The MDX LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Trans) Society are a social group of students that support, include and befriend any Middlesex student regardless of sexuality, race, disability, religion, culture and anything other form of discrimination you can think of. As the catchphrase I coined states; we care about people, not labels.
I became part of MDX LGBT by accident. Originally going just to keep a friend company, we were instantly welcomed in to a warm and supportive group of people. Sadly, not long after I joined, the President committed suicide. Under her leadership the society had blossomed when in the past it had notoriously been neglected both by students, the student union and the university. Because of her, not despite her, we pulled together and in her memory today we are still standing and more importantly the society will continue to do so after we are gone.
"There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time."
Malcolm X
Driven together to make Middlesex a more open and understanding environment, I've learnt many things from being an active part of such a diverse collection of voices. Overcoming some of my own preconceived notions of cultures, I'm now more tolerant. I can fully understand how important community can be during a time of change in a persons life. Since that cold Thursday in October 2011 I have had an outlet from the pressures of university, a safe place to go when feeling lonely. I only wish I had got involved sooner. Over the last two years, since I became Treasurer for the society, we have battled our way forward. To go into detail would need a separate blog, but whether it's prejudice or politics, volunteering my time and energy to MDX LGBT has been a worth-wild experience that words cannot express.
The following are some of the proud achievements that I have given my time, money and creativity to since joining MDX LGBT Society.
New year and new beginning. For Freshers Fair 2012 I designed the flyers to advertise our society in a fun and humorous way. They were popular and under the restrictions of time, adaptable to greyscale, whilst being eye-grabbing and funny, I think my designs do an adequate job. I also found I work more effectively when I have a strong understanding of the needs of a client and can focus my creativity to their aims.
Pride London is a major event that has been going since 1972 as a reminder and celebration of the steps towards liberation signified by the historic Stonewall Riots of New York. For the first time in it's history World Pride would be held in London alongside the annual event in the summer of 2012. For MDX LGBT to not only go as ambassadors of our university (which ranks very low in the Stonewall League for LGBT students) but be part of the parade is something we can be immensely proud of. It was a constant struggle to make happen due to funding, organisational, financial, emotional, and student union problems which only gave us a greater sense of accomplishment to be there as the first group of Middlesex students to have a walking group in Pride London.
Due to this year being our last at Middlesex as a collective we decided to overcome past issues with MUSU, our student union, and move forward to create some kind of legacy. For our event Aunty Viv's Gameshow Roadshow we decided to raise awareness, create a fun social event and raise some money for charity. Again I designed on the marketing posters and listened to fellow members critiques and suggestions. Co-producing this event was by far the greatest lesson taught to me during my time with MDX LGBT. We worked long and hard to organise, fund and advertise our event and gave our moderators, MUSU, everything they need when they asked. Unfortunately things did not go to plan through no fault of our own (if you notice a pattern occurring that's because there is one.) Between us we re-grouped and discussed what course of action would result in the best outcomes for MDX LGBT in the long run. This is a valuable lesson for if everything that can possibly go wrong, does, then what good is creating more issues by letting anger take hold? And believe me, we were very angry. So we dusted ourselves off and got on with the show. Our event wasn't a success but the few that attended said they had a great time. Over the next few weeks we went through the correct channels, got names of persons involved and heads of departments, talked calmly in meetings and can told them our aims for the MDX LGBT and together developed an action plan so we can leave Middlesex knowing that we did everything we could to make things a bit easier for those following us.
Moving onwards, now with the same newly informed ideas of MUSU, we focused our attention towards a society awareness event. Run by MUSU, Impact Week was an opportunity to reach maximum students and have some fun. We were asked by MUSU to create a social event for two hours during the day which they would fund and support us in anyway they can. Our event was The Feelgood Fest where students could play games, make paper chains, buy raffle tickets etc. As was custom by then, I designed the flyers and signs, but was also commissioned by society members to create an awareness video.
Due to the module paths I had taken I had been doing much more theory and so was still very green with equipment. I took this opportunity to develop my practical skills but assured MDX LGBT not to expect much of quality. The process of writing, producing, directing, editing and shooting the video was a challenge I didn't really think about otherwise I would have maybe changed my mind. When you are passionate about a project the desire to do your best comes naturally so you trust your instincts and push forward. That's the most important lesson I took from creating this short advert for MDX LGBT. At that point I didn't have the confidence to organise a shoot/crew individually or even know where to begin with Final Cut Pro, now all I want to do is get stuck in and get experience where ever I can. "MDX LGBT Who Cares?" is the media piece I'm most proud of as it was such a big learning curve in a small two week period. It makes me laugh that my most accomplished practical project (by my own standards) is something I will never get graded on. I hope you enjoy the short as much as I did making it.
Due to the module paths I had taken I had been doing much more theory and so was still very green with equipment. I took this opportunity to develop my practical skills but assured MDX LGBT not to expect much of quality. The process of writing, producing, directing, editing and shooting the video was a challenge I didn't really think about otherwise I would have maybe changed my mind. When you are passionate about a project the desire to do your best comes naturally so you trust your instincts and push forward. That's the most important lesson I took from creating this short advert for MDX LGBT. At that point I didn't have the confidence to organise a shoot/crew individually or even know where to begin with Final Cut Pro, now all I want to do is get stuck in and get experience where ever I can. "MDX LGBT Who Cares?" is the media piece I'm most proud of as it was such a big learning curve in a small two week period. It makes me laugh that my most accomplished practical project (by my own standards) is something I will never get graded on. I hope you enjoy the short as much as I did making it.
Like with any organisation, MDX LGBT has a purpose. Ours was to raise awareness that there are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans etc. students within our vast but segregated university campus and that we are here if they should need us, whilst being respectful that all people are individuals who may hold different views to us. It's unclear whether we have made any wider difference to the attitudes of staff and students during our terms in a democratically elected society, however by reaching out to these minorities the emotional impact is clear. For example we have supported a student through the process of gender re-assignment, embraced and converted the ignorant, and created a safe community of acceptance. Time will tell if we have made a lasting difference to the environment that has taught us for the last three years. From my own point of view I know I would have graduated with less of an education had I not been an active member of MDX LGBT.
Key Skills
Key Skills
- Producing and organising events within the restrictions of a bureaucracy.
- Designing marketing media in Photoshop to appeal to specific demographics.
- Utilising social media (Facebook, youtube, twitter) effectively.
- Delegating roles and directing volunteers respectfully.
- Directing with a firm aim whilst being open to suggestion.
- Teaching myself Final Cut Pro.
- Budgetting funds and negotiating meetings under pressure.
- Teamwork and listening to others.
