Pride Week deemed success

Warwick held yet another successful Pride Week in Week 9.

The week aims to raise awareness of gay, bisexual, asexual and transgender issues. Highlights included a Queer Question Time and music night Love Music Hate Homophobia, as well as talks.

Hiten Shah and Yolly Chegwidden, LGBTUA+ officers at Warwick SU, said the week went really well.

“We are really happy with how the week went, and the support and positive feedback we got from all the students on campus,” they said.

Queer Question Time saw LGBTUA+ issues such as gay marriage discussed by representatives from the political Warwick spectrum, including Sam Tracy from the Conservatives, Helen McNamara from the Greens, Jemma Healey from Labour and Stuart Wheatcroft from the Liberal Democrats.

“[Queer Question Time] was particularly well-received attracting a lot of students not from Warwick Pride. The political societies had made a huge effort in supporting us running the event and I think everybody enjoyed the debate,” said Hiten and Yolly.

The headline event on the Thursday was Love Music Hate Homophobia, showcasing student talent. Over £100 was raised for the Albert Kennedy Trust, a charity which provides a vital service caring for estranged and homeless LGBT youth.

Physics MA student and Trans* representative at Pride Sam Parr told the Boar Pride Week is a very important event. He said: “It [brings] issues to the forefront of campus that would otherwise stay within the affected communities.

“It’s a sad fact that homophobia, biphobia and transphobia still exist, even on a campus like Warwick’s. With the events we held hopefully we educated not only the LGBTUA+ members of the university community, but also all the potential allies we have around us. And we had a great time doing it!”