Being queer at UCL

24 July 2025

By Anna Duncan, Education Studies BA*

*From the 2024/2025 academic year onwards, this degree has been renamed the Education, Society and Culture BA.

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When I was invited to write about being queer at university, I initially felt that it would be difficult to think of any notable experiences specific to being queer as a student at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE, my faculty at UCL). However, through reflection and discussion with other LGBTQ+ students, I have brought together a description of some individual and shared experiences and how they feel. I will mention a lack of coverage, alongside the welcoming attitude of the queer community, particularly the students, as well as queer activities I know of, or have participated in.

My hesitation in being able to think of anything likely comes from what I would consider to be underrepresentation or lack of discussion around queer topics. It wasn’t until discovering the IOE LGBTQ+ Advisory Group (ILAG) that I even began thinking about how the IOE might impact our experience as queer students. Queer topics such as sexuality and gender (relating to being transgender or non-binary) were usually not covered in detail, with lecturers preferring to focus on race, class and gender (relating to gaps between females and males). The students I spoke with agreed on this. Zainah, an undergraduate student at the IOE, added that the little representation that was discussed was “quite supportive of non-heteronormative ideas […] but it’s not covered enough”.

Within my own experience, the teaching staff have rarely prompted discussions about queer topics but have always been encouraging when these topics are brought up by students. Therefore, I don’t feel uncomfortable talking about being queer or discussing LGBTQ+ topics around the staff that I have been taught by. I would however appreciate if they were to start such conversations themselves.

Another point raised in discussion was the appreciation for the queer community in the IOE. Ana, a postgraduate student at the IOE, said that “The queer people are great, at the IOE”. I have had a similarly positive experience. Through groups such as ILAG, it is really possible to see how there are people in this faculty that are openly supportive of all LGBTQ+ people. Additionally, Zainah spoke about the student body, stating that “it is a very open-minded community, and that is mostly down to the students, and not to the lecturers […] being around other students around the IOE makes me feel quite safe to be openly bi”. I agree that I have mostly felt a sense of support for the queer community from students both on my course, and elsewhere around the IOE. I have also noticed students making their opinions or concerns heard, such as questioning lecturers if their definition of women is trans-inclusive. Additionally, discussions with groups of students have always made me feel comfortable speaking openly and casually about being queer. I feel that the students in the IOE are very understanding and open-minded towards the LGBTQ+ community, and those that I have experience with have always been respectful even when discussing topics they do not fully understand.

Within the wider context of being within UCL and London, I feel comfortable being openly queer and I feel that there are opportunities to engage with others in the community. In addition to being in ILAG, I attend an external book club for queer women, which I really enjoy both for meeting a broader group of queer people and for discussing and discovering queer literature. I am also aware of the many events held by the central UCL LGBTQ+ Network, although I have not personally attended these since I have a preference for smaller groups. However, queer participation and acceptance isn’t limited to these LGBTQ+-specific groups. Within other UCL societies I have been in, committees and members have always been welcoming to all queer students. Zainah placed particular emphasis on UCL’s feminist zine, Women’s Wrongs, stating that she considers it to be a safe place for queer people.

Ana stated that “Definitely the IOE is more LGBTQ+ friendly than other spaces I’ve been in. I think the fact that it is more inclusive makes you want to have more and more of that”. I agree with this since I have never personally felt threatened as a queer IOE student, but I am aware that the situation could be different for other students, such as those that are transgender.

Overall, the IOE is a space where LGBTQ+ students should feel safe. This is already supported by the lovely student community, and staff members such as those in ILAG, and I hope that as a queer student I can continue to advocate for the community and further ensure comfort for others. I would also like to see further inclusion of the community through more acknowledgement by teaching staff. Similarly to Ana, the accepting community in the IOE makes me very optimistic about the possibility of further improvement to LGBTQ+ inclusion in the future.

Resources

• LGBTQ+ students at UCL
• LGBTQ+ Equality