Hi, I'm Aisha Akram (they/she) and I'm the Professional Services Co-Chair of the Bee Proud Network. In my day job, I work as an Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) Project Officer in the School of Engineering. Outside of work, I take part in a lot of LGBTQ+ advocacy and regularly perform spoken word poetry about my experience as a Muslim lesbian. I want to work towards a university where LGBTQ+ staff are respected, valued and safe. The fight for LGBTQ+ equality is far from over - the UK ranks 22nd out of 49 European countries on the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map, highlighting that rights have been rolled back substantially and we need to stand together to ensure no person is left behind. Solidarity, always.

Hello!

I’m Laura, you can use any pronouns to refer to me. I’m the PGR Co-Chair of BeeProud, the University of Manchester’s (UoM) LGBTQIA+ Staff Network Group : )

I am also a Wellbeing Champion Representative for Humanities and an Archaeology PhD student who loves all things old and dusty basically! I have been a part of UoM since 2019 and have managed to collect every ID card from undergraduate to staff (except the alumni one as that would require me to leave first).

I am incredibly lucky to have a wonderfully supportive network of colleagues, friends and partners who have helped me in becoming the best version of myself over the last few years which has led me to this role with BeeProud and a strong desire to help out the university LGBTQIA+ Community in anyway I can. At BeeProud, we want to offer a safe space for folks to come and not have to think twice about introducing themselves with their preferred pronouns, or worry about how they are dressed, or how their voice sounds, or whatever it may be. We also want to offer a social space for people to realise they are not alone in this university. It is the 21^st century after all and, despite living in an increasingly hostile world, we are here, queer and not going anywhere. As a genderfluid polyamorous pansexual (a bit of a mouthful, I’m know!), I have been called a lot of things in the past but I have never and will never let it stop me from being happy and I truly hope BeeProud can offer you a place to be happy too.

I’m here to help however I can!

Much love,

Laura

Laura.thompson@manchester.ac.uk

Hi, I'm Ruoyi (she/they), PGR Co-Chair of BeeProud. I'm also PGR Senior Ambassador for the Faculty of Humanities, PGR Rep for the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, and a PhD researcher in Italian Studies.

LGBTQ+ rights are still under threat across the world, and if you come from a diverse or international background, that precarity comes with an extra layer — you're trying to find your feet in a new country and a new institution, all while carrying the weight of everything happening back home and everywhere else. I've lived that difficulty myself, growing up navigating who I am in spaces that didn't always make room for it, so I understand how hard it can be to feel like you belong. That's exactly why I care so much about this role, and I want BeeProud to be somewhere every one of us can feel safe, confident, and properly seen.

As PGR Co-Chair, I want to bring PGRs and staff into the same conversation and build a stronger bridge between international LGBTQ+ colleagues and home staff, because navigating all of that shouldn't be something anyone has to do alone. So if you're ever unsure where you fit, or just want someone to talk to, please know my door is always open!

Come find me at: Ruoyi.zheng@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

Hello! I’m Stephen Doyle, (he/him) and I’m the academic co-chair for BeeProud, the University of Manchester’s LGBTQ+ Staff Network Group. I’m also the UCU Branch Executive Member (LGBTQ+), a senior lecturer in Fashion Marketing in the Department of Materials and Member of Senate (from Sept 2026)

I have worked in Higher Education for almost 30 years and am a long-term advocate for LGBTQ+ representation in the workplace and classroom, whether through discourse, visibility or both. When I first started in H.E. Section 28 had yet to be repealed (2000 in Scotland, 2003 in England and Wales) and while universities were not directly impacted by its scope, the social, political and economic ramifications were felt by the LGBTQ+ community at large, by LGBTQ+ staff in H.E. and by the students who had been schooled in that environment.

The current climate feels all too familiar to me; the increase in hostility, in inhumanity, in violence, in divisiveness and in vitriol, coupled with the dismantling of human rights.

We have been here before and that worries me.

In an increasingly hostile world, BeeProud aims to offer safety and support for our community within the workplace. It is a space where we can share our experiences, air our grievances, shape policy and practice, and identify and challenge discrimination.

I am immensely proud to be part of this network and to share the space with a vibrant and vital community, and one that is committed advancing our collective rights and building a better understanding of the community, its members and its specific needs in the context of the university.

Outside of the university I volunteer with the LGBT Foundation, am a member of the Greater Manchester Equality Panel and am an artist member of the Glasgow Print Studio.

