Conference season is on us once again and this year we are hoping to take a full delegation of five to Manchester for NUS LGBT Conference 2012. There are 2 Open Places, which anyone can fill, 1 Women's Place, 1 BME Place, for a black or ethnic minority and 1 Trans Place. All positions are open to those that self define as being part of that community and anyone can run for the Open Places.

This year Conference will be from 30th March to 1st April, so during the Easter holiday and RUSU will cover costs.

If you are interested please email your nomination (name and position for which you wish to run) to lgbt@rusu.co.uk. You will need to prepare a 1 minute speech to be delivered in Coffee Hour (1300-1400) on Monday 5th March. If you can't make it to this time, someone will be able to read it out on your behalf.

For more information please see http://www.nusconnect.org.uk/ents/event/293/ and if you have any questions please email lgbt@rusu.co.uk.

Student Pride Trip

Hi Folks,

About time I dipped my toe into this blogging malarkey.

Last weekend I took a group of 14 down to Brighton for National Student Pride, a fantastic event that is held every year at the end of February or the beginning of March. We took a minibus down and made it in time for a meal before heading out to the ‘Pre-Pride Party,’ a wonderful welcome to Brighton! On Saturday 25^th February, there was the main event, with a stalls and job fair giving out loads of freebies (got more than my fair share of free condoms I can tell you), a panel debate with a very interesting mix of celebrities, a question and answer session with the cast of My Transexual Summer and live music.

Peter Tatchell (LGBT rights campaigner), Dan Sells (from the Feeling), John Amaechi (psychologist and former NBA player), Steven Davies (England international Cricketer), James Wharton (openly gay soldier), Jane Hill (BBC news icon) and Sophie Ward (actress) discussed issues ranging from gay marriage and homophobia in sport to trans representation and women in business. Really interesting and easily the best panel in the last three years that I have been.

I even managed to catch some of the rugby as well, so I was kept happy. Until Williams’ try of course.

Anyway… The event culminated in a great big party in the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange and much fun was had by all. By the time we all trooped onto the minibus on Sunday afternoon we were more than a little tired. I encourage you to get involved with the LGBT here at Reading and make sure you get on the trip to Student Pride next year!

David

Hello Everyone


This week I was lucky enough to be able to take some of the LGBT committee and Emily Collins, a member of RUSU staff over to Amersham and High Wycombe College for a brilliant event that they were putting on. The college as part of it's LGBT History Month Events organised a question and answer/debate on sexuality and everything it involved and we had been invited along to be the panel receiving these questions.


We had been warned that the students were possibly a little challenging and their questions proved to be just that. After working our way through the obvious questions relating to coming out, when we knew we were homosexual etc, we were then asked what are religion was. This was then followed by a statement along the lines, don't you know that your sexuality is condemning the world.The gentlemen that aired this view was from a very religious background and had been taught to believe this and it was truly brilliant to be able to question is reasoning for thinking this and his perception of sexuality. Another interesting and thought provoking point was whether it was right to bring up a child in a same sex relationship when they are undoubtedly going to be bullied at some point due to their parents sexuality. This is a very valid question and is very personal to a lot of the LGBT community, but as long as they are brought up in a loving and caring family surely that is all they need!

One of the main points that the students seemed to really get out of the event was that sexuality is not a choice, it is who you are and it is ok whatever you define as! There is nothing wrong with it. It was a brilliant and really encouraging event and really made a lot of people question their views on sexuality.