User:Abedecian/Projects/St. Brendan's LGBT

St. Brendan's LGBT is a society within St. Brendan's Sixth Form College and was the first LGBT society within a Roman catholic educational institution.

The membership of the society is LGBTS (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans and supportive) and mainly focuses on four key areas, Advice, Campaigning, Support & Social.

History
The society was started in October 2008 as a result of an un-organised campaign lead by LGBT people within the college. This campaign was to allow the formation of a group to support LGBT people within the college. It was stated in the campaign that the college offered no support to LGBT people and although the college could not actively support them, due to ethical boundaries of the Roman catholic church, they could allow peer support. The college eventually allowed the formation of the group, under the name "relationships" to help disguise the LGBT support behind it.

The society was limited and disorganised to begin with and had recruitment difficulties with the fact that the name did not reflect the intention of the group. This changed when the main leaders of the society attended the NUS LGBT activist training day, which the group has since been affiliated and supported by. This lead the to the group forming campaigns, finding ways to recruit new members and start the fight to change the name.

In May 2009 the group won the NUS LGBT award, FE society of the year, due to mainly the fight against oppression and a successful society. After this the society became more organised and structured with the formation of a constitution and official positions including LGBT Officer, Chair, sectary and a committee.

Due to a complaint to the Bishop of Clifton, in September 2009 the society was forced by the college to go underground and not be publicised. This resulted in membership, participation and the activity of the society falling which rose at the annual NUS LGBT activist training day. In April 2010 the name of the society was changed from "Relationships" to "St. Brendan's LGBT".