Jo Joyce from Taylor Wessing shares how she once felt that as a bisexual, she was not sure which community she fit in with

Bisexuals make up the largest proportions of identities in the LGBTQIA community, however, they are also the least likely to be out. Their identities are often misunderstood or invisible, with people presuming someone is gay or straight based on who they are dating. Jo Joyce from Taylor Wessing shares how she once felt that as a bisexual, she was not sure which community she fit in with. Now, she has made a conscious choice to be visible, both for herself and those around her.

One thing that stands out about Jo, Senior Counsel for Taylor Wessing, is her passion. She’s hugely enthusiastic when it comes to the area of law that she works in and truly engaged when it comes to helping her clients with data protection and fighting ever-increasing cyber-attacks as a co-head of Taylor Wessing’s information security practice. Another place this shines through is when she talks about her life outside of work. She is a K-Pop fan and loves sharing the positivity of that world with others. “It all started in lockdown. I was served this very random recommendation from a streaming service and started watching these Korean films. That then snowballed into me studying Korean and becoming a huge K-pop fan.”

While it may have been a time when many of us found new and sometimes left-field interests, this one stuck and has really impacted Jo and the way she thinks about herself. “I really resonate with the meanings of their songs, and I find it amazing that these positive messages are really absorbed by those of us who listen. The lyrics have the power to inspire people to embrace their identities and my confidence has definitely grown after becoming a fan.” Jo recognises that sociologically speaking it is a fascinating movement to watch and revels in being part of that community.

That sense of community is a thread that runs through her home life as well as her work life. She is co-chair of her firm’s LGBTQIA group EqualiTW after having been a member since she first joined Taylor Wessing over seven years ago. 

“I’ve slowly come to the realisation that I feel the need to be visible to others. At a social event with EqualiTW, quite a while ago, somebody described me as an ally. The poor chap was mortified when I told him I’m actually part of the community and identify as bisexual.”

“It wasn’t unpleasant at all, it happens, and we all get put into these buckets. I’m aware bisexuality is under-discussed. As I’ve become more and more senior, I’ve realised it isn’t really good enough if I’m not out here setting an example for other people like me.”

Jo is conscious of the fact that the LGBTQIA experience in professional life can be dominated by white gay men, particularly in the media, and in her role as co-chair wants to bring intersectional experiences to the fore. 

“I’m definitely throwing the bisexual dimension in where I can and have hosted webinars and joined panel discussions to help others learn about other parts of the LGBTQIA community.”

At various points in her life, Jo has come out to friends who were often surprised. She in turn was equally as taken aback by their reaction; having thought they all knew that she was bisexual. Reflecting on those moments she ponders why she often kept her sexuality just beneath the surface. 

“I thought recently why I wasn’t more vocal about my sexuality at university. There was a big lesbian community there as I went to an all-female college and in a way, I remember thinking that as a bisexual I didn’t count. I had a boyfriend at the time, and I thought it would maybe seem attention-seeking to shout about it.”

Certainly, Jo’s thinking has changed substantially since her days studying History. In terms of looking to the future, she’s very committed to sharing her story as well as her time and skills with others. 

“As part of EqualiTW’s remit, we do a lot of learning events but also a lot of social things; we’ve been to Queer Britain in Granary Square, we do Pride events and we make sure wherever our colleagues are in the country they can get the benefit of the community.” 

She is also a trustee of the Vagina Museum in London, helping the project overcome the challenges it has faced in getting funding and sponsorship with an all-female team running it. 

As part of that project, and in Jo’s day-to-day work specialising in cyber security, she has noticed the imbalances that still exist and how both funding and certain roles are dominated by men. 

“Bias is still there and apparent in a lot of the challenges we face. Whilst it isn’t insurmountable, it does exist and particularly in the charity realm I have noticed and been surprised by the disparity.”

As Jo continues to help her clients protect themselves against the ever-increasing threats from the digital world, she is also steadily working towards the visibility of all LGBTQIA identities. “One of the things that is interesting to me is around the voices that we hear from when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community. I feel like I don’t fit the mould and perhaps I am not the typical spokesperson. I would love to see more and more people that defy stereotypes speaking out.”

Taylor Wessing is a proud partner of myGwork, the LGBTQIA business community. Find out more about job opportunities at Taylor Wessing.