June is Pride Month, and universities in the UK and beyond are out in full force supporting and uplifting LGBTQ+ staff and students!
To mark the occasion, we’re shining a spotlight on universities who are going above and beyond to celebrate Pride 2023 and investing in year-round support for their LGBTQ+ communities.
Imperial 600 is a network supporting LGBTQ+ staff and postgraduate students at Imperial College London.
They’ve been going the extra mile to not only celebrate the university’s LGBTQ+ community this Pride, but to ensure that minority voices continue to be represented long after the month comes to an end.
This June, Imperial 600 will be hosting a Pride Picnic specifically for staff members and postgrad students, where they will hand out Allyship badges encouraging wearers to display their support.
They also held a meetup for staff and students to meet the volunteers running the network, who are able to pass on their comments and concerns to the university’s senior leadership team.
We’re impressed by this use of Pride Month to not only build a sense of community amongst LGBTQ+ staff and postgraduates, but also to ensure the representation that will bring about longer-term change.
To help drive forward a strategy for inclusion, the University of York’s Rainbow Alliance and Equality Office hosted a Pride Workshop earlier this month.
The event followed an earlier Listening Exercise, which was an open forum for LGBTQ+ undergrads, postgrads and staff to share their experience and identified peer support and equity as priority areas for the university. The Pride Workshop then invited members of the community to collaborate on ideas to help translate this feedback into concrete action!
This Pride Month, Bath Spa University is partnering with Bristol Pride to deliver their 2023 Queer Film Festival.
The festival features a diverse programme of LGBTQ+ films made in both the UK and abroad. It aims to promote queer representation and explore the potential of film to challenge societal norms.
Through the partnership, film students at Bath Spa University will have the opportunity to run Q&A sessions with producers and directors, attend guest lectures and screenings taking place across campus, and network with industry experts.
We loved that this event supports undergrad and postgrad students to further their professional development, while simultaneously showcasing LGBTQ+ talent and championing the importance of representation in film!
The University of Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History is taking a unique approach to exploring LGBTQ+ history at Gay Coins – From Sappho to Pride. The exhibition is a tribute to queer leaders and poets as portrayed on historical coins!
University of Oslo students as well as members of the public will have the opportunity to explore how queer identities were recognised and respected in past societies and civilisations, dating back over two thousand years.
In May, Standard Pride, the university’s LGBTQ+ alumni network, organised its first ever summit which bought together students, staff and alumni. The day-long event featured guest lectures, breakout discussions and panels covering a range of issues from queer rights in the law to creative arts.
This sounded like a fantastic opportunity for current LGBTQ+ students to connect with alumni, and to collaborate on ways to protect and promote the rights of minorities on campus.
How is your university celebrating Pride this year? We’re keen to hear about all the great work you’re doing! Let us know at hello@findauniversity.info.
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