Hi! I’m Justin, he/him/bisexual/queer/sober/ADHD, second year Fashion Pattern Cutting student at LCF. Last year I was elected LGBTQ+ Students’ Officer and a class rep for my course, and have loved listening to and working with my fellow UAL students. I have been involved in queer activism for several years, for example volunteering for The Outside Project, Book 28 Queer Library, and raising money with bisexual activist groups.
I’m passionate about good mental health care, and my main areas of focus will be:

• Liberated Healthcare. This includes fighting for GRA reform, access to LGBTQ+ specific and supportive healthcare, supporting students who face institutional discrimination.
• Drug and Alcohol Support. Peer support and harm reduction education is vital for when drugs and alcohol stop being fun and consequences build up. Alcohol and drugs are so entwined in LGBTQ+ social spaces that it can be hard to avoid – students working together can create sober social spaces.
• Decolonisation. Queer liberation goes hand in hand with decolonisation, and I will work with other UAL Liberation Delegates to ensure decolonisation is a joint task.

It’s vital to emphasise that due to systemic and institutional racism, BAME LGBTQ+ students are at a greater disadvantage. Systems of support must be set up with recognition to this fact and with formal rules in place to better support BAME students.

Mental health support for LGBTQ+ students is not just about therapy - it needs a holistic and intersectional approach that touches on all areas of life.