Category Archives: EDI

A love letter to Heartstopper

By Dr Lindsey Cameron, Kirsty Gravestock [PhD student], Hannah Bassom and Abigail Lugg [undergraduate students], School of Psychology.

We can’t stop thinking about Heartstopper.  

Heartstopper has opened a ground-breaking new chapter in LGBTQ+ representation. This beautiful, unapologetic, boy meets boy love story follows two 15- and 16-year-old boys as they become friends, fall in love, and discover who they are. The boys are surrounded by their close circle of friends, each on their own journeys to understand their LGBTQ+ identity.  But Heartstopper is much more than a love story – Dr Lindsey Cameron and Kirsty Gravestock research diversity in young people’s media, and can tell you that this new Netflix series, and the books it is based on, is nothing short of radical and just what the world needs right now.  

The characters refer to homophobic and transphobic bullying they have experienced in the past, and there are several instances of homophobic victimisation depicted in the series, but the show focuses more on the positive relationships and lives the characters are building for themselves. This fictional, and somewhat rose-tinted view of life for LGBTQ+ young people may bring about complicated feelings for some in the LGBTQ+ community, but Heartstopper provides a joy and hope-filled view of what life could be like for LGBTQ+ young people today.  

“Heartstopper is a breath of fresh air – a book and TV series specifically created for young viewers. When myself and my girlfriend were growing up, we were surrounded by dominant heterosexual norms, but perhaps greater exposure and diversity in relation to LGBTQ+ media would have helped me work out my sexuality a lot earlier.” – Abigail Lugg

So here is why you should stop what you’re doing and watch (and read) it now – not just because it’s wonderful, but because decades of psychological research help show why it’s essential viewing for everyone. 

1.Representation matters – Heartstopper’s positive role models smash gay stereotypes and provide a much-needed shot of LGBTQ+ diversity, and we need more diversity in young people’s media. We need our young people, including LGBTQ+ young people, to see themselves reflected back in books, TV and film, to feel validated, valued, seen, and accepted. Mainstream shows featuring positive, life-affirming LGBTQ+ story lines send an important message: representation matters, equality matters, LGBTQ+ people matter.  

2.We need positive LGBTQ+ storylines for a younger audience –Whilst the show depicts 15- and 16-year-old characters, the storyline, characters and key messages will appeal to both younger and older audiences alike. It’s a show that younger adolescents, as well as older teenagers and their parents can watch together without too much cringe. And that is important: from a young age, parents are a crucial source of information for children as they learn about their social world. By watching Heartstopper with their children, parents will have an opportunity to talk about the LGBTQ+ community and identity (whether their child is part of the community or not), and maybe even inspiring their child to open up about their experiences. 

3.Challenging prejudice and stereotypes – Victimisation based on sexual orientation emerges mainly during early adolescence, when homophobic name-calling is common. Decades of research on diversity in books, films and TV tells us that that the simple but immersive act of reading and watching characters that are different to us in some way, and who we connect with, can reduce prejudice and stereotyping, build support for equality, and increase openness to diverse friendships. 

4.Being a good ally – Heartstopper models constructive ally behaviours by providing examples of how parents, peers and teachers can support and create comfortable environments for LGBTQ+ young people, as well as demonstrating potential ways of standing up for and supporting victims of LGBTQ+ bullying. Research tells us that viewing, and forming attachments to LGBTQ+ characters, as well as observing or engaging in cross-group friendships with LGBTQ+ peers, fosters empathy and constructive ally behaviours, helpful bystander reactions to homophobic bullying, and support for social change and equality.

“As a Gen-Z-TikTok-addicted-bisexual, it was shocking to see how accurately the plight of discovering one’s own sexuality was portrayed. From Nick’s confusion over suddenly liking a boy, to panic-searching BuzzFeed quizzes to determine his sexuality for him, to more serious topics such as homophobic bullying, Heartstopper truly shows people what it’s like to not be straight. Heartstopper works by showing us it’s okay to love who you love and be who you want to be unapologetically.” – Hannah Bassom

Heartstopper gives us a view of what life could and should be like for young LGBTQ+ people. And this is why Heartstopper is so important, and so radical: we need more unapologetic, joyful, positive stories like this for young people, filled with optimism, love and Pride.  

