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About ULP&F Group

The ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº LGBTQ+ Parents and Families group is chaired by IOE LGBTQ+ Advisory Group (ILAG) members Christopher Bewsher-Wilkinson and Sofia Gradoni, with ILAG Chair and Faculty LGBTQ+ lead Simon Liu as the founding and continuous supporter.
This is currently a Teams sub-channel and a part of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº'sÌýPACTÌý(Parents and Carers Together Network).Ìý

Being a LGBTQ+ parent can sometimes be a solitary place and it can be a great source of comfort to have a central space for everyone to come together, connect, and see a reflection of their own family structure.

Core aims and intentions

The group would like to welcome all ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº colleagues and students who are part of LGBTQ+ families and create a welcoming environment of shared experiences, information, and general discussions on what life is like as a part of a LGBTQ+ family. All LGBTQ+ parents, prospective parents, children of LGBTQ+ parents and parents & siblings of LGBTQ+ children are all welcome. We will be developing our community through a mix of online and in-person events.Ìý

Structure

• Headed up by Co-Chairs Chris Wilkinson and Sofia Gradon

Members of ULP&F

All LGBTQ+ parents, prospective parents, children of LGBTQ+ parents and parents & siblings of LGBTQ+ children are all welcome. ULP&F members are also part of the wider PACT network as a sub-group on Teams. ULP&F holds a separate group of members and runs additional separate events.
PACT is for anyone with caring responsibilities, whether for adults or children, that impact in some way on their working life or wellbeing. The network is open to all staff groups. We also work closely with ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Human Resources who have consulted the PACT members to help shape policy and training.Ìý

What we do

We provide a safe space for discussing issues and experiences that are specific to the LGBTQ+ Parent and Family community through interactive online and in-person events. In having these discussions, we are able to determine what ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº could be doing to further support our community and clarify areas where there may be some confusion e.g. HR policies. This group allows people to share knowledge and insight into situations that others may be facing themselves, as well as connecting people who feel alone when dealing with certain aspects of the LGBTQ+ family life.

Join ULP&F Group

If you would like to attend our group, please email the Co-Chairs Sofia Gradoni and Christopher Wilkinson to be included and added to the Teams group.

It would be helpful if you could share the following information:Ìý

• Your preferred name (shortened/nickname, etc, and pronouns)Ìý
• Your LGBTQ+ parental/child status e.g. child of LGBTQ+ parents, prospective LGBTQ+ parent, etc;Ìý
• What you'd like out of the group (to serve as suggestions for the Co-Chairs for events planning).Ìý