Hi everyone! My name is Leah, my pronouns are she/her and I identify as queer. Growing up as LGBTQ+ was extremely hard, as I’m sure many of you can relate to. I was called slurs and lost friends as soon as I came out, which made the process of accepting myself much harder. However, I can finally say I am comfortable with my identity, and no longer feel apologetic or guilty for being who I am. As your LGBTQ+ Officer, it would be my priority to support minority students and encourage those struggling to reach out - whether you are struggling to come to terms with sexuality, or facing discrimination at UAL. I will ensure I am personally available for you to reach out to, as well as providing resources that can help you if you are not coping; good mental health is imperative to successful studies, especially during this scary period of time, and is something I care strongly about. Let’s celebrate our identity and our history together, through meetings and activities, sharing our work with one and other and helping each other wherever we can. As a college, we must raise LGBTQ+ voices and artists, and as your LGBTQ+ rep, I would do my very best to ensure that such happens successfully at Camberwell. UAL should be a safe space for everyone; by voting for me, I would ensure everyone feels valid, regardless of self-identity <3