Being LGBT at York St John

Opening words from Dr Fiona Thompson, LGBT Staff Network Chair and Dean of the Faculty of Arts

Fiona Thompson As part of our contribution to York’s LGBT History Month activities, we invited members of the York St John community, past and present, to tell us their stories (on video, in writing and in person) about being LGBT at York St John. This was particularly fitting given that we are celebrating our 175^th year of delivering high quality education and also gave us a moment to reflect on the changes in legislation, culture and society affecting LGBT+ people over those 175 years.

This was brought into sharp relief by Andrew Eastwood, an alumnus who studied at York St John in the 1970s. He placed his experience in the context of the recent decriminalisation of male homosexuality plus attending a college with a Church foundation. However, he found a number of allies within the sporting fraternity that significantly helped the situation and was proud to be out (with some hilarious anecdotes) at college and, indeed, be heavily involved in political activism for gay rights (as they were then called) on a local and national level. Many of our contributors talked about the process of coming out and often with great poignancy, reminding us of the rite of passage that is still required today both in terms of coming out to oneself and then coming out at home, at work and at play.

Overall the stories are ones of hope and they reflect York St John University as a place where LGBT+ people are – as one contributor so eloquently put it – “part of the quilt that makes up the University”.

Reflections on the project launch event during York LGBT History Month 2016
Silviya Lewin – ally, LGBT Staff Network steering group member and Partnerships and Finance Officer, International