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Image Description: LGBTQ+ victory parade 2018 in Calcutta, India, a sign reads: “Queers for Democracy not for Emergency” When I recently attended the hustings for the OULGBT society, there was a lot of talk about how marginalised students (people of colour and trans students) within the community felt as though they didn’t belong in the […]
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Image description: Budapest LGBTQ+ Pride 2015 “Wonderland Is For Everyone,” says the title of an inclusive fairytale featuring characters from queer and ethnic minority backgrounds. “Not for us,” is apparently the answer of the Hungarian government. The publishers, the Labrisz Lesbian Association, must now indicate through a disclaimer on this and future LGBTQ+ inclusive books […]
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Image Description: A picture of the outside of the Oxford Union taken from the courtyard. The Treasurer of the Oxford Union has this afternoon resigned from her position. She becomes the second Union Treasurer to resign since the end of Michaelmas term. Adi Kesaia Toganivalu, who was elected to the position of Secretary in the […]
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TW: Homophobia, transphobia, queerphobia, islamophobia, ableism, sexual harassment Queerness and Christianity is a unique intersection of identities, one that many still see as conflicting. This is becoming more and more evident in Oxford, where Christian communities are – intentionally or not – alienating and rejecting LGBT+ people of faith. Balancing my own faith and sexuality […]
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Image description: pride protest march at night Globally, 2020 has been a historic year for LGBTQ+ people. Alongside the Pope updating his stance on same-sex civil unions (something I wrote about earlier this term), we’ve also seen a ‘rainbow wave’ in the US, with more LGBTQ+ people elected than ever before. However, as queer people […]
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Image Description: A white, pink and grey trainer on a purple arm Something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately is the way I look. Not in a bad way, either – I don’t mind my appearance and can occasionally appreciate it. No, I’ve more been thinking about the way my self-image has changed now […]
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It’s something you probably heard a few times since lockdown: “think about the people who are stuck in the closet with an unaccepting family who will not be able to support them in the way that they need”. Or maybe you saw articles looking at how people would be lonely in lockdown cut off from […]
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Reader, you would be forgiven for making the egregious mistake that ‘BNOC’ is a ‘one size fits all’ label. If you’re unlucky enough to be friends with one, you would be well acquainted with an impromptu trip to Hassan’s becoming a small meet and greet. If you’re even luckier, you may not even know what […]
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Image description: Player characters from The Adventure Zone: Balance. Image credit: “The Adventure Zone” by Nicholas Kole is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Like many of my peers, I’m hungry for queer stories that aren’t exclusively about being queer. Coming-of-age and romance stories, while great on their own terms, are not my favourite genres, and I have little hope […]
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Image: Hijras in Laxman Jhula. Image credit: “Hijras in Laxman Jhula” by Quixosis is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 India has a complex relationship with the trans community. Historically, trans people have occupied a unique space in rituals; yet they still fight for basic human rights today. Many people in the West are not aware of India’s intersex and […]
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Last Thursday, I attended a philosophy reading group which aimed to unpack the term ‘queer theory’ and the implications of such a term. In summary, queer theory explores how LGBTQ+ narratives are created and perceived in the culture of heteronormativity. Stephen Turton, an English DPhil student, led the discussion by dissecting Michael Warner’s 1991 article, […]
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Upon arriving at Oxford, I was initially tentative about dipping my toe into the water of the LGBTQ+ ‘scene’, as it were. As a closeted and very awkward fresher, I assumed that I would continue down the path which I had precariously followed for the previous years of my adolescence, i.e. attempting to deflect all […]
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Picking your favourite film is a very difficult task indeed. When getting to know somebody, presenting an elaborate list of every film you’ve ever considered interesting or meaningful isn’t the best way for them to understand you better. So, if I had to pick a favourite film, it just might be Handsome Devil. Released in […]
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Image description: a pad of paper, pen, mug, and laptop placed on a desk. I’m sure that most of us, LGBTQ+ people especially, have been pretty disappointed by the way a show or book has turned out at some point in our lives. Maybe your favourite character died, or didn’t get the spotlight you wanted […]
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At Trinity College’s last JCR meeting, a motion was proposed to introduce the appointment of a a gender identity representative, to work alongside the current LGBTQ+ officer, Jess Skelton. The role would have included working alongside welfare officers, attending SU and also JCR Equalities Committee meetings, as well as informing those within college of the […]
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Image description: a photo of the entrance to Examination Schools, with the doors closed. Last Friday saw A Woman’s Place UK (WPUK) holding an event within Oxford. Their presence was not just in the city, but in the university. Specifically, in Examination Schools. I have all my lectures in Exam Schools. Last year, I took […]
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Image description: the interior of a church with empty pews. Disclaimer: this is my experience of Christianity and of people of faith who I have interacted with – I believe that no one is inherently homophobic because their religious beliefs. People are often surprised when I mention I am a Christian (or Agnostic) – usually […]
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Image description: a shelf of several textbooks arranged according to colour, creating an appearance resembling a rainbow. It’s Michaelmas term, and this means that the time has come for Just Like Us to run their annual recruitment drive for the LGBT+ Ambassador Programme for students aged 18-25. It also means that it has been an […]
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Image description: My boyfriend and I at Wadham Commemoration Ball 2019 The life of an Oxford student can, at times, create a certain disconnect with the world outside. For me, my link to home is my partner, James. From the beginning, our relationship has been closely tied to my Oxford journey: our first date was […]
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