LGBTQ+

At the College we take a proactive approach in creating equal rights for LGBTQ+ communities. 

Here at the College we have been proactive in creating equality for all. The College, with the support of staff and members, has taken actions to create a safer and more inclusive environment for our staff and in our organisation as a whole. Some of the key changes included installing gender-neutral toilets at the Prescot Street College building and publishing the College’s position statement Supporting transgender and gender-diverse people in 2018.

Our Rainbow Special Interest Group (SIG) aims to promote and research the mental health of LGBTQ+ people as well as supporting and advocating for LGBTQ+ mental health professionals. The SIG was created in 2001 and the remit of the group has expanded over the years to include issues related to gender identity.

We're not only supporting the LGBTQ+ community, but are also working on creating positive changes in all our practices within the College, and for our members all patients and carers.

Celebrating Pride 2023

At the College, we celebrate Pride Month to commemorate and celebrate LGBTQ+ voices, activism and to show our support of LGBTQ+ rights. Pride month is about teaching tolerance, education in pride history and continuing to move equality forwards, something that we at the College continue to strive to do.

For Pride 2023, we will be publishing new blog posts and podcast episodes. We are also hosting a special webinar for members. This page will be updated throughout the month. 

Pride 2023: Members' webinar

There will be a special webinar (free for members) on 'Celebrating Rainbow/LGBTQ+ families in psychiatry' to celebrate Pride month.

The webinar - on 8 June -  will discuss how the path to parenthood for people who identify as LGBTQ+ is not always straightforward. During the webinar, speakers will share details about some of the beautiful rainbow families that exist in our community.

Pride 2023: Blog post

Dr Pavan Joshi, Chair of the College's Rainbow Special Interest Group, has written a special blog post as part of the College's Pride Month celebrations.

Findings of our LGBTQ+ survey

In January 2022, we carried out a ground-breaking survey of College members, focusing on LGBTQ+ topics.

 

This survey revealed worrying levels of discrimination, with one in two psychiatrists experiencing hostility at work because of their sexuality or gender identity.

Stonewall Diversity Champion Logo
Stonewall Diversity Champion

Stonewall

The College is proud to have joined Stonewall's Workplace Equality Index to ensure we continue to improve and boost LGBTQ+ inclusion. The Workplace Equality Index is a benchmark for employers to measure their progress towards lesbian, gay, bi and trans+ inclusion in the workplace.

In February 2023, we were delighted to receive the LGBTQ+ Inclusive Employer Gold Award from Stonewall. We also improved our ranking to become the 90th top employer. 

Blog posts relating to LGBTQ+