To see all the research references and find out more about the blogpost authors’ areas of study, please view the full blogpost on the Psychology website.

Join us for Pride Canterbury!

This Saturday (11 June) is Pride Canterbury! The parade will pass through Canterbury High Street at 11.30am and is followed by a star-studded festival in the city’s Dane John Gardens.

Take Part in the Parade

University of Kent LGBTQ+ staff, students, and allies are all warmly welcomed to take part in the parade. If you would like to march with us in pride, you can collect a wristband from EDI Adviser Kim Mulholland on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 June between 12.00 and 13.00 in the Gulbenkian Café. Wristbands will also be available to collect on the day, but please note that these will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.

On the day…

The University of Kent Parade Group will meet on the steps of the Marlowe theatre between 10.00 and 10.30 before walking to the Parade Staging Area together. Please be prompt, and remember to wear your best Pride outfit! A number of banners, placards and flags will be available for you.

See you there!

2022 Kent Staff Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Awards

Do you know a member of staff who has made a difference through their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) work this year?

We recognise that EDI is the work of everyone and changes in daily practice make big impacts in the lives of those around us. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is ongoing work.

It requires continuous learning and relearning, with the understanding that there is often no end point, and that’s why we want to make sure this work does not go unnoticed.

We want to celebrate all the staff members who have made Kent a more inclusive community.

So, if you know of someone who has championed EDI in any way this year, let us know! Maybe someone has listened to your feedback and changed their practice to make it more inclusive?

Or perhaps you’ve noticed a small but significant action that someone in your team has made, that has changed your experience at work for the better? Whatever the action, big or small, we want to hear about it!

You can submit as many nominations as you want – we have so many fantastic members of staff working on EDI initiatives all year round.

An afternoon of tea and cake will take place on 8 June to celebrate the nominees.

Click here to nominate a staff member

Nominations will close at 8.00 on 24 May 2022. Invitations to the awards tea (on 8 June) will be issued on 31 May.

Challenging Racism project update

Update from Leroy | Race Equality Charter Co-ordinator

Since our last update the Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) Team has been working on our Race Equality Charter (REC) and at the end of 2021, introduced our Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment (RECSAT) Team to analyse its data.

Here’s more information about the Race Equality Charter and the work being done by the Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment Team:

What is the REC?

The Race Equality Charter (REC) is an AdvanceHE charter mark focussed at Higher Education (HE) institutions reflecting and tackling race inequality. It follows fairly similar principles to AthenaSWAN with the exception that its focus is ethnicity rather than gender. It asks us as an institution to set up a Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment Team (RECSAT).

What is RECSAT?

The Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment Team (RECSAT), is the committee involved in analysing our application, commenting and critiquing on data.

We established the RECSAT in December 2021 and since then it has had two full meetings and they have been discussing topics such as the University’s wider EDI work alongside how we go about fulfilling REC requirements.

Outcome from the RECSAT meetings

The RECSAT decided to continue to use the term racially minoritised in Kent. While we know that the term racially minoritised isn’t perfect, we all acknowledge the problems the term Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) brings, especially how it excludes some minoritised communities and homogenises others.

As set out in the Antiracism Strategy; racially minoritised is a term increasingly used in EDI work as an alternative to BAME as it highlights the social construction of racial categorisation. However, the term racially minoritised also has limitations:

it could be perceived as passive and limiting in terms of individual agency
it also risks homogenising the experience of individuals and communities who experience racism in different ways.

The term is used here fully aware of these limitations but in acknowledgement that there is no consensus on a new national preferred terminology as of yet.

Where we classify racially minoritised and we as an institution support racially minoritised individuals, there may be a mismatch in support from external providers and we are looking to see how we can do that effectively.

