LGBT+ Network

The LGBT+ Network offers a platform for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer staff and students at Leiden University.

What we do

The LGBT+ Network at Leiden University, in theory, brings together staff and students across Leiden and The Hague who are interested in issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristic expression. The Network has engaged with university policy-making (e.g. all-gender toilets in every building), promoted visibility (e.g. displaying flags), and discussed research (e.g. conferences by Jojanneke van der Toorn, Professor of LGBTIQ+ Workplace Inclusion).

Events on and around campus

Within Leiden University

For our students and staff, the LGBT+ Network organises queer-related (guest) lectures, conferences, academic programmes (e.g. the minor Gender and Sexuality in Society and Culture for undergraduates across the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus consortium, and the Summer School on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI).

We are collaborating with these organisations:

LUMC Pride: an active group of students, staff, and patients, member of Workplace Pride
LDE Pride: an informal committee of (mostly staff) representatives from LUMC, TU Delft (TrueU), and Erasmus University Rotterdam (Erasmus Pride)
Queer Leiden University: student-run events, especially in The Hague
LUC LGBTQIA+: a division of Leiden University College’s Diversity and Inclusion Student Committee
Leiden University Diversity and Inclusion Expertise Office

Outside of the university

The Network is involved in organising several events, such as queer-related theatre, art installations, book clubs, museum exhibitions, and party nights. We do this in cooperation with these organisations and venues:

Local branches of the national LGBTIQ+ organisation COC:
- Leiden: COC Leiden
- In and around The Hague: COC Haaglanden
Dance club / event space De Kroon
The Hang-Out 070: for queer People of Colour (The Hague)
Queer aan zee: social group (The Hague)
AutiRoze: for people with autism (various locations in The Netherlands)
GayCafé De Roze Beurs: Leiden’s daily gay bar, open to hosting small events

Need us to promote your event?

The Network has 1000 followers on Instagram, 600 on Facebook, and 500 people interested in our emails and newsletters.

Andrew DJ Shield runs our social media, and is happy to promote LGBTIQ-related activities across Leiden and The Hague, whether run by oganisations within or outside Leiden University.

Chair and core team

Chair

The position of Chair of the LGBT+ Network is vacant.

Core team

The responsibilities can be demanding and require your volunteer hours. The Diversity and Inclusion Expertise Office may be able to provide a small budget to support activities if a ‘core team’ can revitalise interest.

Past chairs

2023-2025: Looi van Kessel
2020-2022: Andrew DJ Shield
2018-2020: Pauline Vincenten & Tim Vergeer

Ambassadors

The LGBT+ ambassadors act as contact points within the faculties and units.

Judi Mesman Professor The interdisciplinary study of societal challenges/Distinguished Professor
Aske Plaat Professor of Data science

‘I fully support the LGBT+ Network for two reasons. First, everyone should be able to simply be themselves. You should be able to feel at home in your city, university and institute, whatever your background, religion, gender or love life. Second, diversity causes science to grow and thrive. And creativity grows and flourishes when people can be themselves. In that respect, our university has the most beautiful motto anyone could think of: Praesidium Libertatis, ‘bastion of freedom’. A university flourishes when there is freedom of thought, freedom of action and freedom of being. This means the freedom for employees and students to be who they are, and for everyone to experience that freedom and science go hand in hand at this university.’
Carola van der Drift Project manager Leiden University Libraries
Paul Wouters Professor Emeritus of Scientometrics
Jojanneke van der Toorn Professor by Special Appointment LGBTIQ+ workplace inclusion

History of LGBTIQ+ organisations on campus

Since the 1960s, students and staff have organised with various goals (e.g. the Leidse Werkgroep Homoseksualiteit). A social group, Leiden Ganymedes Borrel, met in the 1990s. In 2014, the group changed its name to LU Pride, and expanded its activities through 2020, when it evaporated due to lack of interest. (Note: in 2020, it briefly renamed itself ‘Leiden Pride’ as some members came from outside the university; this group is not to be confused with ‘Pride Leiden’ which formed in 2023 to plan an annual Canal Parade, and is not related to Leiden University.)

In 2018, then-vice-Rector Magnificus Hester Bijl officially launched the LGBT+ Network to a room of about 200 staff and students. Today, the Network faces the problems of previous groups: its communications and activities wane when people lose enthusiasm for volunteering their time and efforts.

‘Leiden University strives to be an inclusive university where all students and staff feel welcome, and feel free to develop themselves. I therefore fully support the LGBT+ Network.’

Prof. Hester Bijl, Rector Magnificus