May 2018 Newsletter

Note from the Chair Dates for your diary Hello, and thank you for reading our May newsletter. This is always a busy time of year for the Rainbow Network committee as we prepare for Birmingham MAY Pride and our AGM, and we hope to see plenty of members getting involved. Tuesday 1st May, 5:30pm We will also be launching our 2018 survey for LGBTQ staff midway through May, so watch out for an email May Network Social, Bratby Bar containing the link. This is your opportunity to tell the (University Centre) Rainbow Network and the University what we can do

better for you. Thursday 10th May Finally, our committee was recently represented at an Midday Committee Meeting LGBT Staff Network Development Day at the Universi- Watson Building 240 ty of Chester – you can read some reflections from

this day on our website. Thursday 17th May Birmingham Pride Parade International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Birmingham Pride is a weekend-long LGBTQ+ festival Biphobia held annually in the Gay Village and is the UK’s larg- est LGBT festival. The Rainbow Network would like Tuesday 22nd May to invite all UoB staff and PhD students to march Harvey Milk Day with us in the parade at noon on 26th May. The only requirement is to be on either the Rainbow Network or LGBTQ Ally Network mailing list - can request to Saturday & Sunday 26th - 27th May join by emailing us and letting us know which mail- Noon, Birmingham Pride ing list you would like to be added to. Everybody can Birmingham Gay Village bring a +1 and any number of under 18s (under 18s

who march are the responsibility of their accompa- A full listing of this year’s events nying adult). Participants will be asked to arrive be- can be found on our 2018 Calendar fore noon to sign in. Sign up to march and receive full details by emailing [email protected].

Find out more: intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/rainbownetwork /RainbowNetworkUoB @RainbowUoB Join our mailing list: [email protected] International Transgender Day International Day Against Homo- of Visibility phobia, Transphobia & Biphobia

On Wednesday 28 March, the Rainbow Network wel- Observed annually on May 17, International Day comed Serena Sidaway and Jesse Ashman, represent- Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia is atives from Stonewall, to deliver a presentation about devoted to coordinating international events that the Gender Recognition Act. This event was organised raise awareness of discrimination and violence to commemorate International Transgender Day of against LGBT communities and repression of their Visibility which takes place each 31 March. The speak- rights globally. The Alliance Network is organising an ers gave an overview of the current Act and Stone- event to commemorate May 17 at Deutsche Bank in wall’s objectives Brindley Place. The focus of the event is how to be an for the impend- active LGBT ally. ing review, gen- Date: Thursday 17 May erating a lot of 2018 important ques- Time: 5:30pm - 8:30pm tions and discus- Location: Deutsche Bank, Five Brindley Place, Bir- sions among the mingham attendees.

Protest against homophobia in Dubai Update Commonwealth countries

The Dubai project team hosted several meetings Over 120 LGBT+ rights activists gathered outside about equality and diversity last summer, and one of Marlborough House, the Commonwealth HQ on Pall the outcomes of these meetings was the decision to Mall in London, to protest against homophobia in use an “embassy model” on the advice of Stonewall. Commonwealth countries on April 19, the day Com- They have recently published a series of questions monwealth heads of government met in London. The relating to equality and diversity on the Dubai intra- activists condemned Commonwealth leaders for re- net which you can find here. Furthermore, the pro- fusing to discuss the persecution of at least 100 mil- ject team have committed to answering other ques- lion LGBT people who live in Commonwealth coun- tions, so everybody with an interest can contact them tries where being LGBT+ is a crime. They also de- with additional questions at du- manded decriminalisation in 36 of the 53 Common- [email protected]. wealth nations that still outlaw homosexuality.

May 22: Harvey Milk Day Next Rainbow Network Social

Harvey Milk Day is organised by the Harvey Milk January’s Rainbow Network social will be taking place Foundation and celebrated each year on May 22 in on Tuesday 1st May at 5:30pm in Bratby Bar. Come memory of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to and join us for a catch up. Facebook event here. be elected into California public office, where he acted as a city supervisor official back in 1977. San Look out for our lovely mascot, Francisco International Airport have officially an- "Bow" - the teddy bear, if nounced plans to rename their Terminal 1, which you’re not sure which table welcomes more than 32,000 travellers each day, in we’re at! honour of Harvey Milk, who was assassinated in 1978. Read more here.

Find out more: intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/rainbownetwork /RainbowNetworkUoB @RainbowUoB Join our mailing list: [email protected]