LGBT

However comfortable or confident you may feel about coming to college, it is a daunting and intimidating experience. It can be even more difficult and isolating if you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans or have just recently started to question your sexuality. Regardless how you feel about yourself and the people around you, coming ‘out’ and being ‘out’ can sometimes be a nerve wrecking time. At UCD Students’ Union, we’re aware of the problem faced by many students in this regard, and respond to it by making all students, regardless of sexual orientation, welcome and safe.

The first port of call for any LGBT student in UCD should definitely be the UCD LGBT society, a great place to meet other LGBT students, as well as make new friends. There are weekly coffee mornings which are always a laugh, and the society is an excellent forum in which to meet people, chat away and have the craic. They have events every week which range from wine receptions to movie nights to games nights and everything in between. Nights out are also organised regularly, be it to the cinema, or to some of the bars on the gay “scene”, described later in this article. The also run a buddy system; a way for new members who may be slightly nervous about joining to meet up with a committee member, and have a friendly face to bring them to the next event. To contact them, email ucdlgbt@gmail.com

UCD Student’s Union also has a part-time LGBT Right’s Officer who sits on the Union Executive Committee and represents the needs and interests of UCD’s LGBT community. They are the bridge between the LGBT Society and the Union, and are always there to listen and advise if you need someone to talk to. The LGBT RO is also responsible for co-ordination of the UCD delegation to Pink Training, as well as being responsible for running the Union’s Rainbow Week.

Pink Training is an event run by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) every year for LGBT Students from all over Ireland. It is held in a different city every year, and has always been hugely successful. It is a weekend consisting of coming-out workshops, sexual health workshops, queer theory talks, trans forums, sexual empowerment workshops, bisexual open spaces, talks by guests speakers, debates, talks on LGBT Mental Health etc etc, as well as a night out or two. It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet other LGBT people from all over, and to discuss any of the issues that may be affecting you.

Rainbow Week is a Union event held in February every year. It is UCD LGBT Week if you will. Past events have included mock gay weddings, mini pride marches through campus, talks, workshops, guest speakers like David Norris and Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan, L Word/Queer as Folk nights, Table Quizzes, nights out, etc. Definitely a date for your diary!

Always remember that if you’re facing discrimination, or you’re having a difficult time with ‘coming out’ at home or at college, you don’t have to face it alone. You’re SU Welfare Scottie is there to help and can listen to you.

Useful Web sites

Websites:

General

http://www.theladylist.ie/

A list of what’s on for gay women.

http://queerid.ie/

A discussion forum and online community. A good place to see what’s going on around the scene.

http://www.angrypotato.net/

A discussion forum and online community.

http://www.gaelick.com/

A lesbian e-zine

www.gcn.ie

The website of Dublin’s gay magazine.

www.spunout.ie

This is a good site for youth in general, but has an excellent LGBT section.

http://www.pantibar.com/blog.aspx

Panti’s Blog, always an

www.lovingouroutkids.org

A parent’s support site.