In honor of PRIDE Month, Joel Bolton - Airport Operations Specialist, MWAA, shared his professional journey, personal favourites, inspirations and what inclusion and diversity means to him individually and in the workforce.
A brief Introduction of your professional journey
I began work with the Airports Authority in June 2007 as a Student Ambassador and stayed in the program until November of 2011 when I briefly went to work for a Private Security firm at Dulles. Once the Professional Development Intern Program began in 2015, I applied and thankfully was hired back with the Authority in 2015. Eventually, I became an Airport Operations Specialist with the Airport Operations team, where I have continued working with many the facets of our airport community ever since, with June of this year marking 14 years at Dulles.
Do you have recommendations for LGBTQ+ people entering the business world who face situations of discrimination?
First and foremost, never let any forms of discrimination go unchecked. Ensure that you have allies and people in your circle that can ensure any instances are addressed quickly and justly. The world is changing fast, and for the better, and progress in the LGBTQ+ circle requires accountability and transparency in the workplace. Anchor yourself to those who have an interest in these rights and ensure that the business in which you decide to work for upholds these principles and policies. Be sure that advocacy and positive media attention to these issues can be highlighted if at any time you feel your rights as an LGBTQ+ individual are not being equitably supported.
What can we do tomorrow for LGBTQ+ or diversity that can make a change right away?
Speak up! Many people feel as if they do not have a voice, are that they will be shunned or silenced for being an advocate of LGBTQ+ rights, even if they are not part of that community. Seeing others as part of a greater cultural chain, inside or alongside the community, goes a long way in fostering better norms and protections for the future. It is easy to be pessimistic about things we don’t understand, the solution to that is to examine the realities surrounding this immense and creative community of people. Celebrating diversity takes many forms, and inclusiveness is key today and every day.
How do you celebrate PRIDE and what does it mean to you?
PRIDE is more than a month for me. I live in a world where that word gives me the freedom to celebrate many aspects of my life, from my African-American heritage to my personal orientation and values. I celebrate it with all kinds of friends and my family, ensuring that it is a celebration of life, and the ways in which we are more alike than different.
What’s a question you never get asked that you’d like to answer?
I’ve never been asked if I’d do anything different for PRIDE month as far as celebrating it. I would say I’d like to make it more than a “month” – meaning that with the 28-31 days that we observe certain groups, I believe we can be “greater” than that. There is so much to this diaspora, maybe it needs 2 months! Who knows? I just hope that the celebration of these ideas and cultural artifacts gets bigger and brighter highlight each year.
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