LGBT+ History Month at Abertay

LGBT+ History Month has become an important period of reflection, celebration and action across the world, and we’re proud to be supporting the annual campaign here at Abertay.

Marking the struggles that people in our LGBT+ community have faced, and continue to face, is hugely important to us at the University, as is taking the opportunity to shine a spotlight on some of the amazing work and achievements going on here on campus, and across society more widely. We hope to do just that on our LGBT+ History Month paghe and on our social media channels over the next few weeks!

No matter where you are, it’s important to foster an environment where people feel comfortable being their true selves and can be supported to achieve their goals. We work hard to make that possible at Abertay, and we are really proud of our reputation as a small, safe and friendly university, where everyone is welcome

For staff, our ‘Lead Voices’ network gives various groups a voice at Abertay, and this invaluable forum for driving improvement, change and new ideas led to the formation of our LGBT+ staff group. Abertay Students’ Association also does a fantastic job of supporting their groups, such as the Abertay LGBT+ Society, and it’s always a highlight of the year to see staff and students come together for the annual Dundee Pride festival in June. As part of our commitment to equality, we’ve are committed to providing support to our transgender staff and students, and have published both ‘Guidance for Transgender Staff’ and a ‘Gender Identity Protocol for Students’, both of which were reviewed and commented on by members of the transgender community to ensure they are fit for purpose.

We also know that coming to University can be a daunting time for anyone, and is often particularly challenging for our LGBT+ students. That’s why we offer a comprehensive range of counselling and mental health support and also work closely with Abertay Students’ Association to make sure that peer-to-peer advice and support is on hand to anyone who needs it. Although we’re proud of the work we are doing to advance equality for our LGBT+ community, we know we can still do more, and we want to hear from you on this. Whether it’s sharing your personal story, getting in touch with suggestions for change, or simply feeding back on what could be done better, let’s use LGBT+ History Month as a platform to celebrate all that’s great about Abertay, while also looking to the future.

Abertay Equality and Diversity Leads: