Westminster explores role of inclusive and queer education at the second Annual Queering Academia Conference

The one-day conference brought together a diverse group of students, academics and activists from various universities and beyond to delve into the multifaceted experiences faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in academia. It provided a space to speak about trauma, whilst being a realm of queer joy.

The event was organised by Dr Thomas Moore, Interim Head of College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dr Simon Avery, Reader in the School of Humanities, and Rajat Shah, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Officer at the University of Westminster. It featured a rich line-up of workshops, panels and presentations, as well as badge-making sessions, student-led ice breakers and quizzes, poetry, popcorn and a bubble machine.

The conference was part of the Westminster Conversations Series which aims to contribute to inclusive dialogues on EDI in higher education. The Conversations Series is integral to the Quintin Hogg Trust-funded EDI programme Community and Communities. The programme aims to give voices to all marginalised groups within the University and ensure attendees and participants are able to fully immerse themselves in the environment and bring their whole selves.

Dr Thomas Moore said: “Queer experiences need to be at the heart of interventions to enhance equality, diversity and inclusion in higher education. Many queer students and colleagues have had difficult and traumatic experiences of schooling, including homophobic and transphobic bullying. Queering Academia 2024 provided queer students and colleagues from a range of institutions with the opportunity to connect and imagine a more inclusive horizon for queer people in higher education. The wide-ranging and thoughtful conversations raised all kinds of ideas which we’re now looking to build upon.”

Dr Simon Avery said: “Queer Academia 2024 was such a rewarding event. We were lucky to have an excellent range of presenters from an array of discipline and career backgrounds, who approached the issues of queering academia from multiple perspectives and approaches. This generated really insightful discussions which demonstrated the collaboration, support and sharing that characterises queer work at its best. We’re already looking forward to next year’s event and more fruitful debate!” 

Gustavo Mariano, PhD candidate from Portugal and Visiting Researcher at University of Westminster, who presented at the Queering Academia, added: “Participating in Queering Academia was an amazing opportunity not only to present recent work from my PhD but also to meet people who share similar struggles in academia and to observe engaged research committed to Queer Social Justice within the academic environment. I appreciated that the presentations focused on understanding and proposing structural, material and discursive shifts in the space and time of academia that can benefit the entire community in reparative ways.”

Rajat Shah, EDI Officer who facilitated the conference as well as Westminster’s participation in the London Pride Parade, said: “Organising the Second Queering Academia event was incredibly rewarding, reminding me of last year's inaugural event. These meaningful events create spaces for people to be themselves, highlighting that the problem often lies in the environment, not the individual. The relatable presentations made us proud as a University to support queering academia, and seeing students from our Empowerment programme lead icebreakers and quizzes was fulfilling, sparking collaborative initiatives.”

This event directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduced Inequalities. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.  

Find out more about future EDI events at the University of Westminster and how to get involved.