The role and responsibilities of the position:
Being LGBT Officer involves providing welfare and support for LGBT students, helping to create an LGBT community on campus, and representing LGBT students in Students' Union and LSE meetings.
Three qualities someone interested in this position should possess are:
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The person must identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or with another non-conformative sexual or gender identity
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Interest in issues affecting LGBT people - welfare, political and international
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Self-motivation to achieve change within our university
The best part is:
The best part is the sense of community. Unlike many other part-time roles, the LGBT community is a defined and relatively small one, so you come to have great relationships with lots of the people you get to work with, and for.
It’s not all fun and games. The most challenging aspect is:
Change can be very hard to achieve. There a lot of people who have to be consulted and kept on board to get progress. This can be frustrating at times, and mean not as much is achieved as hoped. This therefore requires the Officer to be self-motivated and personally dedicated.
The most surprising part of the job is:
How helpful and wondrous the Students' Union staff is.
The advice I would give to someone thinking of standing:
Do it! I'm really keen to get a new strong voice emerging on campus, and LGBT has gone from strength to strength in the past year, so the baton is there to be ran with.
Current Officer: Benjamin Butterworth