Author, Toby Slack is a 4th year Medical student at the University of Liverpool. Views are his own.
Hi! My name is Toby and I am currently in my 4th year of studying medicine at the University of Liverpool. I identify as a non-binary gay man and use both he/him and they/them pronouns. Today, as a part of LGBTQ+ History Month and Team Sport Liverpool Rainbow Laces campaign, I am going to be doing an Instagram takeover of the @Livuni account, including information about how you can get involved with our Rainbow Laces campaign, so look out for that today.
To me, LGBTQ+ history month symbolises the progression that has been made throughout the years from the hard work of so many people in the community. As someone who has taken part in multiple areas of LGBTQ+ activism, it is great to be able to look back at changes that have been made over the years. The main example of something I have been involved in was promoting the campaign to reduce the discrimination against men who have sex with men when it came to donating blood because of the perceived HIV risk. Thankfully, after a national campaign against this, eligibility for blood donation is now looked at on a case-by-case basis which is a lot more inclusive. I have also been heavily involved in multiple guild societies based around LGBTQ+ activism, including MADSoc and QueerMedics.
LGBTQ+ History Month is also important because it stands as a reminder that we should still be thinking about and supporting the LGBTQ+ community outside of Pride Month – which is often one of the only times large companies and organisations do anything to promote or recognise this community. It’s true that there is still a lot of progress to be made, particularly when it comes to the inclusivity of transgender people, but I am proud to be part of a university that is actively trying to promote change by giving students such as myself the chance to have a voice.
Throughout my Instagram takeover, I will be answering any questions people may have about LGBTQ+ History Month, or what university life is like as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and anything else that people can think of so please feel free to leave your questions for me!