Student Gay Pride 2020

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National Student Pride 2020
You don't need to be a student to buy a ticket either, it's open to all. The best part is the wristband gets you queue jump at Heaven on Saturday and cheap drinks + free entry to G-A-Y and Heaven all weekend.

The 15th annual pride festival with live streamed panels, performances and the Pride. Career graduate recruitment fair
Held in February The UK's LGBT History Month, students from all over the world travel to our event making it the biggest gathering of LGBT+ students in the UK

Main stage
WOMXN: Carving out space
Life for queer womxn today is tough. Despite facing multiple prejudices, disappearing safe spaces and a lack of media representation, all too often these challenges go unnoticed. This year, we bring together a panel of trailblazers to ask how we can build a world where queer, trans, gender-fluid and non-binary womxn thrive.

See the pop ICONS perform LIVE at G-A-Y Heaven with your National Student Pride weekend wristband, with queue jump and £2.60 drinks - just pay £8 on the door
Womxn and Sexual Health to take centre stage as headline panel discussions at National Student Pride’s 15th anniversary festival
PLUS guest appearances and performances from BBC’s RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Royalty Baga Chipz, Cheryl Hole and Vinegar Strokes across the weekend

WOMXN: CARVING OUT SPACE
Discrimination, hate crimes, homophobia - what is life like for queer womxn in today’s world? With a lack of representation in the media, disappearing queer spaces, and with these individuals often marginalised within their own LGBT+ community, queer womxn face unique challenges which too often go unnoticed. This year, National Student Pride will bring these issues to the forefront of the conversation, hosting a panel of trailblazers to discuss how queer womxn are treated both within and outside of the LGBT+ community.
National Student Pride is thrilled to welcome guest speakers who will be leading the discussion Lady Phyll, co-founder of UK Black Pride; Munroe Bergdorf, model and trans rights activist; youth worker, writer and speaker Tanya Compas, and GIRLI. They will address the challenges for queer womxn and question what needs to be done to carve out space, to create an inclusive community for queer, trans, gender-fluid and non-binary womxn in which everyone can thrive, no matter how they identify.

SEXUAL HEALTH, IN ASSOCIATION WITH ATTITUDE MAGAZINE, HOSTED BY CLIFF JOANNOU
In a world of hook-ups, ghosting and open relationships, how can we preserve our physical, social and mental wellbeing as we liberate our queer sexuality? In 2018, the National LGBT Survey found only 3% of individuals discussed sexual orientation and gender identity at school, so it’s no surprise that when it comes to sex, there are some common misconceptions that as queer people we all have to navigate. This year, in association with Attitude Magazine, National Student Pride will host an open and inclusive conversation about sex, which aims to debunk the myths surrounding sexual health.
The panel will be hosted by Attitude Editor Cliff Joannou with guest panellists including Doctor, TV personality and best-selling author, Dr Ranj Singh; trans activist Charli Craggs; singer-songwriter Josef Salvat, and Florence Schechter, Director and Founder of the Vagina Museum. Through personal story telling and honest debate, the panel will address some of the common misconceptions held by the LGBT+ community and take a holistic approach to sexual health, considering the physical and mental wellbeing elements which form the cornerstone of healthy relationships with ourselves and others. As part of National Student Pride’s commitment to healthy sex, free sexual health screening tests will be available onsite courtesy of Attitude magazine, in association with 56 Dean Street.

THE NEXT STAGE
Alongside the Main Stage, the Next Stage will be offering a non-stop line-up of panel talks, interviews and entertainment, showcasing the lives, work and talent of some of the most inspirational LGBT+ individuals around. The Next Stage is home to Researching the Rainbow; the One Network Panel; and LGBT+ Disability: Access All Rainbows, as well as some unmissable music acts from up and coming LGBT+ performers including Lostchild; Georgina Inkster; Valerio Lysander; Rookes, and Satch Satchell.

RESEARCHING THE RAINBOW
Researching the Rainbow is a brand-new panel at National Student Pride, dedicated to showcasing the best LGBT+ research currently being carried out by students. Bringing together queer research from across the country, this panel gives a unique opportunity for post-graduate students to present research with a specific focus on issues which impact LGBT+ individuals and communities. This year, post-grad students will present research on issues including: Hazel Marzetti on LGBT+ suicide; Cinar Aydogan on coming out online as a trans person; Madeleine Spink on transphobic media coverage; Lauren Brown on the psychology of having multiple LGBT+ identities, and Adam Williams the potential risks of contracting STIs posed by the use of PrEP.

