LGBT Equality Group 12th December 2013
Attendance
Fiona Addison (Chair)
Max Hill
Stephen Wall
Fiona Leigh
Rob Eagle
Vicki Baars
Ann Moore
Fiona McClement
Apologies
Sonal Bharadva
Christopher Cullen
Hannah Thompson
Sarah Guise
Jayne Kavanagh
Ben Campkin
1. Minutes and matters arising
Action: SG still to speak to staff in Organisational Development (OD)
about collecting sexual orientation monitoring data for training at UCL
Action MH and FL to meet with Anthony Smith to discuss international
strategy
2. Objectives
FA, MH and FM met to discuss developing some objectives which would both
enable the LEAG to focus on the key priorities it wants to achieve in the next
year and also ensure these goals are broadly aligned with the requirements of
the Stonewall Index. All three felt that the action plan which has been brought
to previous meetings isn’t a very inspiring document and contains too many
actions which the Equalities Team can just progress without impeding on
LEAG time. The objectives that were proposed to the group were:
o Influence UCL strategy and policy to support LGBT+ rights
internationally
Action: MH and FL to write a paper for the International Strategy Board
o Implement a creative visual online campaign to promote
engagement with LGBT+ equalities issues across UCL
See point 4 below.
o Enable a more inclusive environment for LGBT+ students
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The idea for this objective was to build on the work that Jayne Kavanagh has
started in the Medical School by developing resources and materials for
teaching staff on challenging homophobia and transphobia.
The group discussed the best way of engaging academic staff in this. VB
mentioned that Tom (LGBT+ Student Officer) was impressed by some of the
initiatives in the US which create ‘LGBT safe spaces’. There is apparently a
big take up of straight staff willing to be involved in these. The California
Institute of Technology seems to have a successful scheme in place.
There was some discussion on the role of personal tutors and if it would be
best to look for opportunities to engage staff via this route. UCL’s CALT
(Centre for Advancement of Learning and Teaching) lead on these sorts of
initiatives. This could be a good topic to discuss with Anthony Smith.
Action: FM to circulate UCL’s personal tutor strategy
Action: FA and MH to seek Anthony Smith’s views on engaging with
teaching staff on LGBT inclusiveness for students
o Support LGBT+ community groups.
The group has already established links with the Opening Doors project (for
older LGBT people) and worked with them on previous events. FM and MH
had another meeting with them recently and discussed how they might further
collaborate. In addition to the Diversity Month launch reception which will
involve Opening Doors, plans were agreed for a monthly women’s film night,
a quiz night, potential help with their website through recruiting a student
volunteer, etc.
Action: SW to invite Nick Maxwell from Opening Doors to the Diversity
Month launch
AM and FL have also already met with the Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT)
although there was no consensus on how UCL might best support them. FL
and AM still prefer the idea of a mentoring scheme aimed at young people
trying to get into further or higher education. It was agreed that the idea
should be explored with Hayley, UCL’s new Stonewall representative who
might be able to link the group into wider educational networks to make this
happen.
Action: FL or AM to email Hayley and explain about the AKT mentoring
idea and ask her to think about how Stonewall might help in advance of
the LEAG’s meeting with her.
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o Maximise the impact and legacy of Diversity Month through
different mediums and activities throughout the year.
No actions were agreed on this objective.
Action: Sonal to put the LEAG’s objectives on their web pages
3. Alumni Update
SW explained that the alumni event went very well. The plan originally was for
the alumni network to raise funds to pay for post graduate scholarships aimed
at LGBT students in homophobic countries, to enable them to come to UCL. It
had been suggested by Kaleidoscope, however, that online learning might be
safer for the students. There was some discussion on how students could be
assessed and FL explained that there were already robust graduate
admissions procedures for international students which could be followed. Oli
(former LGBT+ Student Officer) will be speaking to Anthony Smith about
progressing the alumni networks ideas.
Action: SW to keep the group updated and to put VB in touch with Oli
4. Visibility Campaign
BC had circulated 2 ideas for a visual awareness campaign. The first involved
holding an open competition for staff and students to develop ideas for a
visually striking online campaign. The second idea was to identify influential
UCL LGBT alum or former staff members and photograph staff with significant
items or spaces related to that person’s work accompanied by a statement
saying why that person’s life or work is important to them. This could form the
basis of both an exhibition and archive of LGBT history at UCL.
The group discussed the merits of both ideas and agreed that they really liked
both but would rather prioritise the first idea (for the competition) this year and
then look to progress the second idea next year. It was felt that the
competition would have broader appeal and be easier and cheaper to
implement more quickly. The competition could be advertised throughout
February at Diversity Month events with a closing date for entries in March.
Action: FA, MH, FM to meet with BC to discuss next steps
5. Diversity Month
FA outlined plans for the launch event on 4th Feb. There is capacity for 120
people. Provost will be speaking. RE suggested that the group could ask Vinyl
Closet to provide musical entertainment . VB suggested asking attendees to
take part in a ‘coming out now and then’ photographic timeline.
Action: FA to work with VB on developing this idea.
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Action: FA and MH to contact Vinyl Closet
Action: Sonal, after checking with FA and MH, to reserve a certain
number of spaces on Eventbrite for staff, students and Opening Doors
members for the event
Action: Sonal to circulate details of other Diversity Month events and
group to help promote
Action: FA and ML to invite LGBT media to launch event
6. International Strategy
FL and MH are working on a paper. The group also discussed Richard Mole’s
event on “Promoting LGBT rights at home and abroad: the role of the EU”.
SW felt it was a very good event. If the LEAG wanted to organise something
similar for Diversity Month next year, they would probably need to start
planning it soon.
Action: International paper to be shared wih Out@UCL by FL and MH
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