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A qualitative study commissioned by the LGBTQ+ Equality Steering Group (LESG)
Understanding LGBTQ+ Staff Experiences at UCL
In response to the 2017 UCL Staff Survey—where over 40% of LGBTQ+ staff reported not feeling fully able to be open at work—this in-depth qualitative study was launched to explore the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ staff across UCL.
Conducted between June and September 2021, the study involved 81 semi-structured interviews with academic and professional services staff from every faculty. It adopted an intersectional approach to capture the diversity and complexity of LGBTQ+ identities and workplace experiences.
Rather than focusing solely on whether staff are “out” at work, the research delves into the everyday negotiations, challenges, and experiences LGBTQ+ staff encounter in their professional lives at UCL.
This project was initiated by the LGBTQ+ Equality Steering Group (LESG) and supported by the UCL Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team, the Pro-Provost (Equity & Inclusion) and multiple UCL faculties.
Response from Pro-Provost (Equity & Inclusion)
Dear colleagues,
I want to begin by offering my thanks to everyone who contributed to this important piece of research and the over 80 individuals who shared their stories and experiences.
Although the interviews in this report were conducted in 2021, many of the issues raised remain deeply relevant and present. We recognise that there is still some way to go to ensure that UCL is a place where every LGBTQ+ member of staff feels safe, valued, and supported.
It is essential that we all feel able to bring our whole self to work, and that everyone is respected as a valued member of the university. Over the past years since this report’s research was conducted, we have been taking steps to tackle some of the kinds of concerns raised and to do this work with our LGBTQ+ colleagues so we build a better UCL collectively.
I do not want to underestimate the challenges still ahead, but I want to take a moment to draw out some of the positive change that I have seen and thank those behind it. In 2022, we set up the LGBTQ+ Equality Implementation Group (LEIG), a task and finish group to understand and support the concerns and priorities of our LGBTQ+ staff and students, and identify and develop a set of actions to address these. We appointed a LEIG Manager to help drive this work forward and developed a dedicated Action Plan to guide efforts. We have embedded LGBTQ+ inclusion in our staff induction programme to ensure new staff are aware of staff networks and resources available from the start of their time with us. The Digital Accessibility team is also evaluating how UCL systems currently manage user profile data, including pronouns, and making recommendations to improve inclusivity, consistency, and user autonomy across our key digital platforms.
In 2022, we launched the UCL Gender Expression Fund (GEF) to support students with the purchase of items that will make them more comfortable with their gender presentation; the GEF is now in its third year. A report from Students’ Union UCL last year found that, in the 2022/23 academic year, 84 students received funding via the GEF and those who responded to a survey unanimously agreed that accessing the fund had had a positive impact on their wellbeing and experience as a student at UCL.
We’ve also supported a range of community-led projects through the LEIG Fund, through which staff applied in the 2022/3 academic year for up to £5,000 to run LGBTQ+ inclusion activities or research projects. The variety and success of these reflects the commitment and hard work of so many individuals across UCL who have delivered impactful activities, often alongside their own busy lives and jobs. The time and effort it takes to deliver this kind of work is not taken lightly and is appreciated by us all.
Activity supported by the fund has ranged from research into staff experience, such as this report, to reading groups and seminars such as last year's Trans-inclusivity Seminar Series. Initiatives have encouraged visitors, members of the public and our own community to engage with LGBTQ+ experiences and voices through exhibitions like Blueprints of Hope: Celebrating LGBTQ+ London, and Queer Spaces, a queer tour of Bloomsbury for UCL staff and students that expanded on the work of Professor Bob Mills’ Hide and Seek tour. We have also worked with the charity Deaf Rainbow UK to promote and develop a British Sign Language (BSL) glossary for LGBTQ+ terminology. These initiatives have helped to amplify voices, build understanding, and create spaces for connection and celebration.
But we know there is a lot more to be done. As many of the stories in this report remind us, real change takes hard work and requires deep structural and cultural shifts. We are committed to this work. In the coming months, we will launch an LGBTQ+ Equity Module, develop a new mentoring scheme, and begin work on a refreshed five-year Action Plan to take us through to 2031.
Most importantly, we will continue to listen. Ongoing engagement with our LGBTQ+ communities is essential to shaping a more inclusive UCL. Your feedback will continue to guide our work and what actions we prioritise in this space. We also work closely with the LESG to understand and assist with the issues the LGBTQ+ community are raising through this formal steering group. You can also give feedback directly to me or via the EDI Team.
Best wishes,
Professor Alison Koslowski
Pro-Provost (Equity & Inclusion)
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