We are in our first week of LGBT+ History Month in the UK - a perfect time to announce an exciting initiative on which we have been working for the last few weeks! Today we are launching LGBT+Laidlaw - a support network for those who identify as LGBT+ individuals within the Laidlaw community, be it current scholars, alumni, or staff. 

LGBT+Laidlaw was founded by James R. Harrison, a scholar from Durham University, who approached the Laidlaw Foundation with a grand vision and mission: to support LGBT+ individuals transitioning into the working world by allowing them to form meaningful connections with each other, seek advice, and get involved in mentoring. “It is important that Laidlaw Scholars know that they are part of a community where they can be themselves and which accepts everyone for who they are,” - says James in his proposal, which you can read here. 

What does this mean in practice? Here are a couple of things that we will implement presently: 

1) LGBT+Laidlaw Room

We created a new Room on the Network, which will serve as a safe space for LGBT+ individuals to discuss their experiences, seek support, and mentor each other. The Room is closed, meaning that the contents can only be seen by the members of the Room, to ensure that people can discuss their experiences without any reservations or caution. 

If you identify as a member of the LGBT+ community and would like to join the Room, please email me at nikol.chen@laidlawfoundation.com to be added. Scholars, alumni, and staff members are welcome. However, currently the Room does not accept allies. 

2) LGBT+ Badge

We have added a brand new LGBT+ badge to the Network, which can be used to mark any LGBT+ related content, such as pieces of research, articles, and events. Badges are now clickable, which makes it extremely easy to see all relevant material in one place.Although the LGBT+Laidlaw Room does not currently accept allies to allow for the confidence of the discussions within it, we hope that this badge will provide a further layer of inclusivity since it will enable people to share content publicly with the wider Laidlaw community, thereby allowing everyone to get involved and work towards a common purpose. 

3) Leadership Quote of the Week

In case you didn’t know, we publish quotes from extraordinary leaders on our Twitter and LinkedIn (follow us for motivational leadership content!) every Monday. This February, to celebrate LGBT+ History Month, we will be posting quotes from outstanding queer leaders, such as Jodie Foster who is today’s mention!

This is just the beginning. We will be working to expand it further in the hopes of growing a lasting platform for inclusivity, support, and encouragement within the Laidlaw community. The Laidlaw Foundation strongly believes in the remarkable power of diversity and individuality, and we are committed to using our resources to support commendable initiatives guided by next generation leaders like James. 

If you have any ideas regarding LGBT+Laidlaw e.g. you would like to submit an article or another piece of content, or lead a subsidiary project, please get in touch with me via email at nikol.chen@laidlawfoundation.com. Similarly, please get in touch if you have your own idea for a Room on the Network which you would like to lead!