Oxford Brookes University is committed to creating an environment where staff, students and other stakeholders, whatever their sexuality or gender identity, feel welcomed, accepted and valued; and where homophobic, biphobic or transphobic behaviour is never tolerated. The University seeks to cultivate a safe, supportive and inclusive environment, where all members of its community can be open about their sexuality and gender identity. However, it is the right of the individual to choose whether they wish to be open about their sexuality in the University. To "out" someone without their permission is a form of harassment and will be treated as such.
LGBTQ+ people come from diverse backgrounds with very different life experiences. However, we live in a society which generally assumes that everyone is "straight". This can make some LGBTQ+ people feel excluded. It is important to listen to how people describe their own identity, gender, partners and relationships and reflect their choice of language. We should avoid making assumptions about a person’s sexual orientation or the gender of their partner - use gender neutral terms and the pronoun "they".
Homophobic, biphobic or transphobic abuse, harassment or bullying (such as name calling, derogatory jokes, intrusive questions, etc) are serious disciplinary offences and will be dealt with under the Anti-Harassment and Discrimination Policy. Such behaviour can take the form of name calling, derogatory jokes, intrusive questions, “outing” etc. More specifically, biphobic abuse can include saying a bisexual person is untrustworthy, indecisive or 'greedy'. Using the wrong name or pronoun in relation to a transgender person or persistently referring to their gender identity history are forms of transphobic abuse.
Our Anti-Harassment and Discrimination Policy and Anti-Harassment Hub provides information about advice and support for staff and students.
Oxford Brookes is proud to be a member of the Stonewall Proud Employers Programme. Stonewall is the campaigning organisation for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
The University has established an LGBTQ+ Staff Network to support staff in their working lives and to promote awareness of issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace. For further information contact lgbtqplus@brookes.ac.uk.
International travel
LGBTQ+ people taking on international travel assignments should consider additional safety measures when travelling to certain countries. If you’re travelling to another country for work, or supporting a colleague or student who is planning a trip, you can find advice for LGBTQ+ tourists travelling abroad on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website.
You can also access country-specific information from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Stonewall hosts global resources and reports providing advice about the legal, socio-cultural and workplace situation for LGBTQ+ people in the specified country.
For an overview of the current situation globally, ILGA produces a map showing sexual orientation laws around the world. ILGA – the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association - is the world federation of national and local organisations dedicated to achieving equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people across the globe.