LBGT
LBGT Officer: Andy Jones
The LBGT Officer has two main roles. The first is as a social secretary for Pembroke’s LBGT community. You manage the LBGT mailing list, notifying members of any upcoming LBGT events and formal swaps that the other college reps have invited us to. You should also hope to organise one or two swaps at Pembroke each term, and an LBGT drinks party in college at the start and end of each term. This is all great fun and not too much hassle as long as you’re reasonably organised. It’s also very sociable – the reps social scene is quite active and as LBGT officer you’ll meet many more LBGTers from around Cambridge than you otherwise might.
Your second role is as part of the Welfare Committee. You’re supposed to be looking out for the welfare of undergraduate LBGTers, which is obviously quite difficult if they’re in the closet! Whether you proactively try to make yourself approachable, or you’re just available if anyone contacts you, is partly up to you, and partly up to the Freshers you’ll introduce yourself to. It’s not as immediately fun as the social side, but potentially more satisfying. You need to be sensitive and absolutely discreet, and keep huge reserves of tea and biscuits at all times.
I’ve really enjoyed being the LBGT officer. It’s a fun job – you are basically given no training by CUSU and left to do your own thing (and with College’s backing), and the Pembroke LBGT community is close, if also too weighted towards the gay male; I’d particularly like to encourage our L, B and T comrades to apply. Email me if you have any questions at all!
Andy Jones (aj327@cam.ac.uk)