The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer plus staff network aims to improve the experience LGBTQ+ staff have at St Mary's, through networking opportunities and social events, as well as by raising awareness of our diverse community.
At the SM4U staff event in October 2024 we asked attendees to test their knowledge of LGBTQ+ facts and figures.
Take the LGBTQ Facts & Figures Quiz 2024 for yourself or check your answers.
LGBT+ History Month is February. To celebrate and help educate people about LGBT+ History, we will be hosting a range of events in February 2025. Members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies are invited and welcomed to take part in all events. See below for details:
Join us on Monday 3rd February 2025 at 12pm at the Flag Pole in Student Square (outside The 1850 and SMSU Office). We will be once again raising the Pride Progress flag on campus, marking the occasion with a short speech from our chair about why LGBT+ History Month is an important event in the calendar.
Alongside our flag raising ceremony on Monday 3rd February 2025 at 2pm, we will be hosting a charity bake sale in Student Square in aid of an LGBTQ+ charity.
Last year we raised an amazing £164.45 for Switchboard. We hope to beat this target this time for a new charity!
If you can help by donating a bake (whether home-made or bought), please email LGBTQ@stmarys.ac.uk.
Building on last year's "I'm proud" photo exhibition, we're hoping for an even bigger one this year featuring members (Staff & Students) of the LGBTQ+ community and allies. So if you'd like to participate please email LGBTQ@stmarys.ac.uk.
Please don't feel any pressure to be "out" as LGBTQ+ to join our network or attend our events. All our colleagues are welcome, whatever your sexual orientation or gender identity, including allies.
Note: We do not ask you to disclose your sexual orientation or gender identity.
Please join our mailing list by emailing lgbtq@stmarys.ac.uk to receive our e-newsletters with information and updates on what's happening on campus and virtually.
We aim to engage actively with St Mary's University, by:
- raising the profile of LGBTQ+ equality across the whole University, and working to address any identified inequalities
- actively influencing University practices, policies, and strategies to be inclusive of the needs of LGBTQ+ people
- celebrating LGBTQ+ diversity and promoting an inclusive culture for work and study at St Mary's
- providing support, advice, and information on LGBTQ+ matters to all staff, exercising confidentiality as and when appropriate
- raising our external profile as an LGBTQ+ inclusive University, by networking with external LGBTQ+ communities, groups, and organisations.
As part of St Mary’s University’s efforts to increase the sense of belonging for all our staff, fourmembers of staff have been through the LGBT Foundation’s Training Academy Champions programme.
The programme consists of various modules including terminology, legislation, LGBT health, LGBT inclusive workplaces, and intersectionality. Our LGBT Champions are now more informed on how to support LGBT colleagues, and will contribute to our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion strategy.
Our Champions are a point of contact if you, or one of your colleagues, are seeking support, advise, or signposting to relevant bodies related to LGBTQ+ issues. They are not trained therapists or counsellors, but they can point you in the right direction to receive appropriate further support if required.
Any interactions you have with the LGBT Foundation Champions in this capacity will be strictly confidential. An LGBT Champion will only ever disclose that they have had a conversation with you if they have concerns for your safety, or the safety of someone else.
- Jo Blunden, Cheif Operating Officer
- Jordan Baker, Democracy and Academic Representation Coordinator (SMSU)
- Gopi Pajwani, HR Partner
- Lorna Piper, Placement Officer
At our Lunch & Learn Event on Tuesday 25th June 2024 all staff were welcome, irrespective of sexual orientation or identity to hear from two fascinating speakers – Professor Zoë Playdon and St Mary’s alumna, Yasmin Benoit – who provided insightful talks on the secret history of Ewen Forbes, and asexuality.
We hosted variety of events during February to celebrate LGBT+ History Month as follows.
As part of St Mary’s LGBTQ+ Project, the University and Students’ Union launched our first ever Simmie LGBTQ+ Student Experience Survey which was open to ALL students regardless of whether or not they were part of the LGBTQ+ community.
By completing the confidential survey, students had the chance to win one of three £50 vouchers for a shop of their choice.
The survey closed on Friday 15th March 2024.
The survey responses will aid in creating actionable initiatives to enhance the overall experience for all students at St. Mary's and to shape a more inclusive and dynamic campus environment.
We launched LGBT+ History Month by raising the Progress Pride Flag in Student Square on Thursday 1st February 2024. The flag was proudly flown there for the entire month of February.
The Flag Raising event was accompanied by a Charity Bake Sale featuring delicious cakes and cookies baked and/or donated by St Mary’s staff, students and Catering team.
As a result, we raised at total of £164.45 in aid of Switchboard, the LGBT+ Helpline.
On 12th February 2024 Eleonore Murauer, the e-Innovation Director for Reckitt’s Intimate Wellness brands and global lead of the company’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group, held a very informative, interactive and thought-provoking discussion exploring the portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community through the lens of advertisement and the impact it has had on the community.
On Thursday 22nd February 2024 staff and students attended a lunchtime creative wellbeing workshop led by, Person Centred Therapeutic Arts practitioner, Jens Welch (They/Them). There they learned how creativity can positively impact your health, mood and increase focus, whilst creating their own artistic "masterpieces”.
Dates and information
Look out for more information coming to mark key LGBTQ+ dates throughout the year.
Cathedrals Group LGBTQ+ Support Working Group
St Mary's are members of this working group, which your committee attend along with representatives from Leeds Trinity, York St John, Gloucestershire, and Cumbria universities. We have had some interesting discussions and it was reassuring to hear that despite some common challenges we all face there is some great progress being made. We now have a MS Team for the group through which we can share ideas and information. And we’ve agreed we’ll look for ways to collaborate on events going forward.
LGBTQ+ social events
What sort of social events (if any) would you like the network to organise?
Please let us know your thoughts by emailing LGBTQ@stmarys.ac.uk.
Rainbow lanyards, badges, laces, and ribbons
We have some 'pride progress flag' lanyards and lapel pins for network members.
Wearing one around campus is a good way to increase LGBTQ+ visibility on campus and to show colleagues and students that you’re LGBTQ+, or an LGBTQ+ ally.
In addition, rainbow laces are available from Sports St Mary’s Reception and the Widening Participation team in J123/J124. The latter also have rainbow ribbons available.
LGBTQ+ Staff Pulse Survey Report
In 2021, in conjunction with HR, we conducted a Pulse survey to understand the experiences of LGBTQ+ Staff at St Mary's.
The LGBTQ+ Staff Pulse Survey Report summarises the findings of that survey and makes some recommendations for addressing the challenges highlighted in the survey responses.
The Vice Chancellor and Senior Leadership team are committed to working together with us to progress these recommendations as appropriate. Indeed, work on some of these recommendations is already underway.
Follow us on Twitter
We now have our own Twitter account. Follow us on: @smu_lgbtq.
Report and support
If you have, unfortunately, experienced or witnessed instances of bullying, harassment, and misconduct related to protected characteristics (such as sexual orientation or gender identity) at St Mary's, there are now some new resources available to help you.
The latter is currently a pilot scheme. So all feedback will be gratefully received and will be used to review and enhance the form/process.
Our Commitment to our LGBTQ+ students
See St Mary's statement & video of Our Commitment to our LGBTQ+ Students produced by the LGBTQ+ Staff Network and St Mary's Students Union for LGBTQ+ History Month in 2020.