The online alumni event series ‘What It Takes’ returned to Westminster with advice on how to become an LGBTQI+ ally which took place on 24 February.
The ‘What It Takes’ series is targeted at current students and recent graduates, and features a range of exciting and innovative alumni speakers sharing their experience on an array of topics. The event also focuses on employability, personal and professional development.
The What it Takes to be an LGBTI+ Ally event on 24 February featured speakers that discussed the concept of allyship based on their own lived experiences. Taking place during Westminster’s LGBT+ History Month, the talk included the speakers discussing different identities and experiences within the community, as well as considering what it means to be an LGBTI+ ally.
The talk featured a panel of successful alumni speakers, including Anick Soni, Georgia Barrett and Jamie Wareham, as well as Professor Pippa Catterall, Professor of History and Policy at Westminster, who chaired the event.
Anick Soni is a 2017 Law LLB graduate and is an award-winning creative consultant, writer and researcher, working across education, non-profits and media. He is currently working towards a diploma in psychology, and writing his first book for children.
Georgia Barrett, a current Museums, Galleries and Contemporary Culture MA student, is President of the University of Westminster’s LGBTQ+ Society, and is an advocate for both inclusion and accessibility, particularly in art spaces.
Jamie Wareham is a 2014 Radio Production BA graduate and is an award-winning digital content producer, audience development lead and journalist. He is the founder of QueerAF and is currently a Forbes Contributor on LGBTQ+ lives.
Following the lively panel discussion, attendees were also given the opportunity to ask questions to the panellists during a dedicated Q&A session.
Thirty students and recent graduates attended the event, and one attendee said: “I really enjoyed hearing from the speakers and their responses to contributions posted in the chat. It was a really valuable to listen to the lived experiences of the panellists and their identification of areas and subjects that need more support from allies.”
Another attendee added: “[I am] Glad to have attended the event and grateful to the panel for their contributions.”
The next What It Takes event will be ‘What it Takes to be a Successful Leader’ on 8 March, where award-winning alumna Naveen Galal will discuss how she has developed her own leadership style and how she planned her own career path.
Find out more about the University of Westminster’s Alumni services.
