Leeds University Union (LUU) is, at its heart, a charity for students.
We support every student, regardless of culture, sexuality or gender. Transgender people have been at the front of hateful exclusivity for generations, and LUU stands very firmly against this social ostracisation.
The Trans Solidarity Alliance, alongside SafeSpace UK, have formed an open letter for UK businesses to show support for the Trans community, while also expressing concern for the exclusion of transgender people from gendered spaces. Your student exec has made the decision to sign this letter, showing their disdain with the consistent targeting of the trans community.
The signing of this letter directly shows our students that we support them. Our trans students have the right to use whichever bathroom feels most appropriate for them, and we believe that it is not our right to dictate that. As the letter states, LUU has built ‘inclusive environments where all customers and staff feel welcome,’ and this is a value we intend to uphold.
LUU was the site for the first Trans Rights Conference organised by trans people in the United Kingdom. Our building is a part of trans history, and therefore we should be the ones to uphold the empathy and respect that all people deserve. Trans people’s quality of life should not be viewed as a privilege, but as a right.
LUU’s goal is to support our students, and transgender students are a vital part of our community. At this difficult time, we want to put the safety and comfort of all of our students first, and exemplify our value of inclusivity.
Everyone in LUU deserves a voice, and we aim to give our trans students exactly this.
We spoke with Ashton Mallen, a transgender student from the University of Leeds, asking ‘What does this display of support mean to you?’
“LUU can sometimes feel like the centre of uni life. I study here, I go to club-nights here, and I work here, so knowing that the whole team and exec genuinely care about trans rights is so great. It makes you feel safe in every space, particularly at night, and feeling so comfortable in that environment is so unusual. It’s great to see LUU listening and hitting the important points rather than tiptoeing around them, as so many businesses often do. It should never be a question that a students union should be a safe space for everyone, for LUU to know this, and say it, will mean a lot to many people.”
LUU stands with the trans community through these trying times.
It is vital that we keep fighting for change and opportunities for our student minorities.
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