LGBT+ GROUP

WHO ARE WE?

Staff Representative, Julie Halliwell, Taylor Morrison-Eaves and Mel Evans alongside group student leaders (appointed each year to maintain continuity of the group) work closely as a team to plan sessions and events. Everyone is welcome to attend our meetings, you don’t have to identify as LGBT+ – allies are welcome too!

How the group started

The LGBT Group was set up by a former student who wanted to improve how the LGBT+ community was represented in College. When it was created it only started as a small group of students. However, over the past years the group and community has grown and is now part of the 6extra programme so every student has the opportunity to join.

Aims of the group:

Provide a safe place for anyone who identifies as LGBT+
Promote inclusion and equality and diversity
Raise awareness throughout College
Give support to the LGBT+ community
Meet new people and form friendships
Signpost to local organisations

Awards

Lancashire LGBT Quality Mark
Think Student Awards 2021 – Best Campaign Supporting Diversity (runners up)
Runners Up in Just Like Us’ Role Model Awards 2021 – Outstanding Pride Group
Allies Week Workshop Winners - The Allyship
Lancashire LGBT Fundraiser Certificate 2024 - £209.54 raised

events

We choose 3 main events in the LGBT calendar and we work towards those in the sessions.

National Coming Out Day – October 11th – information leaflets in Learning Resource Centre; signposting to local organisations.
February LGBT* History Month – celebrated by raising awareness in College.
Show Your Pride Day! – usually in April. This is a fundraiser event when we have music, cakes, merchandise, photo booths, and information stalls.

what does the LGBT+ Group MEan to Our Students?

'I love the LGBT+ group because it is a place where you can express yourself. When I am in the group I finally feel happy.'

‘It gets me through each week! It means a lot just to have a space where I know I don't stick out from everyone else.’

‘Inclusion that I didn't have at high school and it feels amazing to help organise events.’

‘Meeting new people and creating friendships.’

‘Making LGBT friends that I love very much.’

‘A lot to feel inclusive.'

‘Equality.'

Rainbow Reads

All books are available to borrow from the Fyi.

Noah Can’t Even By Simon James Green

His father disappeared years ago, his mother's Beyonce tribute act is an unacceptable embarrassment, and his beloved gran is no longer herself. He only has one friend, Harry, and school is… Well, it's pure hell. Why can't Noah be normal, like everyone else at school?

The Stonewall Reader By Jason Baumann

A compilation of first-person accounts and diary entries from activists and participants, along with news articles, essays and more, this work tells the story of events that surrounded the 1969 Stonewall riots, largely seen as the start of the nation's LGBT civil rights movement.

Loveless By Alice Oseman

With new terms thrown at her – asexual, aromantic – Georgia is more uncertain about her feelings than ever. Is she destined to remain loveless? Or has she been looking for the wrong thing all along?

Luna By Julie Anne Peteran

Regan is a girl that is just trying to find herself, but is constantly overwhelmed with her brother Liam's secret identity of Luna, the girl within him. not only does she live in his shadow of his academic brilliance, she also has to hide his secret.

Nick and Charlie By Alice Oseman

Nick and Charlie, the breakout stars from Oseman's Solitaire and subsequent graphic novel icons return in a typically tender and absorbing novella which finds the couple questioning whether their seemingly-perfect relationship can survive Nick's departure for university.

The Paris Bookseller By Kerri Maher

When Joyce's controversial novel Ulysses is banned, Sylvia is determined to publish it herself. But championing the most scandalous book of the century will come at a cost – and Sylvia finds herself risking ruin, her reputation and her heart, all in the name of the life-changing power of books.

Gay Aliens and Queer Folk: How Russell T Davies Changed TV by Emily Garside

The television writing of Russell T Davies defies easy categorisation, ranging from children’s programmes, across Shakespeare, historical drama and comedy, to the landmark series that have made him a household name: Queer As Folk, Doctor Who and It’s a Sin. Gay Aliens and Queer Folk takes a deep dive into the queer narratives Russell T Davies has brought to our screens, exploring how each work created new space for LGBTQ+ stories to enter our living rooms and looking at their impact on the people who saw themselves reflected on mainstream television, often for the first time.

Abstract Connections: Volume One By Taylor Jai

Dive into the intricacies of the LGBTQIA+ Community with "Abstract Connections," a captivating short story collection that delves into the diverse and nuanced relationships within this vibrant community. Through five compelling tales, explore the interconnectedness of experiences and the exploration of identity, love, and resilience.

Socials

Instagram - blackpoolsixth_lgbt
Facebook- Blackpool Sixth LGBT+ Group