LGBT+ Students' Community (OLD)

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This community organises on behalf of students at Leeds Beckett who self-identify as any marginalised romantic/sexual orientation or gender identity.

To join this community you must first self-identify as LGBT+.

Our LGBT+ Students’ Community is a welcoming and inclusive group dedicated to supporting and celebrating students at Leeds Beckett who identify with any marginalised romantic/sexual orientation or gender identity. We are here to support you to organise on issues important to you as LGBT+ students, to foster a greater sense of community at LBU and create positive change by addressing discrimination and bias faced by LGBT+ people in higher education and in our communities.

Our community is supported by Student Community Organisers and other student leaders who are inspired to strive to create a safe space for students who self-identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Undecided/Questioning or Queer, or who define themselves with any other marginalised romantic/sexual orientation or gender identity. This includes but is not limited to asexual, pansexual, agender, androgyne, gender-fluid, genderqueer, transgender, transsexual, transvestite, neutrois, non-binary, and those who prefer not to define their romantic/sexual orientation. We believe that every individual under the LGBT+ umbrella is important and contributes uniquely to our community. Join us and let's support and celebrate each other!

Collaboration is key to our community. We stand in solidarity with other marginalised groups, recognising the importance of intersectionality. We promote inclusivity and diversity, championing the rights and voices of students of all backgrounds, including but not limited to faith, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and race.

We prioritise the safety and well-being of our members, fostering an environment that is free from threat and intimidation. As such, we do not tolerate racist, anti-Semitic, islamophobic, fascist, sexist, xenophobic, ableist, LGBT-phobic or ageist views expressed within any of our spaces.

Why should I join?

We're delighted to offer you free membership to any student community you identify with, giving you access to exciting opportunities to get involved in change-making activity as well as providing you with valuable information and resources to support your journey at Leeds Beckett.

By joining, you'll also gain entry to a private online community forum where you can connect with fellow students in your community to discuss shared experiences and agree on priority campaigns.

Throughout the year, there will be numerous opportunities for you to participate in both online and on-campus activities. We encourage you to have your voice heard and get involved. If you have any ideas for activities you'd like to see or specific feedback regarding your experience as an LGBT+ student, don't hesitate to get in touch with our Student Community Organisers by emailing lbsu-community-organisers@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.

I need help joining!

To become a part of a Student Community, you need to first update your details to identify yourself as a member of that particular community. Here's how you can do it:

  1. Follow this link to update your details.
  2. On that webpage, select the community or communities that you identify with and want to join.
  3. After making your selections, click the 'update' button.
  4. Now, go back to the page of the specific Community you wish to join (this page).
  5. On this page, you will find a 'join' button. Click on it.
  6. Once you click the 'join' button, you will see an option to 'add to basket'. Click on it.
  7. Your membership will be added to a virtual 'basket'.
  8. Navigate to the top of the page and click on the 'basket' button in the navigation bar.
  9. You will be taken to your basket, where you can review the community or communities you have selected to join.
  10. When you are ready, click on the 'check-out' button to complete your membership.

If you encounter any difficulties or have any questions regarding joining a community, please feel free to reach out to us at studentvoice@leedsbeckett.ac.uk. We will be more than happy to assist you.

The following priorities outline our guiding vision for making LGBT+ students' lives better.

We recognise that priorities evolve with time and new ideas emerge. We embrace this dynamic nature and encourage active participation, welcoming fresh perspectives, new priorities, and celebrating achievements as they happen.

