Supporting our LGBTQIA+ Members in the School of Molecular Biosciences
The School of Molecular Biosciences aims to create a supportive and inclusive school that promotes development and progression of all our people – this includes those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, as well as gender identities and sexual orientations not included in the term LGBTQ and represented by ‘+’.
Vision and motivation
We first of all want to celebrate LGBTQ+ people in molecular biosciences. At the same time, we also recognise the ongoing challenges faced by LGBTQ+ people in science: for example, the 2017 Postgraduate Experience Survey found that in UK STEM students who listed their gender as ‘other’ were significantly more likely to consider leaving their course of study than those who listed ‘male’ or ‘female’. Our overarching goal is therefore to continually improve the ways in which our School promotes equal opportunities and inclusion for our LGBTQ+ students and staff.
Aims:
- - To identify and address issues regarding working environment or equal opportunities experienced by LGBTQ+ staff and students in SMB.
- - To inform staff and students in SMB of practices to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion and opportunities.
- - To organise, carry out, and monitor the impact of events promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion and visibility in SMB.
Achievements/Activities:
Although our group is relatively new, we have initiated a few events and campaigns in our first months. In the summer of 2023, we launched our first ‘Pride in Science’ event: we created posters highlighting prominent LGBTQ+ scientists past and present, with a coffee morning for SMB staff and students to have a first look at the posters.
In the autumn of 2023, we also connected with our EDI education team to create a list of tips for inclusive teaching, including LGBTQ+ inclusion advice from both literature and the University
Who we are:
We are a group of volunteers from among the staff and students of the School of Molecular Biosciences. If you have new ideas or want to get involved, please contact our LGBTQ+ lead Nathan Woodling
