Supporting LGBTQ+ rights and visibility
Hughes Hall is always proud to fly the rainbow flag at significant times throughout the year.
During June, we are marking Pride Month and would like to take the opportunity to remind our community of its significance as well as related activities and support in and around College.
Pride Month originates in the US and coincides with the timing of the Stonewall Riots in 1969, a pivotal series of demonstrations by the gay community in response to a police raid on Stonewall Inn on 28th June in New York, and widespread police violence against the wider LGBTQ+ community. The term Pride was coined by Brenda Howard, known as the ‘Mother of Pride’ and a militant activist, who is remembered for her work coordinating the first Pride march in 1970 as well as advocating LGBTQ+ rights.
Cambridge has a long history of active and engaged LGBTQ+ students, staff and alumni: student and staff networks offer social events and support throughout the year, and researchers share their work in queer, trans and sexuality studies.
Hughes Hall’s MCR Committee includes an Equality and LGBTQ+ Officer. Nina Forsyth was recently elected to this post to support and promote inclusion and equality for the College’s LGBTQ+ community. The MCR has an LGBTQ+ student society which is coordinated through a Facebook group; email Nina via mcr.equality.lgbt@hughes.cam.ac.uk if you’d like to find out more.
Nina said: “It’s wonderful to see the LGBTQ+ flag flying proudly at Hughes Hall. I am responsible for representing the LGBTQ+ community at college – creating events, showing queer media, and promoting diversity and inclusion. I strongly believe that everyone should be able to live freely as who they are without worry. If you have any issues or just want to chat, feel free to, and you can also ask me about the Gender Expression Fund”.
The MCR is organising a Drag Bingo night on 10th June at 7.30pm and is providing stickers and flags in the Clubroom – help yourself!
The University’s Pride Month Lecture on 14th June features Lisa Power MBE, LGBT activist who amongst other things was the first openly LGBT person to speak at the United Nations. Lisa will be talking about her history of activism, and the next steps to bringing about change: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pride-month-lecture-tickets-642810071227.
Cambridge Pride is coming to Jesus Green in the city centre on Saturday 17 June 2023. For details: https://cambridgepride.co.uk/ or https://www.facebook.com/CambridgePride/.
Further information and sources of support
- Students: Hughes Students are encouraged to contact their Tutor if they have any concerns or to get in touch with our College LGBTQ+ Champion, Professor Arthur Hibble (ahibble@hughes.cam.ac.uk). Also, the Cambridge University Students’ Union (CUSU) LGBT+ committee has represented and supported students with events and welfare-related resources for several years. Our Welfare pages detail many other sources of support at College.
- Alumni: A recently established Alumni Group, LGBT+ Cambridge Alumni, aims to provide a personal and professional network for LGBT+ alumni.
- Staff: The University established the LGBT+ Staff Network, which is open to staff from the University, Colleges and related institutions, following a consultation in 2006.
- Equality Champions: The University’s current LGBT+ Equality Champion is Professor Andrew Webber. There is more information on Equality and Diversity at the University here.
- Research: In 2018, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences launched lgbtQ+@cam; this page provides an overview of their work, including links to events and research, as well as the University-wide Q+STEM network of STEM academics.
- Community: Cambridge has a thriving LGBTQ+ community both at the university and in the wider city. This Queer Cambridge page provides a great summary of the University networks mentioned above and those in the city, including Cambridge Pride, Encompass Network and Dhiverse.
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