THEGAYUK

Tag: Sheffield Hallam University

  • Is it time to dump the term LGBT?

    A University in the UK has made the suggestion that it might be time to dump the term “LGBT Community”.

    Is it time to dump the term LGBT?

    A study by the Sheffield Hallam University has found that the acronym used by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans community is “problematic” saying that some feel excluded by the term.

    The research, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, centred on questions around what the phrase ‘LGBT community’ means, with a number of the responses challenging the use of the word ‘community’.

    Is the LGBT one big community?

    Responses to the research revealed that many people felt excluded by the phrase ‘LGBT community’, as the language suggests that all LGBT people belong to one large homogenous group. The results of the research have been used for the new book Exploring LGBT Spaces and Communities, by Eleanor Formby, senior research fellow at Sheffield Hallam’s Sheffield Institute of Education.

    The book examines a number of ideas around LGBT identities including community ownership, difference, diversity, spaces, symbols, and consequences for well-being, whilst also exploring the experiences of LGBT people to offer a broad analysis of commonalities and differences.

    Eleanor said,

    “How we understand and use the term ‘LGBT community’ has implications for the delivery of social policy and service provision, and ultimately LGBT people’s lives.

    “The concept is important but when it is used in the singular, which it so often is, this is not helpful to many LGBT people, not least because not all feel, or wish to be, included within a singular uniform community.

    “The word ‘community’ is rarely, if ever, used for people identified as part of ‘majority groups’, for example “white community, “able-bodied community” or “heterosexual community”, so why do we use it for so-called ‘minority groups’?.

    “Whilst community can offer benefits to some, in terms of affirmation and the suggestion of safety, it also poses potential dangers through perpetuating misconceptions and stereotypes, and ultimately risks implying that LGBT people are all the same, which they are obviously not, although they may of course share some experiences in common.”

     

    Queer as an umbrella term is out

    A recent survey undertaken by THEGAYUK showed that the use of the word Queer as an umbrella term was also out. Sixty percent of respondents said that it was inappropriate to use the term. The majority also found that non-LGBT companies, such as the BBC, National Trust and Tate Gallery who use the term to advert events or programming, was also inappropriate. We reached out to the BBC for comment on its use of the word Queer.

     

     

  • A study finds that Male/Female WC signage could be replaced by room descriptions

    A study finds that Male/Female WC signage could be replaced by room descriptions

    A research team were granted £50,000 to study whether terms to describe public toilets were accessible. They’ve released their findings.

    A research team from Sheffield Hallam University were awarded nearly £50,000 in June last year, from the Arts and Humanities Research Council to research the way public toilets are designed, “in an effort to assess if they are fit for purpose for the UK’s diverse 21st Century society.”

    The paper , which was published last month, points out that school toilets are one of the first places where children learn that “disabled and queer bodies are out of place”.

    The research is now complete and they managed to find some interesting ways of ensuring that people don’t feel left out or marginalised when using public facilities. The 7000-word report outlines how some respondents thought that changing the male/female icon with a description of the room’s content could be more helpful.

    Education and Disability Studies researcher Dr Jenny Slater wrote,

    ” A suggestion from participants was to write on the toilet door the contents of the toilet cubicle, e.g. toilets with urinals, toilets without urinals, larger toilet with grab bars.

    “Participants thought it was important for others to not judge people’s choice of toilet, but to allow people to use whichever space was accessible for them (‘accessible’ being used in the broadest sense of the word).

    “This would mean critically considering the signage on toilet doors in order to understand how toilets do not just illustrate categorisation by gender, disability (and historically, race), but also actively produce such categories.”

  • University Awarded £50,000 To See Whether Calling Toilets “Gents” Or “Ladies” Is Discriminatory

    A research team from Sheffield Hallam University have been awarded nearly £50,000 to discover whether the terms “Gentlemen” “Ladies” and “Men’s Toilets” are accessible.

    The award from the Arts and Humanities Research Council is to fund research on the way public toilets are designed, ” in an effort to assess if they are fit for purpose for the UK’s diverse 21st Century society.”

    Led by Sheffield Hallam University’s Dr Jenny Slater, the Around The Toilet project is looking at the lack of adequate or accessible toilet provision for disabled and transgender people, amid fears that definitions such as “Gentlemen” “Ladies” and “Men’s Toilets” are out-dated and discriminatory.

    Dr Slater, from Sheffield Hallam University’s new Sheffield Institute of Education, will lead a project team including the University of Leeds, University of Sheffield, Action for Transgender Health, Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People (GMCDP) and Queer Of The Unknown Arts Collective on the nine-month project.

    She said,

    “Toilets may seem a frivolous subject but they are at the heart of important discussions about how we understand our own identities. The starting point for us is to explore how disabled people and those identifying as trans, gender-queer or non-binary are treated in modern society.

    “As well as issues around toilet closures we have much anecdotal evidence that suggests there is a lack of suitable facilities for our diverse population.

    “This project will also consider issues of race, ethnicity, age, religion, faith and homelessness through reflective storytelling, creative arts and performance.”

    Along with the announcement of their research, Dr Slater has also encouraged members of the public to post their experiences of toilets in Sheffield and beyond.