November LGB+ Community Leader Update
This month, I have been busy coming up with ideas for what the SU community can do for LGBT+ History Month in February. Working alongside Officers and staff we have decided to hold events to celebrate Campus Pride. This will be one of the most significant events for my community, as it will celebrate diversity and encourage conversations around LGBT+ identity and experience.
We intend to hold a Campus Pride market place at the Stage in the SU, and are planning to invite students, charities and other LGBTQ+ organisations from the local communities to come along and set up a stall. These stalls will facilitate the sharing of important information to the community, and could include: signposting LGBTQ+ friendly charities, advice services and local inclusive spaces, as well as provide the opportunitiy for students to buy and sell items such as LGBTQ+ artwork. Campus Pride planning is therefore of paramount benefit to the LGB+ and Trans student communities.
I have also been involved with an idea to arrange for the zebra crossings on and near campus to be painted in rainbow colours. Hopefully, this will help my community to feel safe and accepted here on campus. I am also drafting a questionnaire that I will send to my community, which will gather their ideas for Campus Pride. This will ensure that Pride is relevant, engaging and tailored to what they want to see. If you are aleady a member of the community please look out for this email. If you would like to join the community you can do so by clicking the 'Join' button on the Community page on the website.
Moreover, I have been planning a social media takeover day, where I would like to share information about LGBT+ History Month via the SU’s Instagram account. This could include the sharing of famous quotes from famous LGBTQ+ people and their experiences, advice services and local events. This would be very informative to the community and would also be a fun and interactive way to celebrate the month.
I also attended a Have Your Say meeting on Tuesday 29th November. I put forward ideas about how the university can help to support students during the cost of living crisis. It was suggested that the catering services should reduce their prices further, transport links should be improved and the local MPs should continue to be lobbied. These are conversations that I would like to be involved with further in the next coming months.
If you have any feedback or would like to get involved in LGBT+ History Month please message us at studentvoice@leedsbeckett.ac.uk!
Kitty Lambert, LGB+ Students' Community Leader.