Education & Awareness
  • We will raise awareness about the different identities that are part of the LGBT+ umbrella and participate in events that support these identities such as LGBT+ History Month, Bi Visibility Day, Intersex Awareness Day, International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, Transgender Day of Remembrance and Asexual Awareness Week.
  • We will lobby for trans awareness training for all staff within the University and Students' Union, to ensure that trans students feel comfortable, understood and respected by all members of staff they come into contact with.
  • We will develop educational workshops on LGBT+ issues and host guest lectures by inspirational LGBT+ individuals to educate and inform students and staff.
  • We will raise awareness with both staff and students of the need to be conscious of language during lectures and seminars, to ensure students are not misgendered, and reduce the level of gendered language, working constructively with the University for their improved understanding of their students’ individual needs to ensure LGBT+ students can learn in an inclusive environment.
  • We will hold a Campus Pride around which to focus our work and celebrate our pride in our students.
  • We will participate in open days to provide information about the LGBT+ Students’ Community and support services available to new students to reassure them that Leeds Beckett University is an open, inclusive and supportive environment for LGBT+ students.
Accessibility & Inclusivity

  • We will work to strengthen engagement with the Community, through visible and accessible activities, to forge an open and inclusive community for LGBT+ students, those with intersecting identities and international LGBT+ students to network and seek support from their peers. 

  • We will lobby the University for an increase in the number of gender-neutral toilets on campus, ensuring that existing provision is well publicised and that the facilities are fit for purpose. 

  • We will run a campaign to inform people that trans and non-binary students may use whichever toilet they feel comfortable with and empower these students to challenge any discrimination by others in the bathrooms. 

  • We will work constructively with the Leeds Beckett sports teams and societies to ensure an inclusive and open culture and tackle the stigma of sexuality and gender identity in sport. 

  • We will lobby the University to refurbish the communal showers in sports facilities to ensure that these are accessible to Trans students who may feel uncomfortable using communal facilities. 

  • We will lobby the University to amend all forms that require identifying information to include voluntary options for sexual orientation, gender identity and pronouns. 

  • We will promote and distribute a pronouns badge to support positive conversations about gender identity and will lobby the University to introduce the option to declare pronouns in all meetings, providing guidance about pronouns and the importance of not misgendering an individual.

 

Support

  • We will provide information about the Community and relevant support services, with a particular focus on new students by increasing our presence at open days. 

  • We will promote the advice services that are available to LGBT+ students by building links with community organisations and signposting members to them. 

  • We will work with the SU Advice Service to widely promote the hate incident reporting centre and encourage students to report acts of hate or discrimination, no matter how small. 

  • We will lobby the University to provide specialist housing support and advice for Trans students to ensure Trans students who are experiencing difficulties with transphobic housemates or feeling anxious about living with strangers during transition.

 

Health & Wellbeing

  • We will campaign for better mental health support for LGBT+ identifying students and those with intersecting identities, who are disproportionately impacted by poor mental health. 

  • We will work to embed LGBT+ mental health events and workshops into equalities activities, such as Black HIstory Month, to raise awareness of mental health for students with intersecting identities. 

  • We will lobby for the HPV vaccine to be provided to men who have sex with men and all children between the ages of 12-13. 

  • We will lobby for PrEP to be made available on the NHS for free and actively campaign for earlier access to PrEP free of charge for anyone regardless of gender identity or sexuality. 

  • We will campaign to breakdown the stigma of HIV and work with community partners to host sexual health clinics on campus so that students know their status. 

  • We will collaborate with organisations, such as Yorkshire MESMAC and Forward Leeds, in the interests of our members to provide guidance on health related issues that are prevalent within the LGBT+ community. We will further build strong relationships with LGBT+ organisations throughout Leeds to ensure that LGBT+ students have access to a strong support network. 

  • We will lobby Leeds City Council and the Leeds NHS Trust to promote Trans inclusive healthcare to ensure that our students are supported appropriately and efficiently. 

  • We will campaign for better and specialised mental health support for LGBT+ students and those with intersecting identities, who are disproportionately impacted by poor mental health. 

  • We will lobby for sanitary bins to be provided in every toilet to support Trans men and non-binary students who menstruate and ensure there is always an appropriate toilet available when needed.

 

Other Campaigns

  • We will campaign for non-binary legal recognition in any consultation that takes place on the Gender Recognition Act. 

  • We support equal marriage and will visibly and vocally show support for equal marriage for same-sex couples in the many countries where it is still illegal. 

 

 
Equality Mental Health Hub