The LGBTQIA+ Community At Falmouth
30 July 2024
This article was written by Costume Design for Film & Television BA(Hons) student Natalie.
One of the best things about moving to university is the opportunity to feel comfortable being yourself. It gives you the freedom to find like-minded friends, as well as meeting people from a diverse range of backgrounds.
One of the amazing things about Falmouth University is that there is a large, supportive LGBTQIA+ community, so whether you want to celebrate who you are or just feel accepted, it’s a good place to be.
As a location, Falmouth is a very safe place to live and celebrate your queer identity. There are regular events all year round (not just Pride month!) that encourage openness and are, of course, a lot of fun. This includes things such as drag nights and themed club nights. In addition, Falmouth University itself includes queer culture into the space and into the curriculum. For example, I am a Costume Design student and during my second year I had the opportunity to make a drag costume in collaboration with the Acting students. We then held a drag night at the Cornish Bank in town, during which the Acting students performed in the costumes that we had made. Not only did this allow us to get our designs seen in action, it was also a lot of fun!
The university has many societies, from Surfing to Taylor Swift, as can be seen in our A-Z list of societies here. This includes the Pride society. As well as being a safe space that is available to anyone who wants to join, it is a fantastic place to meet friends. They run activities every week, from socials to film screenings. Like all University societies, it is a student-led organization and they are always open to suggestions about future plans. You can even run for the committee if you want to get more involved and have your voice heard.
An unmissable event for Falmouth University students is Falmouth Pride. Of course, there is a parade, as well as stalls across town. At Events Square they had a big stage with live music & speakers and everyone showed up in their most unapologetically fabulous outfits. You can discover more about this from the “Pride vlog” here made by a Film student. They also have a big event to celebrate Pride in The Students Union. This year the dress code was pirates making it a very uniquely Cornish way to celebrate Pride.
As an LQBTQIA+ person, who also moved across the country for university, it comforting to know about the range of support systems that Falmouth University has in place to make the sudden change feel less daunting. They offer face-to-face counselling, as well as a digital space to discuss any issues you may be having if going in-person doesn’t feel right for you. More information on this can be found here.
Alternatively, if you would feel more comfortable discussing how things are going with another student, Falmouth has a Student Mentor Scheme. Each first year student is assigned to another student who is in the second year of the same course, in the hopes that they can help with any queries you may have about the course or university life.
My favourite thing about attending Falmouth University is how accepting everyone is. After living here for a few weeks, I felt comfortable dressing the way I wanted to, as well as being open and unapologetic about my sexuality, which I had previously felt unable to do in my rural hometown. This feeling of safety and openness also applies to my friends, who have finally felt comfortable using the pronouns they identify as without feeling like it’s an inconvenience to others or a taboo topic. The positive atmosphere created by all this acceptance, allows students to focus on the fundamental parts of university life, like learning and socializing.
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