Ramsay Newsroom

Ramsay Health Care hosted the free online session for its employees to recognise WorldPride, a global celebration that promotes and advocates for LGBTQIA+ human rights (17 February - 5 March).

Dr Cross, also known for his appearance on ABC’s Changing Minds program and best-selling book Anxiety, said it was important to build equity in our communities and workplaces.

“You do this by acknowledging the things that aren’t equitable in the workplace for LGBTQIA+ people and improving supports, focusing on them, their families and their needs,” Dr Cross said.

“We all have the right to be treated with respect and compassion and to be ourselves at work. It means advocating for a culture where everybody feels safe and included – for example, voicing if you are not comfortable with hearing a so-called joke being told at the expense of somebody else.”

Dr Cross said members of the LGBTQIA+ community don’t always have to be ambassadors, “but if we can be more ‘out’, proud and visible, people will be able to come and talk to us. That’s the nice thing about having a community and The Ramsay Way culture where you can be open and discuss these things.”

Dr Cross said there are resources online to help you if you need friendly support and someone to chat to. For example, www.qlife.org.au is a national resource, offering counselling. Dr Cross is a member of Rainbow families, which offers support for LGBTQIA+ parents & their children, www.rainbowfamilies.com.au.

He also offered some guidance for heterosexual people on being allies for the LGBTQIA+ community: “Be yourself, be kind and be compassionate.”

He said that it was also important to have a conversation with a friend or relative who is anxious as they are questioning their sexuality.

“That’s one of the ways you show you are an ally, being supportive, showing them they are valued,” Dr Cross said.

“One big piece of advice is, don’t be scared to ask us questions. People tend to hold back because they think, ‘I’m going to sound stupid if I ask that’, but if you approach the topic with love and understanding, that’s how we build awareness, inclusion and belonging.”

Ramsay Health Care’s People Director of Hospitals, Diana McManus, who interviewed Dr Cross during the webinar, agreed that if you apply compassion and understanding, that builds respect.

“During the time I’ve spent at Ramsay I’ve really valued the inclusive nature we have and how we do value people and their differences. The visibility is important and probably gets easier the more you come out. We often talk about coming out as a one-off event but, in reality, it can happen on a daily basis,” Ms McManus said.

Dr Cross also revealed he will soon be taking his sons to South Africa for the first time and filming a documentary. The film will highlight the difference between growing up in South Africa in the 1970s (when being gay was illegal and considered a mental illness) compared with what it is like to be gay in the rainbow nation of South Africa today.

Dr Cross has produced a short documentary, with support from Ramsay Health Care, called “Beneath the stigma”, currently showing on SBS on demand. It highlights experiences of people with anxiety, including his own story and others who identify as LBGTQIA+.

Ramsay Health Care Australia CEO, Carmel Monaghan, said hearing from Dr Cross during the webinar was a chance for employees to increase their sense of belonging and generate more awareness of the LGBTQIA+ community.

“We’re pleased to be able to recognise WorldPride in this way and highlight the inclusive culture we have at Ramsay where our people are encouraged to be themselves when they come to work and to make their colleagues feel comfortable,” Ms Monaghan said.