“Many people are still surprised when I tell them I am gay and married” – Rogerio Carvalho from Brazil

In our News portal series “We are Hapag-Lloyd”, we aim to introduce you to a wide range of voices, some of which are often muted, hidden or simply unexpected. In doing so, our purpose is not to criticize or promote one position over another, but to create a forum in which new voices can be heard as well as to prompt reflection on and discussion of the issues touched upon in a spirit of inclusiveness and mutual acceptance. We are very much looking forward to your comments and thoughts.

Originally from Brazil, Rogerio Carvalho works as Customer Quality Manager at our headquarters in Hamburg. He talked to us about his life as an openly gay man and how he wants to help other colleagues feel safe at Hapag-Lloyd without concealing their true selves.

Rogerio, when and how did you find out that you were gay?

I have two older brothers and my mother desperately wanted a girl. When she was pregnant with me, she kept praying for a girl. Well, in the end it was another boy, but I was a different than my brothers. I never liked playing soccer with the other boys – instead, I preferred playing with girls. Basically from childhood on I knew that I was homosexual.

Did you have to experience bullying?

I am a very lucky guy in that respect. Lesbians, gays and bisexuals, transgender and intersex people, and queer people in general (LGBTIQ*) around the world are facing violence and I personally know men from Brazil who have suffered a lot, because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. Yet, I never personally experienced any serious bullying or discrimination. And I never didn’t get a job or missed an opportunity because I am gay. Of course, I grew up in Sao Paulo, which is a metropolis, and more open than the rural parts of Brazil and other Latin American countries. Actually, the biggest rejection I suffered came from my own family.

How did your parents react when you told them you were gay?

My father passed away when I was eight, and I never had the chance to come out to him. My mother didn’t take it well. She had a traditional upbringing and is a very religious woman. When she found out that I was interested in men, she didn't allow me to live in our house anymore. That was extremely hard for me. I was 23 years old and not prepared for this at all. Her biggest concern was what other people would think of her because of my sexuality. It took three years until we have a good relationship again. When my oldest brother passed away, she realized that she treated me bad. Only recently she even asked me to forgive her. That meant a lot to me.

You got married quite young. How did you meet your husband?

I met my husband in a park outside my city. By coincidence, I started talking to him and found out that even though we were several kilometers outside the city, we both lived in the same neighborhood. We clicked and we fell in love with each other very fast. I think we both knew quite early that our relationship was serious. This year we are celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary. We now live in Hamburg together. My husband is a chef and works at a Brazilian restaurant in the city center.

Did you ever experience any form of discrimination at work – either at CSAV, where you started your career, or at Hapag-Lloyd?

I had some uncomfortable situations after I switched teams in some time ago. Apparently, my new boss was shocked when a colleague told him that I was gay. He very religious and made comments to a colleague that made me feel awkward when I heard about them – he said “He doesn’t even look gay”. What is a gay man supposed to look like?

You moved to Germany about two years ago – how has your life changed?

Usually, people in Germany are more open. The influence of religion on Brazilian society and politics makes life very difficult for queer people. At the Hamburg office, I had a funny situation after I started. We were talking about what we had done during vacation time and I told a colleague that I spent the summer traveling with my husband. He thought I had misspoken and corrected me, saying: “No, the word you’re looking for is ‘wife’.” Even in Germany, many people are still surprised when you tell them that you’re gay and married.

In Germany, many people still refuse to come out of the closet at the workplace.

Not only in Germany. But companies have changed significantly in the past years. At the same time, people are still shy when it comes to talking about diversity. This doesn’t make sense because it is proven that diverse companies are economically more successful. And that's why diversity should be embraced – by everyone: from Supervisory Board to our staff at the receptions. We need to make everyone feel safe and accepted – no matter what kind of sexual preferences he or she has.

What can be done better when it comes to LGBTIQ+ issues?

Our “We are family” culture should definitely include LGBTIQ+ colleagues – and they should also be represented on all levels, in all departments, in all areas and regions within the company. We need a culture of inclusion – and that´s why some colleagues and myself are about to create a networking group inside Hapag-Lloyd that discusses and promotes LGBTIQ+ issues. This is of course an open and ongoing process and I am very curious to hear from my LGBTIQ+ colleagues all over the world about how they would like to be represented in such a group – and how we together can speak up and be open about the way we live our sexual orientation.

What is your dream when it comes to this networking group?

Last week we had the queer pride parade in Hamburg. In August 2022 maybe I would love to see a Hapag-Lloyd truck at the pride parade representing our company and our values. And would like to see this truck not only in Hamburg, but in Atlanta, in New York, in Genova, in Sao Paulo and in Berlin. And maybe one day in Dubai, in Singapore and in Valparaiso. This is the beginning of a journey at Hapag-Lloyd. And we need lots of support not only from the LGBTIQ+ people within the company, but from all of you. “We care” – means: we take care of everybody in this company. Because we are a family – and we need to celebrate our diversity.