An international perspective

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The tremendous development of LGBT activities and the raising of its profile at York St John University in the past year are really amazing developments. The fact that Stonewall has just recognised this by announcing that the university is one of only six institutions in Britain to achieve top marks in its survey, serves to emphasise this. From the standpoint of YSJ International and the international students at York St John these are very welcome developments. Many of our international students come from cultures where it can be more than just problematic to be LGB or T, it can also be dangerous, even life threatening. The best thing that we can do for them as a university is to demonstrate that the LGBT community is just another part of this society, no better, no worse than any other group, with no special privileges, but most importantly, the accepted right to be recognised and acknowledged as valid. So, the raising of the LGBT profile, being seen to be proud of our struggles, achievements and history, will help to give international students, who perhaps have never felt comfortable in their own society with gender, gender identity or sexuality issues, the confidence to assert the ways they feel about themselves. Whilst some of these students may still not feel confident enough to “come out” to others, and we must respect that in anyone, the fact that LGBT activities are going on in the university, and the visibility of symbols, such as staff wearing rainbow lanyards around the campus, provide an atmosphere of normality which hopefully will move them along the road to recognising and accepting their own place in the LGBT community.