On Wednesday, the Students’ Union hosted the Golden Guilds, an award ceremony for the Societies at Essex.

The LGBT and Friends Society was recognised as a Gold Standard Society (the highest standard possible).

Not only that, but we were named Society of the Year and have an amazing trophy.

So, thank you very much for getting involved and I hope that we can build on this in the year to come.

The NUS LGBT is the largest democratic campaign for LGBT rights in Europe and at the annual conference they debate and decide upon policies as well as giving awards to societies from all over the country in recognition of their work and successesThis year boasted great turn out and it was great to see the recognition of the contributions that LGBT societies make to their students’ unions, institutions and to individual LGBT students’ lives.

The awards that were up for grabs this year were:

• LGBT Society of the Year
• LGBT Student of the Year (FE)
• LGBT Student of the Year (HE)
• LGBT Campaign of the year
• LGBT Event of the year
• LGBT Society Development Award

The Society would just like to say a big thank you for all the people who made the winning of this award possible and a thank you to all the students and staff on campus that have contributed and taken part in the events being organized as part of the 40^th Anniversary! As well as the support from many local orgnisation, businesses and various departments within the University. Without you, this would not have been possible.

For more information go to…

www.facebook.com/EssexUniLGBT40th

We at the LGBT society would like to thank everybody for helping us to make Blue Jeans day such a success! The day went down as a roaring success and was a fantastic replica of the previous ‘Blue Jeans day’ which took place a few decades ago.

On the 28^th April we asked people to wear jeans, jeggings, trackies and trousers in order to show support for gay rights. This resulted in a campus full of students and staff who were kitted out in jeans, jeggings, trousers and trackies, proudly showing they supported gay rights. Many people also went around wearing their stickers that proclaimed their support. It was truly fantastic to see.

We aimed to make people really question what wearing those clothes meant to them that day and how people would perceive them . Some people said that they felt they couldn’t get out of it and had to look like they supported gay rights, because in order to not support the day they had to not wear their usual clothes. This really just demonstrates to us everything the day was about! We wanted people to question that, we wanted them to think, and it just shows that we did succeed in our aim to make people think, as some people did and openly told us that. It was fantastic to see just how far things have come and to see the progress that has been made in terms of support and acceptance of the LGBT community, lifestyle and rights!

Throughout the day we also started to sell raffle tickets for ‘THE BIG RAFFLE’ and are very pleased to announce that we sold over 150 tickets in just that one day, a great start to an event which we hope will raise a good deal of money for the local charity ‘Colchester Outhouse’ – a charity supporting the LGBT community in Colchester. We look forward to the continued generosity and interest of the campus community in our raffle and wish everyone who has already got a ticket the best of luck. And again, a huge thank you to all those who took part in, or thought about gay rights on the 28^th.

The moment is finally here! As you may or may not be aware this year is the 40th anniversary of our society and as part of our celebrations this year we are raising money for the local charity, Colchester Outhouse (Reg Charity No.1006244).  Tickets for the Raffle cost £1 each and the prizes are worth every penny: 

£40 Voucher for Alive Hair Salon – Alive is the newest unisex hair salon in colchester, 2 Bank Passage, Colchester

£80 in Highstreet Vouchers – provided by Avonway House, Colchester’s premier private student accommodation provider, www.mansionstudent.co.uk

Beach Break Live Festival ticket (worth £99) – Beach Break live is the UK’s largest student festival, www.beachbreaklive.com

£100 in book vouchers – provided by your university, www.essex.ac.uk

Two tickets to an SU event – provided by your very own SU, www.essexstudent.com

What an amazing term and start to our 40th!

With loads planned next term keep an eye out on this space.

Our new Media Officer is Deniz Kemal

The NUS LGBT Conference Delegates are as follows:

Open: David Giles and Robert Wayman

Women’s: Alice Wilson

Trans: Hannah Fletcher

BME: Matthew Kon

So well done to them and thanks to all that ran and hopefully they represent you in manner that is befitting the Best HE LGBT Society in the Country.

With over 350 people attending the display and events over the week it was a huge success and has grown from last year! Although members turn out was lower, non members and non LGBT students staff and public was up by a huge amount which was very promising.

Check out the range of events on offer as part of the University of Essex Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans History Week. This year’s theme is 40 Years of Queer, celebrating 40 years of the LGBT and Friends Society.

 Events are open to everyone; last year had over 200 people attending events, so there is no reason why you cannot get involved too.

 Supported by The University of Essex, Equality and Diversity Essex, Alumni Fund, Lakeside Theatre, The University of Essex Students’ Union, History Society, Stonewall SWSS, Essex Labour Society, Conservative Future, Film Soc, University of Essex LGBT Committee and University of Essex LGBT and Friends Society

 Monday 21^st to 25^th Feb

Exhibition | 40 Years of the University of Essex LGBT and Friends Society | Lakeside Theatre Foyer |10am to 4pm

Ten A2 frames featuring a display of our 40 years history through a collection of quotes, newspaper cuttings and original material.

Monday 21^st Feb

Discussion | Cross-Part Talk of Politics and the LGBT movement | 6.30pm to 8pm | LTB 1

A cross-party student panel gives their parties political involvement in the LGBT movement from the 1960’s to the present day. From the Socialist perspective to those of the Labour and Conservative Parties. With a Q&A section

Tuesday 22^nd Feb | Film Night | Born in ‘68 | 6pm to 9pm | LTB 3

A dramatic exploration of the revolutionary youth movements in France from the 1968 Student Riots to the outbreak of the Iraq War. Oliver Ducastel and Jaques Martineau evocative film is a personal look at radical student moments, hippy communes, the exploration of moral and social taboos, sexuality and the clash between generations through some of the most dramatic and historic changes of the last 40 years.

Wednesday 23^rd Feb | Lunchtime Talk | History of Stonewall | 1pm to 2pm | LTB 1

Daniel Danso a Representative of the most famous LGB charity speaks about what the charity as achieved over the years and where it is heading in the future and how we as a member of staff or as a students can get involved on a university level.

Thursday 24^thFeb | Fundraising | Quiz Night | 8pm | Topbar

Your traditional Pub quiz with a LGBT twist. Raising money for The CGS people show your support at this event. Max team size is Six and the winners will take home a range if prizes.

£1 per person

£5 for team of Six

Friday 25^th Feb | Live Exhibition | 44:12:1 | 9am to 9pm | 5.300A

44 years of LGBT history and liberation in a series of 20-30 minute BBC short documentaries running over 12 hours for the entire day. An open event for all to come and go as you please throughout the day, with refreshments. The later you come the later in history we will be.

Questions : President@essexlgbt.co.uk