Jennifer Clerici

I work as part of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences team as an Education Support Manager. The role supports the management and development of educational provision working closely with senior academics and Professional Services colleagues to enable the College to deliver excellence in teaching.

I have always been open about being a lesbian and being with my partner, she is definitely someone that should not be kept a secret. From my experience of managing others, I do believe that being able to be genuine at work has a significant impact on performance. If people can be respected for truly being themselves in their workplace, then they are more likely to reach their potential.

When same-sex marriage became legal and after 10 years of being together my partner and I got married, and that was a fantastic moment to be able to share with my colleagues and I received the warmest of congratulations for that occasion. I would have felt unequal if I was unable to share something that is so important in my life.

One day, being LGBT+ will just be inherently accepted by all as part of usual life. I have not known of anybody heterosexual who had to out themselves in the workplace. Being LGBT+ is just part of being human; it is, for some, as natural as breathing. People who feel uncomfortable about it or don’t know what it’s like to be LGBT+ assume that your sexuality is 100% of your world, but actually this is just one part of being the individuals that we are.

What’s great about this University is that its community consists of people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. It’s progressive to see that some students and staff are so used to people being different that they don’t feel the need to label people or groups. I am appreciative that I work quite closely with academics and colleagues who, through their research and their various cultures and experiences, seem to be much more open to how diverse and capable humans are.

I definitely think the University shows on a regular basis that it is an LGBT+ friendly institution. It is trying to get to a point where people will be accepted for who they are, their skills and personality traits. I have worked in a few areas within the University and I can see that prejudice is not and would not be tolerated.

My message to new members of staff and students joining the University would be to “be yourself. We are very fortunate to be working or studying at the University of Birmingham, within the UK. We are safe here; we should have nothing to be afraid of”.