Oxford University LGBTQ+ Society
Formation1975
Location
  • Oxford, England
Membership
3000+
President
Amiad Haran

Oxford University LGBTQ+ Society is a student society at the University of Oxford. It aims to provide welfare support and hold events for its members, which can be students at the University of Oxford or Oxford Brookes, alumnae or community members in the city. The organisation is best known for holding Tuesgays, a weekly drinks event.[1]

The organisation claims to be the largest student society at the University of Oxford, and the largest LGBTQ+ Society in the UK.[2][3]

History

The organisation was founded as GaySoc 1975, when an advert was placed in a student newspaper asking "anyone interested in helping establish a gay soc in Oxford please drop a line". Activities initially centred on Pembroke college, with events such as discussions, speakers, parties and theatre trips. The organisation rebranded to LGBSoc in 1995, LGBTsoc in 2007 to become explicitly trans-inclusive, LGBTQSoc in 2011 before its final, and current iteration LGBTQ+ Society, or OULGBTQ+, in 2017.[4][5]

Notable Events

Oxford Trans Pride

The Society released a statement[6] in April 2023, condemning private members club The Oxford Union inviting transphobic speaker Kathleen Stock and asking for invite to be rescinded.[7][8] The statement was reposted by Stock on Twitter,[9] leading committee members and the society president to receive attacks and even death threats online and in the mail.[10] The debate escalated, with more student societies announcing condemnations of the Oxford Union for the invite. Several groups of academics signed open letters, 44 Academics signing a letter in support of Stock, claiming her views were protected under 'free speech',[11] which was responded to by a larger group of 100 academics raising concerns over the welfare of trans students in the city.[12]

The society organised a protest along with other political organisations in the city (such as Oxford Pride), called Oxford Trans Pride, during the speakers attendance to the Union.[13][14] Attendance was repotedly 500+ people and chants could be heard from within the chamber. During Stock's talk, an activist wearing a t-shirt with text 'No More Dead Trans Kids' glued themself to the floor of the chamber, disrupting the event, and was escorted out with cheers from the protesters.[15][16]

The society has stated that Oxford Trans Pride will be an annual event.

Safe Churches Report

In 2023, the society again made headlines after releasing a report with the LGBTQ+ SU Campaign, founding 'Oxford Student Faith Action', which graded local churches and the Christian Union on their levels of LGBTQ+ Inclusion.[17][18][19]

References

  1. ↑ Rushton, Ciara (2022-10-05). "A guide to LGBTQ+ life in Oxford". Cherwell. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  2. ↑ "Our Work". OXFORD UNIVERSITY LGBTQ+ SOCIETY. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  3. ↑ "Society Spotlight: Oxford LGBTQ+ Society | University of Oxford". www.ox.ac.uk. 2020-10-26. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  4. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  5. ↑ Ross (2020-01-15). "Gaysoc". Queer Oxford. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  6. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  7. ↑ Chudy, Emily (2023-04-25). "Oxford uni students 'appalled' over union platforming 'transphobic' Kathleen Stock". PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  8. ↑ "LGBTQ+ group calls for feminist to be no-platformed for 'transphobic' views". Oxford Mail. 2023-04-25. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  9. ↑ "Twitter". 2023.
  10. ↑ Perry, Sophie (2023-05-22). "Oxford uni's LGBTQ+ president receives death threat amid Kathleen Stock row". PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  11. ↑ "Kathleen Stock: Oxford academics sign free speech letter in gender row". BBC News. 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  12. ↑ "Oxford split over Kathleen Stock's invite to Union debate". BBC News. 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  13. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  14. ↑ News, OxStu (2023-05-06). "BREAKING: Oxford Trans Pride coalition to protest Kathleen Stock". The Oxford Student. Retrieved 2023-12-15. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  15. ↑ Weaver, Matthew (2023-05-30). "Trans activists disrupt Kathleen Stock speech at Oxford Union". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  16. ↑ "Trans rights protesters interrupt talk at Oxford Union by 'gender-critical' academic Kathleen Stock". Sky News. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  17. ↑ "Oxford Safe Churches". OXFORD UNIVERSITY LGBTQ+ SOCIETY. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  18. ↑ "Oxford University students advised which churches are 'safe' for LGBTQ+ peers". www.churchtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  19. ↑ Editor, OxStu (2023-09-22). "Oxford Student Faith Action publishes safe churches report". The Oxford Student. Retrieved 2023-12-15. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
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