“My rainbow family suddenly expanded in the best way possible”
Hannah Boschen, part of the LGBT+ Advisory Group and LGBT+ Staff Network, tells her story — from coming out, to becoming a Stonewall role model.
I am part of the LGBT+ Advisory Group, which is supported by the Equality and Diversity Unit, and have been part of the LGBT+ Staff network since 2012, which is when I came out.
I believe really firmly in the need for visible role models within an organisation. It’s one of the things I did when I was on my journey of coming out — looked for people in the organisation whom I already knew to be out. They were well-respected and successful in their roles. They inspired me to come out too.
“I will mention that I am a proud member of the rainbow family, and on numerous occasions this has encouraged others to come out too.”
Initially I was apprehensive, as I knew some people within the LGBT+ community through my job but they knew me as ‘heterosexual Hannah’ and not ‘lesbian Hannah’. I needn’t have worried. I was made to feel very welcome by everyone I met and colleagues who already knew me accepted me for who I am. I met such a diverse range of people, all doing very different jobs, not just from the University but from OUP and from Oxford Brookes, some of whom have become very close friends. My rainbow family suddenly expanded in the best way possible. I talk openly about my hidden disabilities in the same way as I believe that is just as important. Many of us have multiple identities afterall and the intersections between and across them is something I am really interested in.
I don’t come out to everyone I meet, and I certainly don’t come out to every cohort of participants I meet, but I do to some. In some of my personal effectiveness programmes I encourage participants to think about themselves as whole people and to bring both their personal and professional selves into the room. In order to help people feel able to do that I will mention that I am a proud member of the rainbow family, and on numerous occasions this has encouraged others to come out too.
“Marching with the University of Oxford LGBT+ Staff Network banner is something I am incredibly proud to be a part of.”
My colleagues are wonderfully supportive and I also have a very supportive line manager. One colleague gave me some of the best advice when I came out to her — I was concerned that some people might respond less positively than others, and she told me that if anyone had any issues with it, it was their problem and not mine. Those words have stayed with me and gave me the confidence to keep going on my coming out journey. I will forever be grateful to her for that.
I realised I was already doing a lot of things to be visible but some of the other things I have done are: flying a little rainbow flag on my desk and having some of the rainbow postcards from the Equality and Diversity Unit up on my desk. I will also email my department and invite them to the annual lecture, other events and let them know about other achievements such as our position in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index. I think building a really strong network of both role models and allies can only be a positive thing for the University.
In 2016 I completed role models training with Stonewall and have since gone on to design an in-house version and have delivered this for more staff in the University. In addition to the face-face activities offered by the network (monthly First Thursday drinks, LGBTea (a monthly gathering for tea), dinner once a month, called Cheap Eats) there is a secret Facebook group which is also another way to connect with people. The LGBT+ Advisory Group is also there to support people and indeed we do just that. I do bespoke work for departments, teams and individuals within the MPLS Division. I also work closely with the Equality and Diversity Unit in a range of different areas including disability, race equality and LGBT+ equality. The LGBT+ Advisory Group and network always marches in the Oxford Pride parade too. Marching with the University of Oxford LGBT+ Staff Network banner is something I am incredibly proud to be a part of.
I feel enormously privileged to be part of such a committed group of people from across the University who are all keen to make the University and even better place to be. The support we receive from Caroline Kennedy and Kevin Coutinho from the EDU is invaluable too. We wouldn’t be able to do many of the things we do without them.
The LGBT+ Staff Network supports a number of social activities which are organised by network members as well as hosting annual events such as the LGBT History Month Lecture and an event for Oxford Pride Week amongst other things.
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