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Frequently Asked Questions
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This section aims to quickly answer the questions you may have about the society. If your question isn't answered here please navigate to the "Contact Us" page and ask away - all e-mails are treated with confidentiality.
Q) Do you have to be gay to join?
A) No. The society is open to all - lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, unsure, straight or otherwise. All we ask is that you are open-minded, prejudice free and respect the confidentiality of other members.
Q) What do I have to do to join?
A) We'd recommend you click "Join our Mailing List" to make sure you receive our eBulletins and keep up to date with what the society is doing. Likewise, you can also click "Join" on our web site to officially register as a member of the society; however we do not force our members to do so.
Q) Where do you meet?
A) We meet in the Teaching Block at 7pm on a Tuesday evening during semester time. Further details can be found by clicking "When and Where?".
Q) I'm shy and/or not comfortable coming to a meeting I don't know anyone! What can you do for me?
A) Coming along to a meeting where you know nobody can be pretty daunting, especially if you don't join at the beginning of the year when the Freshers' Welcome events take place. If you have reservations about coming along, two of our committee members can come and meet you, at a pre-arranged time, to answer any questions or concerns you may have about the society. To find out more, please click here.
Q) What do you actually do at weekly meetings?
A) These meetings provide an informal and safe social environment for LGBT students to meet likeminded people (where food and drink is provided). Meetings can also take on different purposes, serving as a precursor to other events such as (for example) the group going bowling or a discussion forum regarding LGBT related topics. The Pink Paper, a national LGBT newspaper, is also available freely at these meetings.
Q) Do you give out sexual health advice?
A) We always do our best to direct you towards someone who is qualified to giving out this kind of information. We do have a dedicated "Sexual Health" page of information which has been provided by the Terrence Higgins Trust which you may find helpful, as well as providing you with the location of the local GUM clinic.
Q) Does the society get involved in any LGBT campaigns?
A) Interest in campaigning fluctuates from year-to-year and is something that has proved difficult to predict. In the past we have attended NUS LGBT Campaign conferences and held events for LGBT History Month, which are things we plan on doing again. If you would like to get involved in campaigning, we would love to hear from you!
Q) Are some people really Bisexual? Aren't they just greedy or undecided?
A) Bisexuals are people who are attracted to people from both sexes. They may find sex ('physical gender') irrelevant and find something else more important in defining their attractions or they may be attracted to men for one reason and women for another. Just because bisexual people are capable of being attracted to more than one sex doesn't mean they are any more likely to be unfaithful than anyone else, after all everyone is attracted to more than one person...
Q) What does Trans mean?
A) The term Trans (often short for 'Transgender') usually refers to people whose gender identity (i.e., 'woman', 'genderqueer', 'man') is not the same as the one typically associated with their assigned sex category (i.e., 'female', 'male') (e.g., a woman who was designated 'male' at birth). Trans is sometimes used to describe people whose self-expression differs from expected behaviour, based on rules and stereotypes about 'men' and 'women' in a particular culture.
Trans can have many different meanings:
* Trans can refer to an identity, history, and/or life experience; the meaning depends upon the individual. Some Trans people identify as 'men of trans experience', 'women of trans experience', 'affirmed men', or 'affirmed women', while others identify simply as men or women, regardless of the gender they were assigned. If you are unsure of the terms someone prefers, it's a good idea to find out directly from that person rather than to assume.
* Some trans individuals choose to affirm their gender identity through hormones and/or various surgical procedures. For example, a man who was assigned female at birth might take testosterone and have male chest reconstruction surgery. Sometimes, these individuals are called 'transsexual', though many consider the term pathologising.
* People of any gender identity can enjoy wearing clothing that is typically associated with another gender. For example, someone who identifies as a man might enjoy wearing what others would consider 'women's clothing'. This can be to make a political or fashion statement, to express an aspect of their personality or to gain sexual pleasure. Sometimes, these individuals are called 'transvestites' or 'crossdressers'; some find these terms offensive.
There are also countless other meanings of 'Trans'. Some people feel or present as having no gender identity, two or more genders or their own unique genders and there are people who have multiple combinations of the above. To learn more, visit our Trans page.
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