UCL receives national recognition as a gay-friendly employer

UCL has made it into the Top 100 gay-friendly employers in the

stonewall.org.uk/get-involved/workplace/workplace-equality-index" target="_self">Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, up 47 places from last year at number 83.

This is a great achievement for UCL, as it is one of only six universities in the Top 100.

Sir Stephen Wall, Chair of UCL Council & Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Equality Champion said: "UCL is among the best of the best in most league tables. Of all of them, Stonewall's is the one I am proudest for us to be on."

UCL's LGBT staff network, Out@UCL, has also received national recognition as a Star Performer network. Max Hill, Chair of UCL's LGBT Equality Group and Network, said " This is an amazing achievement, in the last two years we have improved our score and rank enormously. We now have over 100 members of Out@UCL and we hope to double the membership in the coming year."

More organisations join the index every year and the competition was fierce. The index involves completing numerous questions on the following areas:

• policies and procedures - policies that tackle discrimination againt LGB people
• staff engagement - questions relating to senior Equality Champions, LGB staff network, relaying information about LGB Equality to all staff
• learning, development and support - development opportunities for LGB staff, training for all staff on LGB Equality, mentoring schemes
• monitoring information - whether UCL monitors the sexual orientation of staff, and actions taken as a result of this
• supplier policy - questions about LGB initiatives with existing suppliers, and the selection process of new suppliers
• external and community engagement - engagement with the wider LGB community
• the pink plateau - specific questions about the visibility of openly LGB senior staff

Part of the Stonewall criteria is also to raise awareness of sexual orientation issues. Every February at UCL, there are a number of events to celebrate LGBT History Month during Diversity Month. This year's theme is the UCL Grand Challenge of Human Wellbeing and an exciting programme of events can be found on the UCL website. Places are limited so advance booking is recommended.

A video promoting the student and staff LGBT groups can be viewed on UCLTV.

Sarah Guise,  Head of Equalities and Diversity