Settling into LSE as an LGBTQ+ Student

The prospect of moving to university is always a daunting one and especially for a city like London. I was worried that the city would be too big and chaotic and that I'd get lost in the crowd. LSE, too, felt intimidating, due to its prestige on the international stage but also I was worried about finding my community as a queer student. 

However, whilst I had these concerns the city always appealed to me due to its strong LGBTQ+ history. London was home to a rich LGBTQ+ history, such as Soho, which became a strong queer community hub in the 20th century. Also, LSE has a strong background in LGBTQ+ activism due to its previous history as the founding place of the Gay Liberation Front - a key LGBTQ+ activist network that fought for gay rights during the Thatcher government. For these reasons, I knew I wanted to be here. 

When I arrived at LSE, it was overwhelming but I quickly found that my concerns about settling in weren't true. By engaging with the variety of clubs, societies and activities that the LSE Students' Union offers, I quickly found my people.  

The First Few Weeks

In Freshers, my time was certainly jumbled and confusing. It was my first time away from home and being thrown into a variety of events, whilst also learning more about my flatmates, was overwhelming. It's normal to feel this way and I want to reassure you that it does settle and you do find your rhythm. My key piece of advice during this time is don't feel like you have to do everything. If you need a breather or a night in, take it; you have an entire three (or more) years ahead of you and you don't want to overload yourself before you've started. 

Once Freshers Week finishes, you are then thrust into the world of university life. You'll start learning about your modules and about the people within your classes and lectures. This too, after a week of Freshers, can be a really big adjustment especially as you may be navigating your identity in these environments.

If you are transitioning and have a different chosen name than the one on your LSE record, I would really recommend having a conversation with your class teachers after class and explaining. I've found the teachers to be incredibly understanding and will want to prioritise your comfort. I will talk more in future blogs about navigating the classroom as a queer student, but it certainly comes up during the first few weeks of your LSE life. 

Building a Sense of Belonging

During the uncertainty of the first few weeks, you may have found your crowd but you may be still looking for the right people. This is where the societies came in and for me, how I found the right group. 

I can't recommend enough joining the LGBTQ+ Society as a queer student. From the first event, I felt I had a safe space where I could be myself and find my people. The Society runs a variety of events, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and so you can find the right group of people for you. 

It was at the Freshers LGBTQ+ Society pub event that I found my now closest groups of friends, some of whom I'm now living with in second year. In the Three Tuns, I found one of my best mates and we found that we shared the same halls as each other. Me and her also shared a similar course and so this made settling into my accommodation and university life so much easier as I had someone who I really trusted only a couple of floors away. 

At this pub event, it was the first time that I felt I belonged at LSE as it was a group of diverse but fundamentally like-minded people. The leadership of the Society all made the active effort to make sure that we belonged and were looking out for people so that everyone felt warmly welcomed and included into the events. Due to this first event, I went on to attend throughout the year where they had clubbing events, film nights and more! The Society isn't just social events, it also has a political wing which is where I got involved the most in first year and worked closely with the LSESU LGBTQ+ Officer. 

This is just one experience of a Society at LSE, however there are over 350 societies to pick from and so no matter what there is one that will fit for you. LSESU prides itself on being open and accepting across all its societies from the sports teams to their academic societies and so you can find the one that fits for you! 

Top Tips!

• Take a breather! Freshers can be a lot and you don't want to over-exert yourself
• Try a society! Whether its sports, a hobby or identity-related, there's always something a supportive and inclusive community waiting for you
• Explore the city! There are so many LGBTQ+ events and neighbourhoods like Soho or Clapham
• Talk to your class teachers! If you have a name or pronouns different from your LSE record, teachers always want to make you feel welcome and included