Hi! I’m Riley, I use they/he pronouns, and I am hoping to be your first ever Trans Rep for the Students’ Union! My interests include Fall Out Boy, the TV show 9-1-1, and Legend of Zelda marathons – all very cool, I know.

This year I’ve been your LGBQ+ Student Community Officer, as well as President of the LGBTQ+ Society; next year, I’ll be continuing with the latter role, but want to try something a bit different in terms of SU Council. In becoming a Rep, I would focus almost entirely on work behind the scenes, working closely with the new Trans Student Community Officer, whoever they may be. Having worked really closely with Sam, the current Trans Officer, this year, I’m super familiar with the projects already being undertaken and would love the opportunity to be more involved with these next year, contributing my own ideas and making sure that they continue to flourish in ways reflective of the community’s wants and needs.

But why should you elect me? Well, I have established connections within the trans community, as well as with the people in the SU who have the means to bring about change. I’d make sure to collaborate with the Trans and Nonbinary University Forum, as well as with other relevant Reps and SCOs; think the Women’s SCO, the Minority Ethnic Rep, and the new Safety Rep. I’ve achieved a decent amount this year as LGBQ+ Officer, including being part of the Focus Group that came up with the role of Trans Rep! I also led the SU ‘Allies to the Right Kind of Football’ campaign, which highlighted the ethical violations of the World Cup being held in Qatar, in an effort to remind people to keep minority groups at the forefront of their minds when watching the football. Furthermore, I planned and led LGBTQ+ History Month on campus this year, leading a total of 12 events and coming up with ideas for, and supporting, many more.

Basically, you can trust that I’ll actually get shit done, which is nice!

AREAS OF FOCUS:

• Safety – it’s no secret that trans people don’t feel particularly safe in the world right now, including the UK, and very much including on campus. I want to work with community members and the relevant members of the SU to improve this by introducing specific trans inclusivity training for staff and students, working with the Security Office and SU Advice to make sure their support for trans students is the best it can be, and pushing the University and SU to speak out more clearly and frequently about trans issues, among other things.
• Allyship – Sam has made an incredible start this year with increasing allyship. The Trans Vigil of Remembrance, although predominantly for the purpose of allowing trans people to mourn, reflect and connect, is also an opportunity for allies to receive a wake up call about the current state of trans rights. I have spoken at this event two years in a row now, and only want to get more involved next year to ensure it reaches its full potential and importance. The recent ‘Trans Allyship: Where to Start’ event that Sam organised and ran, which I was on the panel for, was also a huge step – if elected, I will make sure to work closely with the new Trans Officer to continue allyship efforts on campus in order to get people more on side about trans issues, so members of the community don’t have to.
• Inclusivity – there needs to be a much stronger focus on the inclusion of trans people in areas which aren’t specifically trans. I want to work with the Liberation SCOs and other Reps to make sure that trans people are being kept in mind when events, ideas, and policy is being proposed, to ensure that trans people feel safe and wanted not just in their own circles, but others too.
• University Services – the University has this pesky problem where, sometimes, you’ll log into something like Career Hub, and your deadname will pop up! You also can’t change your initials on your University Outlook email, or have your preferred name appear on your accommodation offer, even though it isn’t a legal document that you have to sign – these are just some of the areas that I would like to address to make the experiences of trans people on a daily basis, here at the University, a bit better.
• Resources and Support – as some of you may know, there’s a lot of support for trans people in the works, such as the Gender Affirmation Fund (and other things which are, unfortunately, a secret for now!) If elected, I would dedicate a large proportion of my time to continuing to push for these things to be finalised and accessible, and actually making sure they go ahead!

If you have any questions, please don't hesistate to reach out to me via email (hi21288@essex.ac.uk) or Instagram (@riley4transrep)!

The state of trans inclusion at Essex is far from where we all want it to be. I want to help change that. I hope you’ll consider giving me the opportunity to do so.