Thursday 31-01-2019 - 15:31

Today marks the beginning of LGBT History Month - a celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender identities, and a time to reflect on the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements.

 

We spoke to our LGBT Equality Rep, Simon, a mature student at LJMU about coming out, being LGBT at LJMU, how far things have come and the changes he still wants to see. 

 

What made you want to put yourself forward to be LGBT Rep for JMSU?

It is widely accepted that each and every one of us is unique. However, there are characteristics that we share with others which bond us in many different ways, and it is important that no person should be treated any different from another. LGBT equality today is very different from when I was at school, and sexuality is now accepted as a kaleidoscope of feelings that we cannot control. Yet derogatory phrases such as “you’re so gay” or “that’s gay” when commenting on something we don’t like for instance, are still being used. It is important that the impacts we all have on each other because of such actions are discussed openly and honestly, so we can move forward to an even more equal society. For many people, University is where we meet long-term friends and colleagues and it is important that each of us can feel comfortable as who we are, hence I put myself forward as an LGBT Rep at JMSU so that I can help students overcome these challenges.

 

What was your experience of coming out like?

Hmmm, you know what, you never stop coming out. Mainstream society still considers a sexual relationship between a ‘man’ and a ‘woman’ the ‘norm’, and so no matter where you go or who you meet, you can guarantee that one of the first questions, as a ‘man’ you are asked is “Have you got a girlfriend/wife?”. Often, unfortunately, we have to make a split second on-the-spot decision how to answer that question. Do I keep my sexuality a secret until I know these people better? Or do I take a risk and answer honestly? It took me a long time to take the second option, as when I first ‘came out’ in the 1990s, things were very different. I knew I was attracted to the same sex from an early age. I kept a journal as a teenager for many different reasons that I won’t go into here, suffice to say that a ‘friend’ from school stole it one day and soon the whole school knew I was gay. I don’t think I will ever forget that day. It was an all-boys grammar school and I had so many negative comments directed at me. Boys would stand with their backs against the wall when I walked past them, and there was one instance on the school bus that a group of them would not sit in front of me for fear I would try to ‘bum’ them! I even had a vile picture drawn of me by a friend. However, my friends remained my friends until I left school. As an adult, just like at school, people were divided on the subject. For many, sexuality is unimportant, and for those for whom it is an issue, well, I’m afraid they don’t have a role in my life. When I first came out, the legal age of consent for sexual activity between men was 21, lowering to 18 just after I left school. On top, in 1988, the government introduced Section 28 (Clause 28) to the Local Government Act 1986, which stated that a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality", or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship". Whilst this was rightfully repealed in 2003, it meant that during my school years, I was basically isolated, and it felt as if my feelings were ‘against the law’. We have come a long way, even since the early 2000’s, and it is terrible to think that being just yourself is still illegal in many countries.

 

What has your experience been as an LGBT student at LJMU? What have you found that has been positive, negative or surprising to you?

My experience as an LGBT student at LJMU has been 100% positive, although that same-old question of my girlfriend/wife has cropped up many times! It is great that the JMSU LGBT Society and LJMU has an active presence at Liverpool Pride.

It is a real step forward to see unisex toilets in every campus at LJMU, and the new Equality Reps will help to see things progress even further. It is unusual for QIA (Queer, Intersex and Asexual) to be separate to the entire LGBTQIA+ acronym; however, as our understanding of how different sexuality and gender are increases, it is right that these two issues have their own representatives.

 

What changes would you like to see as an LGBT student at LJMU? What work is there still to do around awareness of LGBT issues and how can we better promote equality and diversity across the university?

In an ideal world, diversity would be accepted as a great benefit to society, and the term 'equality' wouldn’t need to be used. In terms of gay and bisexual issues, LJMU is already an inclusive environment. From an academic perspective, it would be great to hear about influential people who self-define as LGBT. This would be hugely influential and inspiring for students, as well as being a way to ‘normalise’ diversity in sexuality. I am in the process of holding focus groups with students to establish how much this is already happening, and areas in which it should increase. My own experience of ‘coming out’, leads me to believe that if advice for students about ‘coming-out’ is available across LJMU campuses, through various mediums such as leaflets, podcasts and online, the stress and anxiety of the process could be greatly diminished. We are really looking forward to celebrating LGBT History Month – look out for the posters of influential LGBT Icons!

 

You are a passionate advocate for raising awareness around mental health. Tell us more about that. 

Our mental health is as important as our physical health, if not more so. We each have a moral responsibility to understand how our own actions affect those around us, especially in terms of mental health. I have experienced mental health issues myself, and have been greatly affected by the mental health issues of people close to me. By realising how interconnected we all are, we can all have positive effects on each other. Try saying ‘Good Morning’ to a stranger in the street to see the impact this can have on both of you!

 

Who are your LGBT icons?

I have LGBT icons from many different disciplines: Owen Jones (Politics/Journalism) for his belief in socialism and the rights of all peoples; Alan Turing (Mathematician) for what must have been an incredibly difficult life having to hide who he was whilst developing the machine that ended WWII; Armistead Maupin (Author), who wrote the Tales of the City book series, for his stories about LGBT characters; Simon Amstell (Comedian/Director/Actor/Author) for his unbelievably relatable life story book ‘HELP!’; Alan Bennet (Author); Stephen Fry (Comedian/Drama/Director); Eddie Izzard (Comedian/Activist); Julian Clary (Comedian/Author); Boy George (Musician); Freddie Mercury (Musician)…

I would also like to include Julia Grant here. Julia was a transgender person whose transition was followed in a documentary on the BBC. Julia died this year, however her role as an important activist for the LGBTQIA+ community has been inspirational in the change of attitude towards transgender people.

 

If you'd like to learn more about our Equality Reps and how you can get involved, please email studentsunion@ljmu.ac.uk.