LGBTQ+ Visibility, Community and Support

I’m Anathea. I’m an MSc student in Visual, Material, and Museum Anthropology. 

I wasn’t sure I was going to take the position of LGBTQ+ Gender Rep at St Cross, but when I was approached by the Student Representative Committee, I began to think seriously about what it would mean. As we mark LGBTQ+ History Month, I wanted to use this blog post to reflect on why this role matters to me, and on the importance of visible, supportive communities within colleges like St Cross. 

I don’t think my story or identity is very special. I've been active in queer adjacent spaces most of my life. I did theatre growing up, and in undergrad, I joined a self-governing alternative education program in which many of my friends were trans. While I am very open with my close friends, it was in this period that I became a lot more guarded about sharing my personal identity with others. Even as I write this piece, I am nervous about publishing work discussing queerness with my name attached to it. It was not from pressure from my family or friends – I grew up in a very supportive community. Rather, broader social and political changes during my teenage years made me suddenly very aware of the aspects of my identity that made me a target. I am now very careful to share myself on my own terms. 

When I began undergrad, suddenly I was surrounded by queer people for the first time, from my professors to my peers. Despite harassment and resistance, people wore their queerness proudly, moving through the world with defiance. I still felt guarded, and worried about hurting other people by being myself. Many of my friends did not have that luxury. 

These experiences shaped how I understand the importance of community, and why roles like LGBTQ+ Gender Rep matter. With my friends, I organized a fund to support students in buying gender affirming clothing using our student budget. I also helped organise an annual drag show, which we began because a local queer bookstore had been threatened because of their drag queen story hour. We were able to use the University resources available to us to advocate for each other. While we faced backlash and I lost personal friends, it didn’t seem to matter, given how much apparent good our work was doing. The community we were building and maintaining meant more to me than their conditional support ever could. 

Obviously, this was a privileged position to be in, and low-level community organising feels small in the face of massive systemic injustice. LGBTQ+ History Month offers a moment to reflect not only on past struggles, but on the responsibility we share to look after one another in the present. The lived reality for queer and especially trans people has become more difficult than it has ever been in my lifetime. When I arrived in Oxford, I was welcomed into the St Cross community – nevertheless, in a graduate setting where each person is so driven and smart, it can be difficult to maintain those essential community bonds, in the face of academic, social, and political incentives to isolate. 

So, while I wasn’t initially sure I was going to stand for the position of LGBTQ+ Gender Rep at St Cross, I know clearly that I will not stand by while my community struggles. My trans sibling, friends, and peers deserve to live in peace. By building visible, supportive communities within colleges like St Cross, we can help ensure that students know they are not alone, and that they will be supported, valued, and listened to. 

Part of marking LGBTQ+ History Month at St Cross is making sure students know where support and community can be found. As LGBTQ+ reps, we are busy behind the scenes organising a variety of events to get involved with the St Cross queer community. 

Life as a student can be difficult, but there is a wealth of resources available for students in our community if you know where to look! If you ever need support, here’s a helpful list of resources compiled by the Oxford LGBTQ Society. You can also get in touch with me and Paige (the LGBTQ+ Sexuality Representative) at any time, in addition to reaching out to our peer supporters, Junior Deans, and  College Counsellor. It can be very easy to hide in the face of oppression. But remember, we are stronger together!