We would encourage staff and students to talk to RECSAT members so that thoughts and opinions can enhance meetings. We would ask however to respect that the individuals are students and full time staff and may also have a lot of things on their plate alongside the vital work they are doing in the REC.

One of the other key things that our RECSAT emphasised in their previous meetings, is the importance of making spaces and mechanisms with proper throughput of lived experiences of staff and students. Members stressed the importance of listening and discussing these things and not losing the spaces that provide them, as well as ensuring what’s heard is acted upon and taken up with feedback and progress.

Discussions of the things that come out of RECSAT meetings will form part of the REC action plan as well.

The EDI Team has been working on our REC application with the input of the RECSAT and staff around the institution.

How you can get involved

If you’re a group of staff, a student network, Divisional EDI team, a person who wants to know more, get involved or mention something to us, do get in touch.

There are some quick and easy things you can do:

Have open discussions about EDI between yourselves and your Divisional/Departmental EDI teams. The more we talk, the more we can listen, the more we can improve. Those things can feed into the REC process and our EDI forum.
Ensure you’ve got your demographic information complete as possible and up to date on StaffConnect. We need to ensure we have as complete a picture as possible when we do our work to make sure it has the widest impact.

There are resources in Kent and across the board that can help you get started, enhance what you know with some intersectionality in Kent:

Progress on student demands

Throughout the REC and antiracism work we have been doing we are keeping a close eye on the student demands and what we can do to take more action on them.

Kent made its Antiracism Strategy in response to student demands as well as to incorporate the University’s commitment to being an antiracist institution. An action plan to that strategy is being made as part of our REC submission process to push the progress in a positive direction with meaningful accountability.

We are setting up a Harassment and Discrimination Prevention Group. The group will include staff and students and look at potentially being an independent panel having no senior management involved in the processes.

The excellent survey made by the BAME staff network is entering its next phase. Big shout out to the network co-chairs for the amazing piece of work they are continuing.

Other institutional progress

Kent has signed up to StellarHE Executive Development Programme for Diverse Leaders (BAME) in Higher Education. It is aimed at academic and professional staff aspiring to senior leadership positions in Higher Education and we have submitted our first round of staff to the programme.

Our Response to the EHRC Equality Act Report

The recent media attention surrounding the Equality and Human Right Commission report “Separate and single-sex service providers: a guide on the Equality Act sex and gender reassignment provisions” has created some confusion, uncertainty and debate around the interpretation it brings when it comes to the use of facilities such as toilets and changing rooms.

At Kent we recognise that the responses of some institutions are placing our trans, nonbinary and intersex colleagues at an increased risk of harm. We affirm our commitment to members of these communities at Kent, and to our ongoing work to remove discriminatory practices and approaches that place them at risk of harm.

At the University we have our own EDI policy, Dignity at Work policy and Trans Student Support policy but given the press attention, we feel it necessary to clarify our position that we want to work towards an environment where individuals can feel safe and comfortable to use the facilities including toilets and changing rooms, that matches their gender, without fear of harassment or discrimination.

Context

This most recent media attention is situated in an ongoing context, where trans and non-binary people face discrimination and harassment:

At work, including from colleagues, managers, customers and clients;
In public, including verbal and physical abuse;
Online, particularly on social media where targeted harassment, bullying and abusive comments and even attempts to find and share trans people’s previous names and current address are increasingly common;
Trans people also face barriers to accessing healthcare, such as long waiting lists for treatment.

We at the University of Kent are committed to fostering a positive working environment where all employees are treated fairly, with dignity, courtesy, respect and consideration. All staff have a responsibility to create an environment that is free from harassment, bullying, unlawful discrimination and victimisation. We do not – and will not – tolerate discrimination and harassment within our institution. We have been pleased to see growing awareness of the diversity of the trans and non-binary community and increased understanding of the breadth of gender identities. Unfortunately, this visibility has come with a rise in hostility towards some members of the trans community.

