The LGBTQ+ Staff Forum has been established to support members of staff in their working lives and to promote awareness of issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity within the workplace. The term LGBTQ+ refers to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning plus all other sexual orientations and non-conforming gender identities and is a term we use to make the Staff Forum as inclusive as possible. The Forum welcomes all Brookes staff and postgraduate research students who identify as LGBTQ+ and allies.
The broad aims of the Forum are to:
- Represent the views of LGBTQ+ staff and support all members of staff across the University with issues relating to LGBTQ+.
- Provide a gateway of support and assistance to LGBTQ+ staff.
- Enable LGBTQ+ staff to contribute to policy development and review or propose matters for consideration
- Provide a consultation forum for the University to gather views on particular developments or new initiatives.
Members meet for social events on a regular basis and it is an opportunity for LGBTQ+ staff to get to know colleagues from across the University.
A Planning Group and sub-groups (consisting of Forum members), with the assistance of the EDI Adviser (Staff), will determine key issues that require discussion and action. Meetings will be arranged as necessary and the Forum will organise at least one event each year eg during LGBTQ+ History Month.
The University is a Stonewall Diversity Champion and occasionally our Stonewall Account Manager will attend meetings to provide support and guidance as necessary.
The Forum may also assist in prioritising issues and actions relevant to LGBTQ+ staff in liaison with the Stonewall WEI Steering Group and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group.
Please note that the identity of Forum members will, so far as is reasonably practicable, be kept confidential.
Updated September 2020