EMMA KWAYA-JAMES

What LGBTQ+ History Month Means To 

LGBTQ+ month is important for me personally as a time of celebration and of remembrance. Celebration of the wonderful intersectional diversity of our LGBTQ+ community and remembrance of those that have lost their lives and of the ongoing global, national and local struggle, persecution and oppression faced by members of our LGBTQ+ community and of our own loss as a family. 

I remember the untimely and unanswered death of Joël Gustave Nana Ngongang frequently known as Joel Nana. Joel died in 2015 whilst visiting the place he referred to as home, Cameroon in West Africa.

Joel was a proud openly gay man who was not only a leading African LGBTQ+ human rights advocate and HIV/AIDS activist but most importantly to us he was a brother, uncle, partner, confidante, and father.  

As a university, LGBTQ+ activity has been at the heart of our equality, diversity and inclusion agenda, with USW being ranked 24th on the Stonewall Index in 2020, and top Trans Employer in the same year. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, USW did not submit to the index in 2021. 

The University is currently undertaking work to further develop its Trans Guidance for colleagues and Name Change Policy for students and, alongside this, hopes to invest in ongoing Trans awareness-raising sessions for both colleagues and students. 

As part of our commitment to the development of a pan University Wellbeing Plan, we will be developing and piloting a confidential discrimination reporting system as part of our zero-tolerance to bullying, harassment, and discrimination.