My name is Alex, and I am the LGBTQ+ Student Community Officer at the University of Essex.

Throughout this month, I have been working to strengthen the LGBTQ+ student community through events, collaborations, outreach and campaigning. My focus has been creating more opportunities for LGBTQ+ students to connect, building a stronger sense of belonging on campus, and identifying areas where the University and Students' Union can improve inclusivity and student safety.

Goals

What were you hoping to do/achieve this month?

My key objectives for this month were:

• Strengthen the LGBTQ+ community: Organise a range of social events to bring LGBTQ+ students together, particularly providing freshers with opportunities to meet people and build friendships.
• Increase community engagement: Encourage greater participation in the LGBTQ+ WhatsApp community and create more opportunities for students to get involved.
• Improve visibility: Increase my presence on campus and through social media, helping students recognise me as an accessible point of contact and representative.
• SU Bar takeover: Organise an LGBTQ+-themed takeover of the SU Bar to create a welcoming and inclusive nightlife space for LGBTQ+ students.
• Improve student safety: Explore additional safety measures and support protocols for LGBTQ+ students on campus.
• Staff awareness and training: Advocate for further trans awareness and inclusivity training for University staff and campus security.
• Improve facilities: Campaign for additional gender-neutral facilities, particularly a gender-neutral bathroom in Sub Zero and an inclusive changing facility in the Sports Centre gym.

What have I done this month? 

What have you done this month e.g. events, networking, etc?

This month, I have undertaken a range of activities focused on community building, student engagement and external networking.

Events and community engagement:

• Drag & Drac: Organised an LGBTQ+-themed Halloween SU Bar takeover, creating a queer-friendly nightlife environment and providing students with an opportunity to celebrate LGBTQ+ identity and alternative culture.
• LGBTQ+ Community Social: Organised a social event featuring board games and icebreakers, encouraging students to meet others and build connections within the community.
• Trans Student Social: Organised a dedicated social space for trans students to meet, connect and socialise.
• Dice & Diversity: Began planning a collaborative social event with the Tabletop Roleplaying Games (TTRPG) Society, designed to bring students together through accessible, relaxed tabletop gaming.
• Freshers' Fair: Participated in outreach and promotion to raise awareness of the LGBTQ+ community and encourage new students to get involved.

Networking and collaboration:

• Established connections with The Outhouse, an LGBTQ+ organisation based in Colchester, to explore opportunities for collaboration and support.
• Networked with The Clothes Exchange to explore opportunities for future collaborative events, including a queer fashion show.
• Worked alongside the Alternative Society and TTRPG Society to develop joint events and create opportunities for collaboration between student communities.
• Worked with Chloe Jarrett and Sophie Atherton in supporting and coordinating activities.

Did you manage to meet your goals? 

Yes. I have made significant progress towards my objectives this month, with several events receiving attendance that exceeded my initial expectations.

One of the biggest achievements was successfully organising the Halloween SU Bar takeover, Drag & Drac. This provided an opportunity to create a more welcoming and queer-friendly nightlife environment on campus, while also increasing the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community within the Students' Union.

I have also made progress in building relationships with other societies and local organisations, creating opportunities for future collaborations beyond the LGBTQ+ community itself.

Although I have made progress with community engagement and visibility, I intend to continue developing these areas over the coming months, alongside progressing longer-term campaigns around student safety, trans awareness and inclusive facilities 

Did you work with any staff or students? 

Yes. Collaboration has been an important part of my work this month.

I have worked with:

• Alternative Society.
• Tabletop Roleplaying Games (TTRPG) Society.
• Chloe Jarrett.
• Sophie Atherton.
• The Outhouse (Colchester).
• The Clothes Exchange.

These collaborations have helped establish relationships that I hope to develop further through future events and campaigns.

What can we expect in the next month?

Over the coming month, I intend to continue focusing on LGBTQ+ community engagement, awareness and student welfare.

My priorities include:

• Anti-spiking campaign: Explore ways to raise awareness of drink spiking, improve student education and promote safer nightlife environments.
• Trans Remembrance: Organise activities to commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance and provide an opportunity for the community to recognise and remember those affected by anti-trans violence.
• Trans Awareness Month: Increase visibility and awareness of trans experiences, challenges and issues affecting trans students.