Activism is the air that breathes life into the heart of the LGBT+ community. Activism is what got section 28 officially abolished in 2003 in England. It was only 11 years ago when the Marriage Act (same sex marriage) was passed. There are still many changes that we need to make in order to uplift and ensure the safety and happiness of the LGBT+ community in the UK.
Activism is the air that breathes life into the heart of the LGBT+ community. Activism is what got section 28 officially abolished in 2003 in England. It was only 11 years ago when the Marriage Act (same sex marriage) was passed. There are still many changes that we need to make in order to uplift and ensure the safety and happiness of the LGBT+ community in the UK.
Change can only happen when each and every one of us look at ourselves and question: why can’t I make a change to the world?
The answer, however long-winded and complicated, partly points to a clear solution. A solution that history has countlessly given us the valuable lesson that you can make a difference to the world, and that you don’t have to do it alone. The answer is collectiveness - community - and the sheer power that it holds. This can start right now, right here, at Royal Holloway.
There are a range of events that will run to honour LGBT+ History month this February, including creative events such as collage and portrait making, LGBT+ society events, to society collaborations with the newly opened Pride Hub in Egham high street, which will also be holding an LGBT+ Activist History Exhibition!
Queer Creativity Showcase
Calling all Queer Creatives! We want to showcase your talent at our Queer Creativity Showcase! The event will take place on the 11th February from 6-8pm at the SU venue.
We are looking for:
- Poetry readings / spoken word
- Theatre excerpts / sketches
- Musical performances
- Visual art
- Short films
Take part in the showcase:
Sign Up Here
The deadline to apply is Wednesday, 5 February, midday. If you have any questions, drop us an email at voice@su.rhul.ac.uk, and we’ll be happy to help.
LGBT+ Speed Dating
Join President Sharanya on the 20th February, 7-9pm at the Packhorse for LGBT+ Speed Dating - a fun, safe, and welcoming space for queer people to meet potential matches (or just make new friends within the community!).
Funds raised from this event will be donated to the RHUL Transition Fund, an initiative founded by the 2023-24 LGBT+ Society Committee and the LGBT+ Community Officer. This mutual aid fund supports transgender members of the LGBT+ Society with private healthcare costs.
Sign Up Here
The RHUL Transition fund is a fantastic mutual aid fund which equally distributes money donated and raised which goes to transgender students at Royal Holloway who sign up for this fund. This helps fund private healthcare costs related to their transition, which is often not as easily affordable, let alone on top of the rest of funds students have to pay elsewhere. You can donate directly to this fund if you go to LGBT+ Society’s SU page and scroll to the “RHUL Transition Fund Donation” button and add the product your basket as many times to get the amount you’d like to donate. Email me at lgbt.community@royalholloway.su if you would like more information or to sign up.
Current hateful rhetoric spread about LGBT+ people in the UK means that our university needs to curate that sense of belonging and safety for our students now more than ever.
I fervently believe that no one should feel unsafe and fearful when at Royal Holloway - especially not in bathrooms.
A part of my manifesto is to campaign for gender neutral bathrooms to become more accessible all over campus to uplift all students. This doesn’t mean creating bathrooms, it means changing more of the existing ones to become an accessible space for everybody. We know that students can be respectful of these spaces, as exemplified by the already existing gender-neutral bathrooms on campus, which has greatly increased this feeling of student belonging. This campaign aligns perfectly with this year’s theme of highlighting that we must support our communities for years to come, as have the trailblazers of the past done for us today.
It is a great issue that concerns a very basic need - to use the bathroom. This impacts more people than one would see on the surface and a very large part of that impact falls onto the LGBT+ community who are often people, like myself, who don’t fit into the popular social ‘norms’ and the gender binary of the world we live in. Royal Holloway’s campus does not have a gender-neutral bathroom in every building, and if they do have one, many students have reported to not knowing where they are. This begs the question: how can a student walk 5+ minutes to the nearest gender-neutral bathroom, then take another 5+ minutes to walk back, for a 1-hour class? It’s impractical.
This forces people to use gendered bathrooms, where there is a dangerous possibility that people might vocalise their discomfort towards or accost a person who is visibly ‘different’ from the norm for being in the ‘wrong’ toilet. What if you don’t ‘fit’ into the gender binary - whether you’re transgender or cisgender? Every single person has a right to express themselves to what is true to themselves - this includes people who are exploring their identities, which is a pivotal part of being a student at university. I believe that this change will foster a greater sense of student belonging, confidence, and safety, as well as uplift not only the LGBT+ students, but every student at this university.