This year, for the very first time, Unipol is celebrating Pride Month!
What is Pride Month?
Pride Month takes place every June, in recognition of the Stonewall Riots which took place in New York in June 1969. It honours those who were part of those important protests for gay rights, and raises awareness of those issues still faced by those in the LGBTQ+ community.
Pride Celebrations create safe spaces for those in the community to be their true, authentic selves without fear of rejection or ridicule. It is a chance for education, promoting visibility and awareness. It is a chance to challenge stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. And it is a chance to allow those who identify as LGBTQ+ to showcase their stories and contributions to society.
Where Unipol stands with Pride?
At Unipol, we strive to be accepting and inclusive both for our tenants and our staff. This year, our focus is on educating Unipol staff, to ensure that we support our LGBTQ+ tenants to the best of our ability.
What Unipol are doing this year?
During June, we will be running the training course for our staff called ‘Being Queer in Halls - Understanding LGBTQ+ issues in Student Accommodation’. This will aim to ensure that staff are comfortable using appropriate language and terminology, that they understand the impact of homophobia and biphobia within accommodations, as well an in depth look at the growing cohort of transgender student: the difficulties they face, the legal obligations of accommodation providers and the increased attention of the media to transphobic views and the effect of this. While we hope there is already good practice within Unipol, we want to ensure that we have provided as much formal training to staff in order to continue learning and developing.
We will also be hosting a ‘Brunch and Learn’ for staff, where staff will be able to ask questions in a safe environment, without fear of offense. There will be loads of information available for staff to read and discuss, with members of the LGBTQ+ community on hand to answer any other queries. The intention of this is to be able to break through the stigma that anyone might have, as well as empower the staff to feel comfortable in asking questions in the ever-changing environment.
The Future of Pride at Unipol
While this is only the very start of what we hope to achieve for Pride, we hope to continue to learn and develop – and most importantly, we hope to show those who are part of the LGBTQ+ community that they are safe and respected in Unipol.
Need Help or Advice? We’re Here for You!
Remember, you’re not alone. If you have any questions, need advice, or just want to chat, we’re here to help. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our Tenancy Support Team tenancysupport@unipol.org.uk
We’re committed to supporting our LGBTQ+ students and creating a safe and inclusive environment for everyone. Your voice matters to us, so let’s connect! 💜