As LGBT+ History Month 2025 comes to a close, we want to thank everyone who came along to an event, performed in the Queer Creativity Showcase or engaged with blogs and online content.
As LGBT+ History Month 2025 comes to a close, we want to thank everyone who came along to an event, performed in the Queer Creativity Showcase or engaged with blogs and online content. We especially want to thank the Sabbatical Officer leads, Sharanya and Bana, LGBT+ Society and Mohan, LGBT+ Students Community Officer – you have been instrumental in making this month a success. It is important that the conversations had within this time continue especially as we champion activism through the ongoing Gender-Neutral Toilet Campaign.
This year, we embraced the national theme, Activism and Social Change, hosting a variety of events both on and off campus. These not only celebrated the LGBT+ community but also raised awareness of activists and icons who have shaped its history. In this blog, we want to highlight some of the fantastic events you participated in throughout the month.
At the start of the month, student-led events flooded the calendar. We swapped clothes, made pronoun badges, and got creative with crafts and games – helping students connect with one another while also introducing them to the support available from their peers and the Students’ Union.
Throughout the month, more than 18 events took place, with the LGBT+ Society hosting the majority. These student-led, free spaces allowed LGBT+ students and allies to come together and build community. From Valentine’s Day self-portraits to Hyper & Queer Collage, the society’s events fostered a strong sense of belonging. You can learn more about the LGBT+ Society on their page on the RHSU website.
The most attended event of the month was the Queer Creativity Showcase and it’s easy to see why! On the night, talented students showcased a wide range of creative expressions from poetry to song writing and The Holloway Player’s brought some comedic improv to the stage! Each performance was a powerful testament to Queer Creativity and provided a platform for students to share their voice to continue the impactful legacy of 2022-23 President, Maia Jarvis initiated this event that is now an annual celebration!
The University’s EDI Team led events for LGBT+ History Month, including a talk by Professor Rusi Jaspal on the quality of life among lesbian, gay, and bi people through the lens of identity process theory in social psychology. Another event featured Trans Activist Jessica Lynn, who discussed what it means to be transgender. Lynn’s session also explored the history of LGBT+ communities while promoting non-prejudiced, anti-discriminatory practices. Both events helped build confidence and understanding of the LGBT+ community, challenging unconscious bias and exploring ways to offer better support.
Throughout the month, the events provided a space for celebration, connection (with the return of LGBT+ Speed Dating) and for some, an introduction to LGBT+ inclusive spaces off campus with events taking place at the Pride Hub on Egham High Street. You can check out all the events, blogs and more on the campaign page. As a student community, it is crucial that we broaden our understanding and appreciation of Queer history, allowing us to take pride in, celebrate and continue advocating for LGBT+ rights.
Rather than limiting it to a single month, going forward, we are continuing to uphold the national theme with the launch of the Gender-Neutral Toilet Campaign [link campaign page] led by Mohan, LGBT+ Students Community Officer. As part of her manifesto, Mohan is campaigning 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 through physical changes and increasing awareness on why they are important. 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.