Harassment reporting

We fully support and encourage all our students and staff to report incidents of harassment and discrimination using existing policies.

Toilet Facilities

We have maps of both our Canterbury and Medway campuses highlighting the location of gender neutral toilets. We want individuals to be comfortable using the facilities that match their gender, without fear of harassment or discrimination.

Join our communities

The LGBTQ+ Network aims to represent and act as the voice for, as well as promote, extend, and defend the rights of LGBTQ+ students to both the University and Kent Union.
LGBTQ+ Society is a social society with the aim of providing a safe space for those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ umbrella. They welcome people of all sexualities and genders.
Medway LGBTQ Society at GKSU.
Trans, non-binary, intersex and questioning peer support group

Access resources

Using the resources available removes the burden of questions, explanations and discussions from members of the LGBTQIA+ community – the links below are an excellent starting point for people wanting to understand more.

Our LGBTQ+ network have a fantastic blog that covers ongoing news, events and challenges – stay up to date with the issues affecting the community.

Mermaids UK and Stonewall have easily accessible resources and Q&A that cover many of the relevant issues.

Rainbow Lanyard

The University of Kent Rainbow Lanyard celebrates and promotes our work around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Wearing one shows your commitment to providing a safe and comfortable environment for all of our LGBTQ+ staff and students. It also shows LGBTQ+ people that they can ‘bring their whole selves’ to you without fear of judgement or an unsupportive reaction.

Kent’s response to EHRC statements on upcoming LGBTQ+ legislation

The University of Kent is committed to fostering a positive working environment where all staff are treated fairly, with dignity, courtesy, respect and consideration. We recognise that the response of some institutions, both international and national, regarding plans to legislate for a ban on conversion therapy in England and Wales, and Gender Recognition Act reform in Scotland, are placing our trans colleagues at an increased risk of harm.

We do not – and will not – tolerate discrimination and harassment within our institution. We have been pleased to see growing awareness of the diversity of the trans and non-binary community and increased understanding of the breadth of gender identities. Unfortunately, this visibility has come with a rise in hostility towards some members of the trans community.

We encourage all staff and students to actively engage in increasing their understanding of the issues facing the trans and non-binary communities and to take action to create a more inclusive environment. To understand more around the specific current concerns, the Stonewall response to EHRC statements on upcoming LGBTQ+ legislation and Mermaids’ response to the EHRC highlight the impact that this is having on the trans and non-binary communities.

This is situated in an ongoing context, where Trans and non-binary people face discrimination and harassment:

At work, including from colleagues, managers, customers and clients;
In public, including verbal and physical abuse;
Online, particularly on social media where targeted harassment, bullying and abusive comments and even attempts to find and share trans people’s previous names and current address are increasingly common;
Trans people also face barriers to accessing healthcare, such as long waiting lists for treatment.

As an institution, we are committed to speaking out when we witness or hear transphobia, challenging decisions that exclude trans people, including ways of thinking that perpetuate a rigid gender binary, learning how best we can support our trans colleagues at all times, and educating ourselves and those around us.

For members of our trans, non-binary and intersex communities

Network support

Join our communities – the Staff LGBTQ+ Network, Kent Union LGBTQ+ Network and Trans, non-binary, intersex and questioning peer support group are here to support you.

Gender neutral toilets

We recognise that this is a particular concern for trans and non-binary members of our community, and we have maps of both our Canterbury and Medway campuses highlighting the location of gender neutral toilets.

Harassment reporting

We fully support and encourage all our students and staff to report incidents of harassment and discrimination.

Rainbow Lanyard

For allies

We recognise that it can be challenging to know how to support other members of our community facing discrimination and harassment or speaking out when we witness or hear transphobia. Below are some actions that you can take.

Update your email signatures

Add your pronouns to your email signature, (Pronouns means how you identify — he/him, she/her, they/them, for instance — and how you’d like other people to refer to you. This is a great, inclusive practice for everyone, even or especially if you’re cisgender – if you’re not sure what this means, Stonewall have put together a helpful glossary).

