Celebrating Pride Month 2024: Anna Tiffany
Standing up for the equal and fair treatment of people different than ourselves is what being an ally is all about. As we wind down our celebration of PRIDE Month, Anna Tiffany, Senior Consultant of Learning and Development at CCL Hospitality Group, shares how to be an ally and give people the safe space and the grace to show up exactly as they are.
“I work remotely from a tiny town outside of Des Moines, Iowa, with a population of less than 700 people. My husband and I have a Border Collie pup named Riley, who is an absolute sweetheart. We love to support our local community, spend time with our friends and family, and look forward to building our ‘barndominium’ next year!
“In my role, I have the privilege of creating content with thoughtful representation to enhance the relatability in learning experiences. It makes a difference to see people who look like us or have families like ours in trainings. The CCL-HG DEI & LGBTQ+ ERGs (whew, that’s a lot of acronyms) give me the opportunity to connect with team members in the field who are not in my typical realm of day-to-day meetings to hear feedback about what is working and how we can better support each other. Their perspectives are invaluable in helping shape programs to increase representation and visibility.
“Creating a welcoming culture is so important to all Compass Group companies. It is an amazing thing for me to be able to say the leaders I partner with truly value the development of our team members and support us in bringing our authentic selves to work.
“Allyship, to me, means giving people the safe space and the grace to show up exactly as they are with support and kindness, without fear of judgment. When I was around 6 years old, my mom was going through her makeup and trying different shades of eyeshadow on my uncle, who identifies as he/him, and I remember her telling me that sometimes boys like to wear makeup and dresses, just like I do. It just made sense. Dresses and makeup are fabulous, and everyone should glam up if they want to! It’s about having the choice to wear what we want, love who we love, and be who we are.
“I will always feel that there is more uniting us than dividing us, and as an ally, you can always be yourself with me.”