You may be confused. Why were there two queer stalls at Freshers’ Fair? Who’s organising what events? Do I get a membership for the Network or for the Society?
Luckily, we’re here to break it down for you, because yes, it can be confusing!

The LGBTQ+ Network is what your elected Student Community Officers (SCO) chair and is part of your Student Union membership; The Network is here to put on events, look out for your welfare, and represent you on campus. Historically, our events have been more daytime social events aimed at bringing the community together. These events tend to be less frequent, and they get advertised on this Hub and on the ‘What’s On’ page.

In contrast, the LGBTQ+ Society is another membership we have here on campus – being purely run by an elected board of students who make up the executive members of the club. The Society holds meetings every Thursday. They occasionally attend events from other societies and external events run both locally and nationally.

Both the Network and the Society are fantastic places to make friends! The Network is free to join, whereas the Society membership can cost a pound or two, which is put towards attending Student Pride in London, a fantastic event that takes place every year! Despite their differences, these two memberships are closely interlinked, But ultimately, the Network and the Society do different things, and it’s worth trying both. You may dislike one and love the other, or you may enjoy both! Only one way to find out…

So, hopefully this is a little less confusing! We know from experience that there has been a bit of an overlap between the Network and the Society, and as this is one of our most frequently asked questions, we hope you now know the difference!

If you have any further questions about either the LGBTQ+ Network or the Society, you can reach out to either below.

LGBTQ+ Network: 
Instagram: @uoelgbqnetwork

Holly: ptolgbq@essex.ac.uk
Charlie: sutransofficer@essex.ac.uk

LGBTQ+ Society:

Instagram: @uoelgbtqsociety

Society Page