Active Bystander training

‘Active Bystander’ is an innovative and award-winning training session which gives staff and students the skills to challenge unacceptable behaviours, including those which may have become normalised over time.

We have three sessions planned which are running in April, June and August all bookable via Staff Connect. Students have an online Bystander module that is part of the Expect Respect module on the student Moodle site.

Learn more about the challenges members of our community face

Online training in Staff Training Moodle on Transgender Awareness and LGBTQI – these are easily accessible, available at any time and give an introduction to the challenges members of our community face. We recommend that all staff engage with these training opportunities.

Access resources

Using the resources available removes the burden of questions, explanations and discussions from members of the trans community – the links below are an excellent starting point for people wanting to understand more.

Our LGBTQ+ network have a fantastic blog that covers ongoing news, events and challenges – stay up to date with the issues affecting the community.

Mermaids UK and Stonewall have easily accessible resources and Q&A that cover many of the relevant issues.

Rainbow Lanyard

EDI Forum: Join us for our first ‘open-access’ meeting on 3 February

Do you have an Equality, Diversity or Inclusion matter you would like to raise or discuss? The EDI Forum is the place to do this.

The EDI Forum provides an open-access channel for any member of the University (staff or student, regardless of location) to discuss an idea, issue, good practice initiative or concern relating to equality, diversity and inclusivity at Kent.

As the Forum is open to anyone, all meetings will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams. We strongly encourage members of the equality staff and student networks to attend, as well as Divisional and Trade Union equality representatives and leads.

The Forum will be chaired on a rotational basis by its members. The (Interim) Head of EDI will be in attendance to ensure relevant ideas, issues or concerns are raised, investigated and addressed directly with EDI Strategy Strategy Group.

The first meeting is taking place via Teams on Thursday 3 February from 14.00-15.30. If you’re interested in joining the conversation, please go to the EDI Forum webpage where you will be able to link directly through to the meeting.

You can also find out more about the EDI Forum on the EDI Forum webpage.

If you have any questions please email equalityanddiversity@kent.ac.uk (staff) or becky.lamyman@kent.ac.uk (students).

Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Data (EDI)

Your Information is important to us.

Staff Connect puts you in control by allowing you to review and update your personal details to make sure the University always has the most up to date information for you.

As we return to campus and with life being a little different, it is easy to forget to check your EDI data, tell the University about a change in circumstances such as your new address or a change in telephone number for an emergency contact.

Missing EDI information makes it very difficult for us to succeed with initiatives such as Athena Swan, Race Equality and identifying and addressing gender, ethnicity or disability pay gaps, so please would you take just a few minutes from your day to check and update your personal details?

To get a quick overview of the details that you are missing you can log into Staff Connect, click on the ‘Edit Dashboard’ button in the top right-hand corner of the screen (under the Sign Out button) and select ‘Reporting Services’. Click on the ‘⋮’ symbol in the top right of the widget that has appeared and then click on ‘Settings’. Select Personal Data Check and click ‘Save’; the details that are missing will be red.

The data fields are regularly reviewed to ensure that they meet current equality requirements, so check back regularly in case there have been any changes and your data needs updating.

Please note that this widget is only accessible when you are on campus or via VPN when off-campus.

You can review and update your personal information by selecting the ‘My Details’ button from the left-hand menu. Simply edit your details in the ‘Edit’ screens and your record will be updated once you press ‘Submit’.

If you need help to do this, please refer to our users guides found under ‘Staff Guide’ then ‘Staff Connect Support’ in the left-hand menu within Staff Connect.

Viewing and editing your Details – Staff Connect information site – University of Kent

Feedback from the ‘Implementing an anti-racism strategy’ session

The final day of Kent’s inaugural staff conference was marked by an important session on our university’s new Anti-racism strategy. GdM (DVC, EDI Lead and Kent’s Race Champion) hosted a staff discussion and Q&A, together with a panel of colleagues instrumental in the development of our strategy.

