Hey! I’m Taryn. I am the Treasurer for the LGBTQ+ Student Network Committee, as well as a member of Roehampton’s Women’s Rugby Team and I am running to be the 2019/2020 LGBTQ+ Officer.

If elected, I want to develop and grow the wellbeing support in place for LBGTQ+ Students. I want to do this by hosting workshops and talks, focussing around maintaining stable mental health as well as body positivity. This would include inviting speakers to the university to talk about their experiences with their mental health and body image. reinforcing the importance of students taking care of their individual wellbeing while breaking down the ‘social stereotypes’ of their individual gender or sexual identity. Every student should be able to be true to themselves through their time at Roehampton University. I want to guarantee that future and continuing LGBTQ+ students can fully benefit from events like these throughout the year to not only be a safe place but for them to be able to make friends and enjoy being a member of the LGBTQ+ community at Roehampton. In the event students do not benefit from this, I will work closely with the VP of welfare and the Student Welfare officer to make sure students are fully supported.

Another way I want to continuously provide welfare support for LGBTQ+ Students  is via an anonymity service. One of the key things I have noticed through my time on the LGBTQ+ Student Network committee is that not all students are comfortable, confident or secure in themselves to be public about their sexual or gender identity, which could inhibit them being able to approach the Network, their flat reps or welfare about any issues they face. I plan to do this by social media and email updates, with dates, locations and times that I will be available on each individual campus for any students to talk about problems they are facing while studying at Roehampton, including taking any feedback directly to the RSU to make the changes students want to see happen.

Lastly, I want to organize more LGBTQ+ Inclusive sports events. A key time for this would be Welcome Week, with Sports Roehampton I want to advertise all the ways LGBTQ+ students can become more actively involved in different Sports teams and events on campus, as well as support networks for non-binary and transgender players. I aim to involve current and past LBGTQ+ Sport Roehampton members in order to boost the confidence of old and new students in becoming active members of the sports community regardless of their gender or sexual identity.

I want the LGBTQ+ Community and Roehampton to come together and celebrate the amazing range of diversity within the university, enabling every student to be heard and protected during their time here.