Feel free to reach out: Stephen.Doyle-5@manchester.ac.uk

I am a Senior Lecturer in Social Work and a gay/queer member of the LGBTQ Staff Network. I have written quite a bit about LGBT parenting, including the book Lesbian, Gay & Queer Parenting: Families, Intimacies, Genealogies (2011). I have also done research on sexuality theory and social work/care. I’ve volunteered in the LGBTQ+ community over the years, in HIV/Aids services; with young, homeless LGBTQ people; with LGBTQ foster carers/adopters; and recently with young men and trans people who are homeless and/or sex workers. 

I am Head of Institute Operations& Partnerships at the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, I have worked at the University for over 20 years. I started at my first role at the University as a web designer, then I moved to e-learning, curriculum development, and have been fortunate enough through the professional development opportunities provided by the University to advance to management roles. The University has an active commitment to equality and diversity, and is visibly supportive in the city to equality and LGBT issues, not least through its contribution to Manchester Pride. The University of Manchester is undoubtedly a fabulous place to work. 

I've been at the University for over 15 years now, 8 as a student, 6 in research. Originally from Manchester I have never left, primarily because of the LGBT community the city has. The University has a thriving LGBT student society which helped ease me into Manchester's thriving LGBT scene and the strong prominence of the University at the Manchester Pride parade always makes me proud. The University has also showed great interest and support for my current research interests in LGBT inequalities in health. I take immense pride in the openness and tolerance of my city and University, I honestly don't feel any other University or city would give me the same sense of belonging.

I live with my wife Stacey & dog Mai and currently work here as an experimental officer in charge of a large range of plasma and characterisation tools. I am often asked about how I “promote” equality and diversity in the workplace, and I can think of no better way than being open about who I am to all those around me. I am a female. I am dyslexic. I am BAME. I am bisexual. I am scientist. I am me. No one thing defines me, because being able to be who I am in its entirety allows me to be the best me I can be and flourish. My current workplace has really allowed me to be my whole self and become more than I thought I could be. I have always appreciated how the university actively encourages people to be their authentic selves. People have always been at the core of what universities stand for and I think this has allowed me to be open about my bisexually to my colleagues and friends. 

I am a Senior Clinical Lecturer and Consultant Speech and Language Therapist. I joined the university in 2014. I originally came to Manchester from a small mining town, drawn by the vibrant Gay village. I have always been out to my colleagues, service users and students. As an older gay man, I have experienced severe homophobia in the past, and the AIDS crisis meant I lost many dear friends. The university allies programme and supportive LGBTQIA+ staff network both help to create an accepting, supportive, and safer environment. I am seconded two days a week to Lead the Indigo Gender Service’s Voice & Communication Therapy Team. I strive to be an ally for trans and non-binary people and involve students in my clinical work when delivering this service. Bringing your while self to work means that diverse people at the university are more relaxed, happier and productive. 

I am Professor of Sociology in the School of Social Sciences and until recently was Associate Dean for Postgraduate Research in the Faculty of Humanities. I joined the University in 2010 – second time round, in fact, as I also worked here at the start of my career in the mid-90s. I came out shortly after my first spell here, so it was great to be out as a lesbian when I came back to Manchester. A highlight was marching with BeeProud colleagues at Manchester Pride and being enthusiastically waved at by some of my sociology undergraduate students in the crowd! I feel very fortunate to work in an organisation where people are not defined or judged by their sexuality but are valued for the job they do regardless of who they are. And being able to be yourself at work is a precious thing, so I’m proud to be part of the University’s large and diverse LGBT community.

I’m a News and Media Relations Officer in the Division of Communications, Marketing and Student Recruitment, chiefly promoting research from the Humanities faculty but also working on corporate communications issues - I’ve worked here since 2016, after a previous career spent working for various NHS organisations and the civil service. I live in North Staffordshire with my fiancée Shaun and our cat. I find the university to be a fantastic place to work as a gay man, and the allyship of my colleagues has always been very evident – before I worked at Manchester I found it extremely hard to come out to people due to previously-experienced homophobia, but I feel so comfortable here that this is no longer an issue for me in the workplace. I was especially moved by the joyous reaction to my engagement to my partner of 14 years – our wedding was postponed due to the pandemic, but at least half of the confirmed attendee list was made up of my colleagues! I feel very lucky to work in such a kind and supportive environment, and I honestly can’t picture myself ever wanting to work anywhere else.