Pride month takes place during June and is dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, and this year celebrates the milestone of 50 years of Pride. DMU is proud of and supports its LGBTQ+ staff and students.
Why June?
June is when the Stonewall riots took place in the US in 1969. The riots were important protests that changed LGBT rights for people in America and around the world.
LGBTQ+ inclusion at DMU
DMU is one of the most inclusive employers in Britain and features in the Stonewall (Britain’s leading charity for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans equality) Top 100 Employers list. This is compiled from the Workplace Equality Index, which recognises those organisations with the most inclusive and welcoming workplaces for employees. This year, the university was singled out for a Gold Award, which recognises those organisations which exemplify best practice when it comes to LGBT inclusion.
DMU is also a signatory to the ‘Trans Rights are Human Rights’ campaign led by Stonewall. And we have recently revised the policy on Protecting and supporting Trans, gender fluid and non-binary staff and students, talking to staff and students through focus groups and ensuring that terminology was updated and the format was as user friendly as possible.
Kaushika Patel, Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at DMU said: “Pride month celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and we show our solidarity and support and celebrate our diverse workforce and student community.
“We believe in equality for all here at DMU and LGBTQ+ inclusion is vitally important to this. We want our staff and students to feel a sense of belonging at DMU and work and study in and environment that values them and allows them to be their authentic selves.”
#DMUpride
Each year DMU marks LGBTQ+ history month, which takes place in February. Working in collaboration with LGBTQ+ staff and students across the university to hold a vibrant range of events for #DMUpride.
This year, events included:
- A Rainbow Families Gallery Takeover workshop for LGBTQ+ parents.
- The #DMUpride quiz night hosted by De Montfort Students’ Union.
- Activist with a focus on transgender rights, Eva Echo shared her own transgender experience.
- A social ramble around LGBTQ+ spots in Leicester city centre.
- A LGBTQ+ Voices in Research panel event, which brought together LGBTQ+ researchers working in higher education.
- A celebration of LGBTQ+ creative voices in the ‘Poetry, Monologue, Music & Memoir’ event.
- An intersectional panel celebrated Bisexuality: Representation, Validation, and the Lived Experience.
- The Space for ACE event was an informal coffee morning for the Ace community.
- An 'in conversation' event with Charlie Martin, a British racing car driver and transgender rights activist.
- A LGBT+ Filmmakers Showcase: Tales of Inter- and Intra-actions held at the Phoenix theatre followed by a panel discussion.
- The #DMUpride & Curve: Is He Musical? Theatre shows and Writing Musical theatre Workshop.
- And a Gay Comedy Night, during the Leicester Comedy Festival
If you missed any of these events, you can watch them back here.
You can also access the dedicated #DMUpride microsite which includes interesting interviews with DMU alumni, information about what LGBTQ+ flags mean and the importance of pronouns.
Intersex-Inclusive Pride flag
Last year we used the Pride Progress flag to highlight Pride. The design has been updated by Valentino Vecchietti of Intersex Equality Rights UK to incorporate the intersex flag, creating an Intersex-Inclusive Pride flag. The addition of yellow triangle and a purple circle have been added to highlight intersexism.
The Intersex-Inclusive Pride Progress flag is a way for the community to unite and unify under a symbol devoid of gender stereotypes. Yellow has long been seen as an intersex colour or to represent those whose gender exists outside of the binary.
Join the LGBTQ+ society
Students can join the LGBTQ+ society and can find further details on how to join here.
Posted on Friday 10 June 2022