School of Health & Wellbeing

The IHW Athena Swan LGBTQ+ group exists to support and improve the working environment for LGBTQ+ staff and students and raise awareness within the institute of the importance of LGBTQ+ issues.

We are a relatively new group established in April 2020 and so far have concentrated our energy on providing input into relevant surveys, ensuring the new Clarice Pears building will have gender neutral toilets and sharing important LGBTQ+ events. More recently, we have focused on the importance of pronouns.

Why pronouns?

In our everyday life we regularly use pronouns – describing people who are male-appearing as "he/him" and female-appearing as "she/her" – without considering how the person we are referring to would like to be addressed. When we do this, we may unconsciously make assumptions about someone’s gender based on their appearance or name. This assumption can send the wrong message – that a person’s gender is tied to the way they look.

By ensuring we use a person's correct pronouns, we can create a more inclusive and respectful environment for everyone.

Within your work, there are four simple ways you could share your pronouns:

1. On your staff profile – access HR Core > "My Profile" > "Diversity" > Pronouns
2. In Zoom 
3. In your email signature – simply type your pronouns next to your name
4. In person – introduce your name and pronouns when meeting someone new

Sharing our pronouns is a small and simple act that demonstrates our commitment to creating a more inclusive environment within IHW where we respect all staff and students. There is no obligation to do this but, if you do feel comfortable, having your pronouns on your profile or within you contact details tells people that you are unlikely to assume their gender and that you are an ally.

The 2021/2022 academic year

This academic year we will continue to ensure that LGBTQ+ issues are at the forefront of decisions made within the institute. Here are just a few of our aims for the coming year:

1. Liaise with IHW's Athena Swan self assessment team to recruit more members and increase diversity of membership to be more representative of different gender identities and sexual orientations, including that of cis-het allies.
2. Designate a contact from the group who will liaise with UofG LGBTQ+ network to facilitate signposting of events/opportunities and avoid duplication of work.
3. Host a one-off training or awareness-raising event/seminar for staff and students and highlight external training opportunities where relevant.
4. Use results of the IHW environment survey to better understand experiences of diverse sexual orientations.
5. Review written Athena Swan outputs within IHW, including surveys, questionnaires, and policies to ensure their gender inclusivity.
6. Advocate for the use of gender inclusive spaces for IHW events (including external events and conferences).

Safe allies

In 2021, we appointed a safe-ally (Kate O'Donnell) and a safe community member (Fiona Caryl).

Kate (Kate.O'Donnell@glasgow.ac.uk) and Fiona (Fiona.Caryl@glasgow.ac.uk) are both available should you wish to chat to someone in confidence.

Group chairs

Fiona Caryl 
Research Fellow (MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit)
Fiona.Caryl@glasgow.ac.uk

Caroline Haig
Biostatistician (Robertson Centre for Biostatistics) 
Caroline.Haig@glasgow.ac.uk 

Avril Johnstone
Research Associate (MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit) 
Avril.Johnstone@glasgow.ac.uk 

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First published: 14 March 2018