About Us

The Lavender Group was founded in 2022 and aims to be the leading forum and community network for all of those involved in the security (physical and cyber), political risk, and intelligence industry who identify as LGBTQIA+ or allies.

We bring together people at different stages of their careers, from emerging professionals to senior leaders, to share experiences, build relationships and support a more inclusive professional community.

We aim to hold an event each quarter, ranging from informal networking to panel discussions and workshops. We organise networking events, panel discussions and occasional workshops, often alongside other professional organisations. Our events connect people across disciplines and career stages and provide space to discuss both professional practice and LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Why Lavender?

In the twentieth century, the “lavender scare” was a campaign and moral panic in the United States and Western Europe, around the employment of LGBTQIA+ people by national governments, security services, and large corporations. It ran concurrently with the “red scare” which targeted communists. Restrictions of LGBTQIA+ people entering some sectors of our industry were only dropped in the late 1990s and early 200s. Therefore this name seeks to memorialise those who were never allowed to join, or who were forced to resign from this industry, whilst providing a connection to our past.