Southampton Pride 2019

Sam Berry Leave a comment

This year we went to pride in force! Teaming up with the Bringing Research to Life roadshow, the Pulse LGBT+ network attended pride with a range of hand-on activities and freebies for Southampton’s wider LGBT+ community.

Sam and Andrew setting up the Pulse stall.

It was an early start, Sam and Andrew joined the roadshow team at 8.30am to help set up the tent and prepare for the 11am start, with other network members joining us shortly afterwards (we made it in time… just!).

The team assembles: Sam, Martin, Andrew, Alan and Anna crowd behind the selfie frame just before the crowds descend.

It wasn’t long before the network was joining in with the hands-on activities and the stall started getting busy. The Bringing Research to Life roadshow attracted a lot of interest to the University’s tent, with some fascinating interactive demos.

Jason and Sam show off their talents with the Chinese Spouting Bowls.

At 1.30, we began assembling for the Pride March. As an official sponsor, we were near the front of the parade. Presently the students of the SUSU LGBT+ society joined us and we marched together.

Our co-chairs Sam and Andrew before the March holding the University’s pride banner.

After the march, we returned to the stall until closing time at 6.30pm. The event was a great success and enjoyed by all. Thanks to everyone who came to visit us, and we look forward to a bigger and better Pride 2020!

Sam, Andrew, Anna and Alan pose for one final photo after packing up the stall.

Pulse news: June 2019

Andrew Landells Leave a comment

Hello!

It’s been a little while, but Pulse, your LGBT+ Staff Network, is back in business! I’m Andrew and I’m one of the co-chairs of the network. Along with our other co-chair, Sam Berry; and our wonderful new committee, our mission is to breathe new life into the network and make it deliver for our members. So, without further ado, here is the latest news of what’s going on in the next few weeks:

Women in Academia awards ceremony
The Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WISET) network have extended invitations to Pulse members to attend their “Women in Academia” awards ceremony, which starts next week. If you are interested, please contact us at uoslgbt@soton.ac.uk and we will send you the invitation.

Highfield Picnic Lunch
To coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, on Friday 28 June we’re holding a lunchtime picnic social in the Valley Gardens on Highfield Campus (assuming the weather is kind to us, otherwise we’ll convene in B38, the Staff Social Centre.) The picnic will run from 12:00 – 14:00 and is a great opportunity for us all to get together as a community and get to know each other better! Don’t worry if you can only make it for part of the time, just bring your lunch along and we’ll be delighted to see you! This event is open to all staff, students and visitors to the University. You can also join the Facebook event.

LGBTSTEM day
OpSoc, the University of Southampton Optics and Photonics Society, are running a range of events for LGBTSTEM day which we’ve been invited to. These include a diversity discussion panel at The Art House CafĂ© on Thursday 4th July at 6.30 pm and other events to be announced shortly.

Solent Gay Men’s Chorus
The Solent Gay Men’s Chorus are performing on Saturday 6th July at the Hub Theatre. The concert starts at 7.30pm and tickets are ÂŁ12.50 from www.sgmc.org.uk

If you’d like to be more involved with Pulse, or have some suggestions or ideas for activities that you’d like us to be more involved with, please feel free to get in touch with us at uoslgbt@soton.ac.uk and let us know. You can also follow us on social media. We’re on Facebook and Twitter.

Could you be the next Pulse Chair?

James Allen Leave a comment

Hello Pulse colleagues,

2018 has been a busy year for everyone. Pulse events and activities have influenced all corners of the University and across Hampshire. Being Chair has been a true delight, meeting and getting to know you and what makes you unique. However, due to recent changes, from Friday 12th October I will no longer be Chair of Pulse.

To ensure that we continue maximising impact and making change happen, I’d like to invite expressions of interest for Chair. Full Terms of Reference outlining the role(s) are available here: http://generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk/lgbtpulse/pulse-terms-of-reference/and if you’d like to know more then get in touch. Please send your expressions to myself and Aysha Rahman (s.a.rahman@soton.ac.uk) by Monday 8th October.

This is an exciting network, with many more opportunities to grow and strengthen the University in the coming years. If you’re looking for the vehicle to open up your professional networks inside and outside the University, provide a platform for discussion, and enable you to meet people who will benefit from our mission, then this is the role for you.

James

Southampton Pride 25th August: join us in the parade!

James Allen Leave a comment

For the third year running, Pulse is proudly taking part in Southampton Pride on Saturday 25th August. Southampton Pride is a celebration of who we are, joining organisations across the city in demonstrating our public commitment to LGBT+ equality and inclusion.

