STUDENT GUIDE 2019 IN ASSOCIATION WITH
contact info for society reps contact info for society reps as well.’
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As well as signposting As well as signposting social spots, QMU has social spots, QMU has drop-in counselling counselling drop-in services services facilitates facilitates getting students the right getting students the right kind of support. ‘In the kind of support. ‘In the students’ union, we try and students’ union, we try and help students feel included help students feel included in environments in environments and advertise the LGBTQ+ and advertise the LGBTQ+ society as a preventative society as a preventative service, supporting students service, supporting students before they have to go to before they have to go to the university’s “higher up” the university’s “higher up” services.’ student student
As diversity offi cer, Emily As diversity offi cer, Emily has been spearheading a campaign for QMU’s campus to be more accessible to LGBTQ+ students. ‘Gender neutral bathrooms has been an ongoing discussion with the university. It’s something that my predecessor had kick-started so it’s been a year or two that we’ve been pushing for [it]. ‘Ultimately, QMU is fairly committed to making the campus as safe a space as possible for all students,’ Emily continues. ‘Every February we’ve had a fl ag raised for LGBTQ+ History Month which is nice and an event where heads of departments and staff come down and speak and it’s been a really nice atmosphere. We’ve made a real effort to try and connect with people, especially if they aren’t members of the society because there’s always going to be students we miss so we really want to try and keep up the inclusion all year round. I’m also hoping to get a trans fl ag put up in November for Trans Day of Remembrance.’
Emily is optimistic that Scottish universities are becoming more inclusive and hopes that support continues to increase for LGBTQ+ students. ‘It’s understanding the issues facing LGBTQ+ students and ensuring we feel welcome and can come to staff with often diffi cult and sensitive questions or issues that need rectifying. If universities don’t provide this, students are going to hide away and keep that to themselves. We need our universities to be safe spaces for all students.’
For more information about LGBTQ+ resources and groups in Scotland, check out lgbtyouth.org.uk and equality-network.org
H eading to university eading to university for the fi rst time is for the fi rst time is tricky for everyone, tricky for everyone, what with navigating what with navigating new friendships, friendships, new fi guring out the best shortcuts fi guring out the best shortcuts across campus and learning how across campus and learning how to cook pasta for every meal. But to cook pasta for every meal. But for LGBTQ+ students, the move for LGBTQ+ students, the move can be even more challenging can be even more challenging as they get to grips with a new as they get to grips with a new community, fi nding safe spaces community, fi nding safe spaces try to socialise and date and still try to make it to lectures on time.
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Universities Universities colleges colleges are aware that their LGBTQ+ are aware that their LGBTQ+ students may need specifi c students may need specifi c support. Nearly every university in Scotland has an support. Nearly every university in Scotland has an LGBTQ+ society as well as welfare offi cers and student reps who are trained to support LGBTQ+ students. Emily Frood (pictured), a student at Queen Margaret University (QMU) is the equality and diversity offi cer for the university’s student union and understands from her own experience the need for universities to offer support to LGBTQ+ students.
‘Everyone starts university at the same point,’ Emily tells us. ‘As a trans student, I knew that I wanted to get coming out out of the way before arriving at university so I could fi gure out how I could fi t into student life and where could support me. I was heavily invested in making sure the university I was going to and the kind of services that were there were going to be okay and supportive.’ Doing some research, Emily discovered that QMU offered support for LGBTQ+ students through the university’s welfare services as well as socialising. ‘QMU has an LGBTQ+ society who meet weekly from the beginning of term for anyone who wants to chill and get to know people in a more social setting rather than going out into LGBTQ+ club spaces. ‘Personally, when I started university, I wasn’t much of a going out person. There are plenty of non-alcohol spaces where you can make friends and, through the university and the union, I was able to fl ourish and fi nd those spaces. The university puts out a freshers guide every year and we update that with an LGBTQ+ map highlighting some of the more social spaces in the centre of Edinburgh and useful information and
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