You can listen to a recording of the event.

Slides to accompany the event – Staff Conference anti-racism strategy slides

Key feedback from the session include:

*making sure that experiences and stories are incorporated into our anti-racism work (along with more quantitative forms of data).

*being as transparent as possible about what we are doing, so that we can get the most out of this living-breathing process and associated work plans.

In response to this feedback we will be continuing to update our Challenging Racism pages so that this can serve as one part of a broader suite of mechanisms for feedback and transparency in our work around EDI. We will also be looking to join up important insights from across the institution, including but not limited to the important experiential information and recommendations which have emerged from the BAME Staff Network’s survey and project.

To amplify work that is already happening across Kent in support of our approach to anti-racism, we’d also like to draw your attention to other key updates at this time:

*Inform Kent (InK) has changed to Report + Support. The Report + Support page can be found on the website. The page gives the option to give an anonymous report or a report with details that Ken can follow up on. In both cases your confidentiality will be respected in-line with our safeguarding policies. This page also collates all of the help and support pages into one, to increase access to the resources that may be most helpful to you at the time.

*The staff reporting tool can still be accessed via links found on the “Reporting Incidents” page.

Just a reminder that this reporting tool is for any sort of incident that occurs, irrespective of whether the incident involves another member of staff.

We hope that staff and students will feel encouraged to report incidents and that the experience of doing so feels helpful and supportive. Where sufficient information is shared, we hope to enable effective, timely resolutions and support. Your experience at Kent is important to us. If for any reason you have concerns about reporting, do please speak to a Harassment Adviser or someone you trust within the institution, as we’d like to ensure you get the support you need.

World Menopause Day – Monday 18 October 2021

Monday 18 October 2021 is World Menopause Day. At Kent, we support staff as they go through different stages of their life.

Menopause is a natural life event that many of our colleagues will experience. We want to ensure that staff are supported throughout this time, now and in the future. We have curated a range of resources (see below) to help individuals and managers gain a deeper understanding of how to support colleagues before, during and after menopause, including making necessary provisions and adjustments if and when symptoms necessitate this.

If you are currently experiencing symptoms and feel this is impacting on you at work speak to your manager who may decide you would benefit from advice from OH on appropriate adjustments and complete a Management Referral

If you are a manager and have a member of staff who is experiencing symptoms that are impacting them at work, we encourage you to avail yourself of the resources below and to have supportive conversations, to ensure colleagues have the necessary adjustments to help minimise the impacts to them at work at this time. Please be led by staff and their needs – which may fluctuate.

Resources

As part of our membership with Inclusive Employers, we have access to a number of resources including the menopause tool kit

The tool kit aims to equip workplaces with the necessary information, guidance and resources to improve how they support colleagues (including women and some men, trans and non-binary people) before, during and after the menopause.

We also have additional guidance on the Occupational Health webpages, which has details of the EAP and OH referral and the link to the Women’s Staff Network, which has some further resources relating to the Menopause, as well as the Inclusion passport.

In addition, a virtual Menopause awareness session, delivered by Positive Pause is planned for Wednesday 20 October from 13.00-14.00 and bookable via Staff Connect. As part of the session, you will:

Learn about menopause symptoms and the potential impact of menopause, plus the range of self-care and management options available.
Find out what support is available and how to access it, both in, and outside of, the workplace.
Develop confident conversation frameworks to help with discussions at work, at home and with GPs

Helping everyone

From the resources, you will see that there are some general adjustments that could be considered to ensure everyone feels more comfortable, such as:

Ventilation systems in rooms as well as individual/desk access to fans.
Engaging providers that use breathable fabrics and materials – for any staff that require a uniform or prescribed work wear.

Some of these changes may support staff who are also experiencing menopause symptoms. The changes could also usefully be considered in environments in which we hold events.

It’s helpful to note that, while menopause is not in itself a disability, severe symptoms may constitute disabilities.