We welcome all colleagues and friends, no matter gender identity or sexuality, to join us for the parade under the University banner. The Community Parade will meet in Commercial Road at 1.30pm (near the Southampton Library entrance), with the parade starting at 2pm. The parade heads around Guildhall Square and down Above Bar Street to the Bargate and back again.

So that we have a clear idea on numbers, please click on the link below to let us know you’ll be joining us in the parade:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/uos-pulse-lgbt-staff-network-in-the-southampton-pride-parade-tickets-48792469590

Southampton Pride is a huge event growing year-on-year, with festivities beginning on West Marlands Road (outside the Stage Door) from 11am going on until late. There will be a number of activities, attractions and stalls. Live music begins from midday and the celebrations continue through to the official after party at the Edge & Box Bar.

We look forward to seeing you on the day, even if you aren’t able to join us in the parade.

Rainbow lanyards: feedback and update

James Allen Leave a comment

In February during LGBT History month, Pulse began the campaign to promote rainbow lanyards across UoS. The lanyards are a symbol of solidarity, where any member of staff can show their support for the LGBT+ community and help build an inclusive place at Southampton. I’ve been delighted with the response and feedback over the past few months, where demand now outstrips supply.

The influence of the rainbow lanyards at the University has been far reaching. Whole teams have requested lanyards, prospective students and their parents ask about LGBT activities and events at Open Day, and elsewhere the increased visibility has been the catalyst to having open and honest conversations about how we support and accept each other. Here is some feedback received a few days ago, which I’m able to share with you:

“On Friday 22/6/18 I was at a school in Andover giving a talk to Year 10 pupils about Engineering as part of their careers day. I was wearing my Pulse lanyard as I generally do at external events (and internally as well of course!) – and also I know that the majority of our Outreach team do as well. After my talk one of the pupils came to speak to me to say she found the talk really interesting – but also that she really liked my lanyard and that she thought it was particularly cool as she is gay – which I thought was really lovely! I told her that it was a really simple but successful campaign at the university that had genuinely changed the atmosphere there in a very positive way! Anyway, I just thought you’d like to know that your wonderful campaign is having a really positive impact, both within the university and beyond!”

So keep wearing your rainbow lanyard with Pride; it makes a difference to more people than we may realise. In the mean time, we’re requesting budget for further stock so watch this space for when supply becomes available.

If you’ve got any other feedback or stories to share across the network, then let me know. Also, if you’ve got ideas for future campaigns then get in touch – this is your Pulse network.

Network Summer breakfast

James Allen Leave a comment

Every 3 months we hold a seasonal network breakfast. The next breakfast of 2018 is taking place on 13th June, at the Staff Club on Highfield from 8am.

Come along and meet other network members – you can bring your own breakfast or purchase a cooked one on site. Hopefully see you there!

Join Pulse and ECS in #IDAHOTB 17th May

James Allen Leave a comment

Today is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia created in 2004 to draw the attention of policymakers, opinion leaders, social movements, the public and the media to the violence and discrimination experienced by LGBTI people internationally.

To celebrate this event, ECS and Pulse are collaborating by hosting stands in both B32 and B53 with a number of activities, posters, banners, things to take away, and treats!

Come along to B32 or B53, between 10am and 3pm to find out what you can do to help build an inclusive University environment.

You’ll have the opportunity to speak to members of ECS and Pulse about how critical it is to raise awareness of transphobia, biphobia and homophobia. We’ll see you in B53 or B32 later today, and we’ll also be tweeting/posting on social media so you can retweet and share to raise awareness.

James
Pulse Network Chair

Human Books: exploring the library of human experiences

James Allen Leave a comment

The University of Winchester Martial Rose Library is organising a Human Library event on 15th May from 10am to 4pm, and is on the look out for more Human Book titles. Some of you will be familiar with the format as Solent University has previously hosted an event. In a nutshell, as with any other library, it aims to connect readers with books; the only difference is that ‘books’ are real people, and ‘reading’ is as conversation. A reader select from a list of available titles and then engages in an honest conversation, and previous titles include ‘Unemployed’, ‘Homeless’, ‘Transgender Woman’, ‘Refugee’, ‘Bisexual Christian’, and more.

For more information on the history of the format and previous books can be found on the University of Winchester’s blog post here: http://uniwinlibrary.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/8-human-books-26-readers-11-hours-of-life-changing-conversations/. Last year the feedback from ‘Human Books’ was amazing, they all thoroughly enjoyed it and most of them will be participating again this year. Olena who is organising the event, is constantly on the look out for new Human Book titles.

If you’re interested in coming to Winchester and being a book for the day, please get in contact with Olena via:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humanlibrarywinchesteruk/

Twitter: @humanlibwinch

Email: humanlibwinch@hotmail.com

Phone: 01962 678213