00:43 - How did you come up with the idea and what do you hope to achieve with it?

03:21 - Why do you think it's important for LGBT+ scholars to connect & support each other, and share their experiences? 

05:43 - How did your research into student political activism and the concept of identity influence your thinking? 

Reach out to James: https://laidlawscholars.network/users/272230-james-r-harrison

Reach out to Nikol: https://laidlawscholars.network/users/290982-nikol-chen-she-her

Read James' original proposal: https://laidlawscholars.network/rooms/816-culture/posts/58839-lgbt-laidlaw-a-proposal

TRANSCRIPT: 

NIKOL: So, James, you're here to discuss why you launched the initiative for LGBT+ scholars to network and connect and support each other, and how your research, actually, on identity and activism has informed your thinking about this and also, why you think you and other Laidlaw Scholars can become better next generation leaders by connecting and collaborating. And we'll also discuss a bit mentoring, how the world of business is kind of responding to that demand of inclusivity and diversity and equal rights nowadays. 

So, just to start, could you talk a bit about how you came up with the idea for the initiative and what you hope you achieve with it?

JAMES: I mean I think I suppose I first came up with the idea for this initiative at the annual Laidlaw conference at UCL, so that was in October. It was Susanna's address at the conference that first gave me the idea, talking about the need for diversity and empowerment in leadership. And I spoke to other scholars at the conference and bounced a few ideas about potentially trying to find a way to bring scholars who identify as part of the LGBT community together in both social and support settings.

And then we had  set of leadership days and training at Durham about a month later, and you came and talked about the Network and encouraged us to come up with ideas to improve the community fo Laidlaw Scholars. Again, the idea popped back into my mind, and I thought this is something that can potentially be a really nice way for people to network, and to support each other, and so, as you know, I contacted you with the proposal and it developed from there.

What I would like to achieve with this initiative, it's a two-fold thing really. It is about support, it's about allowing Laidlaw Scholars who identify as part of the LGBT+ community to share their experiences and to support each other, both during the Laidlaw programme and as we move into the world of work and positions of leadership. But also a social and a networking aspect. It's a way to let Laidlaw Scholars to get to know other Scholars around the world. Already we have members from Hong Kong, from Singapore, from Dublin. 

NIKOL: So, why do you think that's important?

JAMES: I think one part of it is about experiences, it's about recognising that even though we are members of the LGBT+ community, we all have vastly different experiences and have something to learn from each other. It's very important that everyone...it's a really nice if everyone can share their experiences of being LGBT+ around the world, in different institutions, from different backgrounds. And also I suppose it's about celebrating the diversity of Laidlaw Scholars. Obviously, specifically looking at the members of the LGBT+ community, but also Laidlaw Scholars are a hugely diverse group of people, and I think it's something really worth celebrating, and this initiative can help contribute to that. 

I also think in terms of support and networking and mentoring, it's really important to note that even in place where the LGBT+ rights have come very far in the last few decades, that there is still a way to go. There is still a considerable achievement discrepancy and there has been Stonewall and Government Equalities Office reports that say that LGBT+ people are much more likely than straight people to experience verbal and physical harassment in the workplace. So, I think that there is still a reason that it's important for LGBT+ people, in the workplace and in life in general, to support and help each other. And while it's important that terms of achievement and aspiration, being a member of the LGBT+ community doesn't affect your ability, it doesn't affect your career or anything. It's still important that for a lot of people it's a part of an identity that they really want to celebrate.

NIKOL: And so, with the identity aspect, I know your research kind of circles around student political activism and that idea of identity, so could you talk a bit more about how you research informed your thinking behind this initiative? 

JAMES: I think in that respect one thing that my research has really drawn up has been the importance of the expression of identity in people's lives. My research focused more on political identity but what it really highlighted is the fact that in any respect having a collective identity and the sense of community that it creates can really have an impact on people's lives and the way people think about themselves. And the one thing that it really highlighted is how terrible it can be when people start to think negatively about their own identity and don't get a chance to express their identity. It can become really toxic in situations where people don't feel as though they can express identity and don't feel comfortable with it. It can have a real effect on the way people act, the way they feel about themselves - their self-worth, their self-esteem. A lot of people studies into the workplace show how much of a difference it can have on people's effectiveness in the workplace when they feel comfortable with their identity, feel comfortable expressing it and feel able to feel completely happy with who they are. 

One thing that has always concerned me is that anyone would choose to...or feel forced to level down their aspiration because of who they are. Just giving an example from my own experience growing up - in the community I grew up there wasn't an explicit expectation but there was the incuniation, the implication that gay men worked in creative professions, were committed to a very certain collection of careers, of employment. And that's something that I find very concerning and I think thankfully that has reduced massively, but I think hopefully the next generation of leaders don't necessarily think of things that way and hopefully think about things differently. And also feel a lot more comfortable celebrating the diversity that exists in the world today, because it is probably a lot more apparent today than it necessarily was in the past. 

I think also in terms of...I'd like to hope that the next generation of leaders will generally have a greater culture of social responsibility, and certainly I think that for example a lot of the experiences of being a part of the Laidlaw programme brings, I think really can contribute to that.

I mean one thing that really encouraged me was, as part of our discussions about the initiative, I have been looking into Open For Business, which is, as you know, an organisation that is made up of many different companies working towards changing the situation around the world of LGBT+ people, particularly in the workplace. And I've been really encouraged by looking into that - the commitment of firms to action on issues regarding LGBT+ people but also the commitment to diversity on a substantive level that is more than just lip service.

NIKOL: Thank you James for this interview and thank you for approaching us with this amazing idea for this network for LGBT scholars and if you have any questions, you can contact me or James - our details are on the Laidlaw Scholars Network. Perfect, thank you.

JAMES: Thank you.