Martin Parkes’ desk at BlackRock's office in London is usually easy for passers-by to spot: there’s a little rainbow flag perched on it, signalling his support for LGBTQ+ rights and his belonging to the community.

“It can be quite intimidating when you come into a corporate environment and you say, ‘Is my place here?’” Parkes said, adding that during the pandemic, the flag is currently living on his desk at home. “That sort of signalling is really important.”