Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
My experience as an LGBTQ+ student at Leeds Beckett
Hi, I’m Matilda, a third-year English and History student at Leeds Beckett. I’d love to share my personal experience as an LGBTQ+ student here and what life at Leeds Beckett has been like for me.
As someone who identifies as LGBTQ+, I’ve experienced the isolation that comes with not feeling welcome in certain spaces, along with discovering and coming to terms with my identity. At Leeds Beckett, I’ve felt truly welcomed in expressing my gender and sexuality. The university has provided me with the supportive space I needed to explore and embrace my identity.
I realised my queerness at a young age and spent high school coming to terms with it. But even into my 20s, I still grapple with labels. Leeds Beckett has given me the space to explore both myself and my sexuality. The campus offers support spaces created by students, like the the LGBTQ+ Community, endorsed by the Student Union. This space is vital for creating a supportive environment for those figuring out their sexuality and gender, while also fostering a strong sense of community within the university.
Queerness hasn’t been the defining aspect of my experience at Beckett. This has been incredibly liberating.
Being part of the LGBTQ+ community can feel polarising and even scary at times, especially with so many issues that different groups might disagree on. However, the society and community at Beckett provide a space where these topics can be discussed openly. More importantly, it offers LGBTQ+ students a place where they feel welcome and surrounded by people who understand the struggles of growing up queer.
One way the university’s Student Union promotes inclusion is by offering free pronoun pins, readily available just outside the union's area. This has not only helped normalise pronoun use but also provides support for those who may not have transitioned yet or identify as agender or genderfluid.
Societies have been essential in helping me connect with others who identify as LGBTQ+. Through groups like the Tabletop Society and the K-pop Society, I’ve met people who share my identity, and I’m proud to call them my friends.
It’s not just Leeds Beckett that fosters a sense of LGBTQ+ community — Leeds itself is incredibly inclusive. Every year I’ve been at university, I’ve attended the city's Pride parade with the friends I mentioned earlier, and it’s been an amazing experience.
Leeds also offers a lot of LGBTQ+-friendly nightlife, especially around lower Briggate. As someone who is LGBTQ+, nights out have sometimes felt intimidating in new places, but having safe spaces for the community has been a huge comfort — something I hadn’t experienced before coming to university.
As someone who doesn't typically present in an outwardly queer way — except when I'm with my long-time girlfriend — queerness hasn’t been the defining aspect of my experience at Beckett. This has been incredibly liberating. In the past it has often felt like my entire life is shaped by the identity I embrace, so attending university without the constant worry of my identity being scrutinised or overshadowing my experience as a student has been a refreshing change. I’ve been able to focus on my studies and personal growth, free from the weight of labels. Ultimately, this freedom has allowed me to explore who I am beyond the confines of identity, enriching my time at Leeds Beckett in ways I never anticipated.
