Discussing the Intricacies of Authentic Lesbian Visibility

“If you are going to be an ally, it's all about lending a supportive ear, and sometimes that’s all you need to do,” - Ahead of Lesbian Visibility Week, Zoe Pearson, Head of Marketing for Asia at St. James’s Place, spoke to myGwork about the intricacies of lesbian representation, sharing her advice for allies who want to improve conditions for LGBTQ+ people in the workplace. She also discusses the specific struggles faced by the lesbian community that are too often overlooked.

Please tell us about yourself, your career to date, and your role at your organization.

My name is Zoe Pearson, my pronouns are she/her, and I'm the Head of Marketing for Asia in St. James’s Place. Primarily, we've got two regional hubs in Hong Kong and Singapore, and my role is looking after everything marketing related. From somebody's business card, through to sponsorships, through to online advertising, through to consultancy for our financial advisors. The full spectrum!

We’re lucky enough to have a lovely team in both locations. St. James’s Place have been really good to me, and I’ve been able to grow my career here over the last four years and move into my current role - which has been great!

Do you feel like there is enough visibility for lesbians today? If not, how do you think this could be improved?

I think it’s quite different in Asia, in general. There are nuances that make visibility even more important here. Quite often, people here will be out at work before they're out in other aspects of their life, so work acts as a safe place for a lot of people.

Do I think lesbians are visible enough? It's weird, isn't it? Because you live in your own little bubble, so in my world lesbians are quite visible! But that’s because of the spaces and places where I