Six universities score full marks in a guide to gay-friendly universities released today by Stonewall, the lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) rights charity and lobby group.
Gay By Degree 2015 rates 158 universities across the UK against a 10-point checklist of things they should have to best support LGB students.
The universities found to be the most gay-friendly, scoring 10 out of 10, are Cardiff University, the University of Essex, the University of Glasgow, Liverpool John Moores University, Sheffield Hallam University and York St John University.
By contrast, when the guide launched in 2010 no university scored 10 out of 10.
Another 11 universities score nine out of 10, including the University of Birmingham, the University of Sheffield and University College London.
The criteria include whether universities have societies and hold events for LGB students, whether they specifically mention sexual orientation in their harassment policies and whether LGB students are consulted in university decision-making.
Universities perform best in the student societies and events categories, with 85% having a student society for LGB students and 72% holding events for lesbian, gay and bisexual students and publicising these.
But just 22% of universities monitor students’ sexual orientation and only 20% engage with the wider community on lesbian, gay and bisexual issues.
11 institutions did not meet any of the criteria, including Glasgow School of Art, the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music.
The list is based on publicly-available information on university and students’ union websites.
Where information on provisions could not be found, Stonewall assumes they don’t exist because it should be accessible to prospective students.
Gay By Degree 2015 does not specifically look at support for transgender students, but often this is included in universities’ provisions for LGB students, such as LGBT societies.
Hannah Kibirige, education policy and campaigns officer at Stonewall, says: “There are a record number of university places available this year and prospective students who are lesbian, gay or bisexual will want to study where they will be supported and developed.
“It’s particularly concerning that only 35 universities are monitoring the sexual orientation of students, leaving them no way of telling if they’re providing a positive experience for gay students. Universities also risk missing out on a huge pool of talent with eight in 10 failing to actively reach out to potential LGBT students or engage with the local community on LGB issues.
“We hope that this year’s findings prompt action by the higher education sector to consider the needs of all their students, regardless of sexual orientation.”
Professor Colin Riordan, vice-chancellor of Cardiff University, says: the university “recognise[s] the advantages of a diverse and talented student community and the benefits that this brings to students and the university as a whole.”
David Chesser, chief operating officer and chair of the equality and diversity steering group at York St John University, says: “It’s important to us that all students feel confident to be themselves and don’t feel the need to hide who they are.”
How to be gay-friendly
Have a policy that protects lesbian, gay and bisexual students from bullying and mandatory training for staff to enforce this
Conduct monitoring that specifically asks students about sexual orientation
Provide welfare support, information and resources for lesbian, gay and bisexual students
Have a student society for lesbian, gay and bisexual students, which must be active and publicised on the university or students’ union website
Run events for lesbian, gay and bisexual students, which must be publicised on the university or students’ union website
Consult with lesbian, gay and bisexual students – they must be included in decision-making processes within the university
Provide specific career advice for lesbian, gay and bisexual students
Have a lesbian, gay and bisexual staff network – if staff feel they can be open about their sexuality, students will too
Be a member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme, a networks of organisations sharing good practice on sexual orientation
Engage with the wider community – schools, colleges and youth groups or other universities – on LGB issues, and encourage prospective LGB applicants to apply.
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