The University of Montpellier is organizing a week-long campaign to combat LGBT+ phobia
From November 14 to 18, 2022, the University of Montpellier is organizing a week-long initiative to combat LGBT+ phobia, featuring a roundtable discussion and a documentary film that will highlight the theme of LGBT+ inclusion in all aspects of university life. This strong, long-standing commitment is part of an active policy implemented byUM to combat all forms of discrimination.
The L’Autre Cercle association’s LGBT+ Commitment Charter for Higher Education was officially launched on October 13, 2022, at the University of Montpellier
In 2016, the University of Montpellier was the first institution of higher education to sign the charter of the national association L’Autre Cercle, demonstrating its commitment to the inclusion of LGBT+ staff members. On October 13 of this year,UM this commitment by signing a new version of the charter, which now includes students.
Through this charter, the University of Montpellier has committed, in particular, to:
- creating an inclusive work and study environment;
- ensure equality in rights and treatment regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity;
- support victims of discriminatory remarks or actions;
- to assess progress and share best practices in order to improve the professional environment and the academic framework in higher education.
Even today, living openly as one’s true sexual orientation or gender identity may not be a given, as several recent surveys confirm. For higher education staff, the initial findings of the ACADISCRI study conducted at two French universities in 2018 indicate that being a man who does not conform to norms of masculinity, or being LGBT, are among the most frequently perceived reasons for microaggressions. Furthermore, the Observatory on Student Life reports that, as of 2020, sexual orientation was still cited as a factor contributing to stigmatization.
This week dedicated to combating LGBT+ phobia promises to be a highlight of the academic year, during which a range of initiatives will be supported to foster a caring and inclusive work and study environment where everyone feels free to be themselves.
The schedule for “LBT+ Phobia Awareness Week”
This week will begin on November 14 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. with a roundtable discussion titled: “How Can Non-LGBT+ People Get Involved in the Fight Against LGBT+ Phobias?” It will take place at the Françoise Barré-Sinoussi Student Center (Triolet) with Philippe Augé, president of the University of Montpellier, in attendance. Flora Bolter, co-director of the Jean Jaurès Foundation’s LGBTI+ Observatory, political scientist, and LGBTI+ activist, and Julie Boiché, vice president for social responsibility at the University of Montpellier, will be the panelists for this roundtable discussion. The discussion will draw on a video of a street interview conducted in late September with students from four campuses of the University of Montpellier.
The week will continue on November 16 at 7:00 p.m. with a screening of the documentary film *La première marche* by Hakim Atoui and Baptiste Etchegaray at the Aimé Schoenig Student Center on the Richter Campus. This documentary will also be screened in Carcassonne, in the Salle des Actes at the Faculty of Education, at 12:45 p.m.
“On June 9, 2019, four students organized the first Pride Parade in the suburbs, in Saint-Denis. Fifty years after Stonewall, they brought the LGBT struggle to a place where no one had ever imagined it would happen. A fast-paced, immersive look at the Pride organizers—proud suburbanites. The issues of intersectionality and inclusivity in these struggles are clearly laid out. The young activists radiate infectious energy in a documentary full of humor and commitment, inspiring a desire for unity in the face of oppression.”
Practical Information:
Date: November 14–18, 2022
Location: University of Montpellier
View the program for the Week Against LGBT+ Phobias