On Friday 14 June, just over 100 members of the UCD College of Science community got together to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride month with a celebration event in UCD O’Brien Centre for Science. Organised by the College of Science Equality Diversity and Inclusion committee, the event highlighted the College’s continued support of its LGBTQ+ staff and students, continuing its commitment to ensuring that our campus and academic communities are safe, welcoming and LGBT+ inclusive.
The event included a trio of rousing speeches from speakers reflecting on how far we have come in valuing and supporting the contributions of LGBT+ people within the College, and how much we can still do to advance LGBT+ equalities in the university, in Ireland, and in our academic communities. College principle Professor Jeremy Simpson opened the event with a few words reiterating his own personal support and commitment to upholding the values of dignity and respect in the College.
Jed Dowling, festival director of Dublin LGBTQ Pride and Postgraduate student in the College, spoke about the history of Pride events in Dublin, the importance of being visible and proud as LGBT+ people, and the power of showing up and publicly providing allyship to the LGBT+ community. Dr Saule Akhmetkaliyeva, Postdoctoral Research Staff Representative on the College of Science EDI committee, closed the speeches by speaking about the value of inclusion in science and increasing visibility within STEM subjects, reflecting on her involvement in pride events within the polar research community.
The EDI committee went all out with the decorations. The space was filled with flags and bunting including the progress pride flag (which includes stripes for intersex people and queer people of colour) as well as flags for lesbian, bisexual, transgender, asexual and pansexual identities. A colourful balloon arch also provided an excellent opportunity for attendees to take a selfie with their handheld rainbow flags! Those in attendance were treated to catering by Pi, and enjoyed delicious rainbow cupcakes and a giant ‘Pride’ cake. UCD’s Purl Jam society ran a craft table where people could knit their own rainbow friendship bracelets. For those who couldn’t knit, everyone also had the opportunity to pick up some pride goodies for themselves, including pride wristbands and UCD pride lanyards.
This is the third year that a celebration event has taken place to mark Pride month in the College. The event also follows a LGBT+ coffee morning held for rainbow week back in February. LGBT+ students and staff, and allies, are invited to march alongside the UCD staff and student LGBTQIA+ societies in the Dublin Pride parade later in the month, on Saturday 29 June. The UCD College of Science EDI committee will be organising more LGBTQIA+ initiatives in the next academic year.
A thank you to Dr Gary Brennan (School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science EDI representative), Bairbre Fox (School of Physics EDI representative), and Dr Andrew McCartan (EDI representative) for organising the event. Acknowledgements also go to Associate Professor Catherine Mooney (Vice Principal for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, UCD College of Science), Maeve O’Connell (College of Science Administration Office), Dr Niamh Nestor, (co-Chair of UCD’s LGBTQIA+ Staff Network and EDI LGBTQIA+ Subgroup), and Professor Jeremy Simpson (College Principal & Dean, UCD College of Science). Special thanks to Dr. Joe Branson (School of Physics) and Ross Murray (School of Physics).