionally?

Pride (in the UK) has always been a celebration of queer joy for me, rather than its underlying purpose of being a mechanism for change and protest. But this year, it's a riot.  I feel like as a community we're often in the position to have to ask for more equal rights, but it's quite a rare and abhorrent sight to watch rights we did already have established get stripped away. I'm not sure there's been anything like it since the introduction of Section 28.

I personally am quite protected: I 'pass' quite well, my ID is updated to show my 'M' gender marker, and I am surrounded by people who are incredibly supportive. For me, Pride is trying to reach those who don't have these privileges and to do what I can to uplift them and to try and make the world around them be better. So as a founder of an organisation and director of a creative agency I am doing what I can to push these real issues in front of as many business leaders as I can- through the Gamechangers Organisation, The Oracle e-zine, Inntegra's Competitive Socialising: The Power of Play event and with COREcruitment’s PRIDE event.

This year’s Pride theme is The Power of Communities. What does that mean to you and your business?

Community is at the core of the Gamechangers Organisation. In the competitive socialising industry, success often hinges on having the right knowledge and strategies. But with every venue offering something unique, that kind of insight can be hard to come by. What’s really cool to see is how eager businesses in this space are to share what they’ve learned.

We try to grow this sharing culture by regularly putting on Business Development and Sales Manager meetups, where members freely exchange experiences and ideas. It’s collaboration over competition, and it's wicked to be a part of it. We also publish a free online magazine The Oracle, which is a mini digest of the latest quarters' findings, news and info; as well as curating a growing library of White Papers and research, available on our members online platform.

What role do you think service industry businesses play in uplifting and connecting LGBTQIA+ communities?

It might be my biases of being a part of the hospitality industry, but I think the service industry is possibly one of the biggest powers in uplifting the LGBTQIA+ community. Brits love pubs and bars and go there to gather, unwind and connect. So, when these spaces are inclusive - whether through staff training, policies, visible support or community-based events - more people will end up interacting with people from the LGBTQIA+ community and have more opportunities to learn and connect with them - to see them as real human beings.

Plus, in a pretty hostile world, coming to a space that you know will welcome you and see you as you, is one of the most uplifting experiences you can have.

How do you think an inclusive workplace benefits everyone, not just LGBTQ+ employees?

What's great is that making inclusive accommodations usually ends up helping lots more people than you'd expect.

For example, the Watershed in Bristol has fully gender-neutral bathrooms, where cubicles has their own sink and lockable door. What they've found is that the setup doesn’t just ensure a safe space for trans and non-binary people, it also makes the toilets super inclusive for stoma wearers, menstrual cup users and anyone else that needs a private sink to do their thing.

The culture benefits of accommodations are also hard to miss. When a workplace clearly cares about being inclusive, it shows they’re thinking about their employees’ wellbeing - which is a huge part of job satisfaction. When people feel looked after, they’re way more likely to stick around (and be more productive). It's a win-win.

Do you actively connect with or uplift other LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs or organisations?

I recently joined a trans-activism organisation in Bristol. I thought it would just be an outlet for all the anger I’ve been feeling since the Supreme Court ruling - but instead, it has brought me a real sense of peace. The group is focused on creating positive change through education and community support, rather than getting pulled into reacting to every negative headline. I've never seen a more organised or welcoming bunch - I feel so much lighter since joining.

Right now, we’re working with The Good Law Project, Trans Actual, and Trans Legal on a resource pack for operators. The goal is to help them understand what the new rules actually mean and how they can stay inclusive while staying within the law. More on that soon - so watch this space!

How would you like to see LGBTQ+ business networks evolve over the next few years?

One of the best things about LGBTQIA+ networks is the shared experience and knowledge we have - insight that many outside the community just don’t have. With everything going on recently, it's clear that, unfortunately, we're still in a position where we need to educate in order to push acceptance forwards.

The quote “lies travel halfway around the world before the truth has even put its pants on” feels painfully relevant. There was a 1,187% increase in the number of negative articles being posted about trans people from 2013 to 2023. These negative articles spread misinformation about trans existence: who we are, why we want to transition and what we are asking of people; and they're seemingly forever on the rise.

We need actual information to permeate through the noise, and to do that our networks need to get into the rooms with business leaders and educate. I would love to see the networks evolve to including allies that can help us get our message of equality and inclusivity across in a way that drives real impact.

What message would you like to share with other business leaders during Pride Month 2025?

Pride isn’t just about slapping rainbows on your branding or launching a merch line (though hey, we do love to see it when it’s done right!). What we really want is for businesses to use their platform to drive real change—and that can take many forms.

Start small: review your policies, have honest conversations with your team, and see if there are any gaps where you could be more inclusive. Even small adjustments can make a big difference. Want to go further? Get involved in existing campaigns, raise awareness about the real challenges the LGBTQIA+ community faces, and share what everyday people can do to help.

And seriously, if you’re putting out Pride merch, launching special services, or generating extra revenue during Pride month: DONATE. Give some or all of those profits to organisations that support LGBTQIA+ people year-round. Pride isn’t a chance to cash in on the pink pound. It’s about showing up, uplifting the community, and making meaningful change however you can.