April / May – LGBTQI+ Equality

What do we mean by LGBTQI+ Equality?

LGBTQI+ equality means ensuring that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) people have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Within the University, work to ensure LGBTQI+ equality includes committing to strategic actions through institutional and School-level action plans, providing a safe space through our LGBTQI+ Employee Network and Saints LGBT (for students), hosting an annual round table with trans and non-binary students, and providing guidance to the community on pronouns and gender-inclusive language.

Learn

  1. Read about the history of LGBT life at St Andrews in this post from 2018. Although now slightly dated, it delves into the history of Saints LGBT and LGBT spaces in St Andrews. The SaintsLGBT+ webpages provide information on current events and activities.
  2. Read biographies and about the experiences of LGBT staff and students, for example; Kiki’s experience of Recolouring the Queer, Audrey’s post on the Importance of Queer Representation in Media, School of Biology LGBT+ role models, or Sofia Johnson’s experiences as a trans student in this SuperSaints profile.
  3. Staff can learn more about gender inclusive language through participating in relevant training, such as Pronouns and Gender-inclusive Language – Training Video (for staff and students) or LGBTQI+ Inclusion: An introduction. OSDS deliver in-person Embedding gender-inclusive language principles in pedagogical practice and Gender-inclusive language principles for customer-facing services . Also read the University’s Pronoun Guidance.
  4. Explore Perverse Collections which maps the growth of Europe’s queer and trans archives, from the 1970s to the present; comparatively explores the workings of these collections, the understandings of LGBTQ+ history they promote locally, nationally, and internationally, and the alternative models of archiving some embody.
  5. Browse resources created by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) on different topics including; Allies, Coming Out, LGBTQ+ Youth and Parenting.

Do

  1. If you are a student who is looking at internship or job opportunities, check out the Careers Centre webpages which lists LGBTQ+-friendly employers, workplace information, and networking opportunities.
  2. If you are LGBTQ+ staff member, consider joining the LGBTQI+ Employee Network, or if you are an LGBTQI+ student, consider getting involved with SaintsLGBT, and their Facebook groups for Asexual & Aromantic, Trans and Non-binary, LGBT+ People of Colour (BAME/POC), LGBT+ Disabilities, LGBT+ Freshers and LGBT+ Postgraduate communities.
  3. Engage with materials and resources gathered by the School of Psychology and Neuroscience as part of Culture Club, and consider holding your own.
  4. Join in Pride celebrations! Fife Pride will run on Saturday 4 July 2026.

Relevant university resources and policies

There are a number of policies, guidance and resources which help us to support an inclusive environment.

SaintsLGBT+ Resource hub – a collection of information and tools created by SaintsLGBT+ to support those exploring their identity, navigating a transition, or just seeking support..

Resources for LGBT+ Students – a guide document linking to internal and external resources.

Pronoun guidance and pronoun and gender-inclusive language training video – to support staff and students to understand the use of pronouns.

Support for transgender and gender-nonconforming students – learn about gender identity and the support available to transgender and gender-nonconforming students.

EDI Project Fund

Funding is available to support projects and events that could enhance equality and inclusivity within and beyond St Andrews. 

Projects funded through the EDI Project Fund with a focus on gender equality have included: 

  • Led by Lou Selfridge and Dr Martha Baldon (School of English)

    inter/pose was a multimedia exhibition responding to HIV and AIDS, which took place in St Andrews from Monday 10 to Sunday 23 June 2024.

    The exhibition, which placed art and literature in a range of public venues throughout the town, included work made by artists currently living with HIV alongside work by artists who lost their lives to AIDS or who lost friends, family, or loved ones to AIDS. inter/pose also featured work made in collaboration with HIV+ people living in Scotland, including portraits taken by John Post and art made in workshops run with the Terrence Higgins Trust.

    The exhibition included some major international artists and writers—Felix Gonzalez-Torres, CAConrad, Hervé Guibert, Derek Jarman—alongside photographers Mateo Sierra and John Post and performance artist Kelvin Atmadibrata.

    See this news article on the event, and the event website, for further information.

Have your say

Please contact [email protected] if you would you like to share your own reflections on the theme of LGBTQI+ Equality or have any feedback on the Diversity Calendar webpages.

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