Not a fan of introductions but here we go. Hi, my name's Taryn and I'm Nonbinary (they/them), a 3rd year and the Vice President of Roehampton's LGBTQ+ Student Network.

Why am I running for officer? 

LGBTQ+ life at this university has hit an all-time low. As much as COVID19 can be blamed, there's more the university should be doing to support our community during our time here. So I've come up with 3 Issues I want to address in my term as Officer, that I cannot do within my role at the society.

1) LGBTQ+ Events across all 4 campus's. I saw Froebel and Whitelands come together for a socially distanced walk of Richmond Park. That got me thinking, it would be super cute to do the same for the LGBTQ+ Community at Roehampton. Bringing everyone together from the different parts that make our community. Id like to organise joint events with the LGBTQ+ staff network as well, to boost student confidence in knowing they are understood and supported during their time here. Whether this is as walks (sorry to steal your idea Froebel and Whitelands) game nights, movies, zoom calls. Anything. Id love to bring everyone whos lgbtq+ at this university together.

2) Welfare support for Nonbinary, Asexual and Demisexual Students. While these communities aren't always LGBTQ+ in identification, they're apart of us. Parts we don't talk about much in society, gray areas that lack knowledge and support. It's difficult to figure out if your lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Imagine not knowing how to discuss that you don't identify as male or female, you aren't sexually attracted to your partner or realising you’re not comfortable with sex purely because you haven't met the right person, not because your broken or different. Publicly and privately, Welfare should develop more workshops to help students, or aid in a Handbook creation of where this support can be accessed.

3) Branding the Rainbow R. I can't name the amount of times the Society have been asked "Why don’t we have rainbow lanyards, why do staff have them, but we don’t?". Exactly, why is it LGBTQ+ Staff members can have a Roehampton rainbow lanyard, but not students? Why can't hoodies or sports gear wear the Rainbow R on them? I want to work with the RSU and University to put the Rainbow R on more merchandise and make it affordable for everyone at the university to Buy.  I'd also like to use this to profit the LGBTQ+ Society or local LGBTQ+ charities i.e. Buy a hoodie and 20% is reinvested so your society can take you on outings or fund a fundraiser for Stonewall, or it goes towards fighting LGBTQ+ Homelessness.

Its short, but hopefully sweet. I won't have a lot of time, but If I can leave here knowing you can wear a rainbow lanyard to class, the community around you is visible and accessible, your LGBTQ+ Society can fund travel costs to a LGBTQ+ theatre show or something, I'll know I did good.

Thanks for reading. Vote if you like what I'm preaching.