Support during the Covid-19 pandemic, new staff recognition awards and a thriving celebration event have all helped De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) win a national award for its LGBTQ+ work.
The university picked up the Public Sector Equality award at the annual Pink News awards, held by the influential LGBT+ publication.
The growing success of DMU Pride – the university’s flagship LGBTQ+ celebration event, which this year saw Ru Paul's Drag Race star Vinegar Strokes performing live at the Students' Union, along with appearances from Sunday Times bestselling author and activist Jack Monroe and BBC's TV and radio personality Richie Anderson – was one of the reasons behind the award.
Also cited was the consistent appearances DMU had made on Stonewall’s Top 100 Workplace Equality Index, which recognises those organisations with the most inclusive and welcoming workplaces for employees.
And each October DMU hold its staff awards – the OSCARS - which celebrates staff who deliver outstanding service, contribution or achievements. This year the university launched an award recognising staff making a significant contribution to the advancement of equality, diversity and inclusion at DMU, including LGBT.
Presenting the award at an online ceremony, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, executive director of Kaleidoscope Trust, said: “The winner of this award has done so many amazing things in making sure they secure their place in Stonewall’s Top 100 Workplace Equality Index.
“They’ve also done a lot of work around their LGBT+ network and allies programme and importantly, at a time like this, when we know Covid-19 is impacting everyone around the globe, they have managed to pull together some resources and pages that provide advice and guidance.
“Keep up the great work, keep on doing what you do, we are all so proud of you.”
Accepting the award, Antonia Jackson, senior equality and diversity and inclusion advisor at DMU, said the team were really happy to have won.
She said: “We are absolutely thrilled, thank you so much. The award really does acknowledge the work that we do for DMU employees, students and the wider LGBT+ community
“We know that this year has been a really, really difficult year for everybody but it has been more difficult for some, who have not been able to be themselves during the pandemic, due to difficult home lives.
“DMU absolutely stands in solidarity with the LGBT+ community. We want our campus to be a safe space where everybody feels they can be themselves and a supportive environment which allows staff and students to explore their identity.”
Posted on Wednesday 2 December 2020