LGBT+ DISABILITY: ACCESS ALL RAINBOWS
Being queer and disabled poses unique challenges, from accessing LGBT+ spaces to navigating the world of dating. This year, National Student Pride welcomes a panel to tell their stories and ask how our community can become truly inclusive. Joining the line-up are Callum Dziedzic, Script Editor and University of York graduate; Calum Medlock, President of UCL Sign Lanugage Society, and Life Coach Char Bailey.

ONE NETWORK PANEL
Launched in September 2019, One Network connects leaders of LGBT+ societies across the UK in order to improve the queer student experience. Hear from student leaders Alessandro Ceccarelli (Cambridge), Jessica Chan (LSE), Tracey Mwaniki (Oxford) and Isaac Robinson (Staffordshire) as they share best practice of how to ensure university is a safe, open and supportive environment for each and every student. This panel is hosted by Elly Barnes, founder of Educate & Celebrate and recently appointed MBE for her contribution to services to education, equality and diversity.

PRIDE.CAREERS
Pride.Careers is the UK’s largest LGBT+ careers recruitment fair taking place at National Student Pride, giving LGBT+ students an unrivalled opportunity to meet potential employers and discuss career options. 70 companies host stalls, enabling students to discover potential opportunities available to them upon graduation, with top employers including our Headline Sponsors EY and Clifford Chance, our Gold sponsors Lloyds Banking Group and our Silver sponsors ASOS, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Santander.
Justine Campbell, EY UK&I Managing Partner for Talent says “We’re very proud to be supporting National Student Pride again this year. It’s a great opportunity to ensure that voices of people from all parts of the LGBT+ community are heard and welcomed. Student Pride celebrates its 15th birthday this year and Unity – EY’s LGBT+ Network - celebrates its 25th. This is a very special year and we can’t wait to celebrate together.”
Not only will the sponsors be at the careers fair, they’ll also be bringing a whole load of entertainment to the Saturday afternoon. As Headline sponsors of National Student Pride, Clifford Chance will be holding a vogueing workshop with Jay Jay Revlon, dancer from Peckham’s legendary vogue night Let's Have a Kiki. Lloyds Banking Group will host a Play for Positivity room, a space to play giant games, enjoy colouring tables, and have a free coffee with new friends.
Matthew Layton, Global Managing Partner at Clifford Chance says “We see inclusion as an intrinsic value of our firm. It is a matter of justice. It is also a core part of our identity as a firm. Our history as a firm has been anchored in innovative and diverse cultures and approaches which have both disrupted traditional attitudes and set global standards. We have the greatest impact on the future of the world when we act through collaborative partnerships, combining the rich skills we have within the firm with the strengths of others.”
AFTER HOURS ENTERTAINMENT
Alongside the main talks, your wristband for the weekend doubles as your ticket to some of the hottest entertainment. Kicking off on the Friday night, the opening party will take place at G-A-Y Late with an extra special guest performance from BBC’s RuPaul’s Drag Race UK legend Cheryl Hole, drag star Tayce and Drag King Mark Anthony.
Following the release of their new single ‘React’, The Pussycat Dolls will be performing live at G-A-Y Heaven on Saturday 22nd February. With the free festival wristband (acquired through the website - to be collected at the festival), students are entitled to queue-jump and £2.60 drinks on the night, and admission to the gig itself for just £8, charged on the door.
Queer Womxn’s venue She Soho will be offering free entry with National Student Pride wristbands on Saturday night, plus selected drinks for £3 until 10pm with valid student ID.
Wrapping up the weekend on Sunday morning, attendees can apply to compete in National Student Pride’s inaugural Draglympics: Bruch with a twist, hosted by Tia Koffi and Dolly Trolley.
By building on the success of previous events, National Student Pride is now a leading force in queer debate and a platform to drive forward positive change in the LGBT+ community. National Student Pride’s panel conversations tackle some of the most topical LGBT+ issues of the moment, with previous talks shining a spotlight on LGBT+ homelessness, mental health and sex education.