Humans of Stirling Uni

10/11/2020

Awesome shirts for movember!

Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's su***de.

04/08/2020

“I first learned about the trans community when I was 12 years old. I read an article in a magazine about a trans man, and I remember instantly connecting with his description of his identity; he felt he was “born in the wrong body”. It terrified me that that description made sense to me, so I tried to shut off all thoughts about my gender for as long as I could. It wasn’t until I was 16 that I came out as bisexual, and even then it took another 2 years before I was able to confront my anxiety about my gender. Pride for me is not only about celebrating our q***r identities but it is an important part of our history as a protest and demand for LGBTQ+ rights. Without Pride, I wouldn’t feel as comfortable in my identity as I do. Being out as a trans person comes with a lot of fear and anxiety, I’m very aware (as someone who is pre-testosterone) that I do not look like a cisgender male and as someone living somewhat ‘unconvincingly’ as male in a very cisgender, heteronormative society, it scares me that I am at risk of verbal or physical assault, simply because of how I look. I feel very lucky to have the support of everyone in my life. My friends and my partner have been my rock over these last 18 months, but beyond the people close to me, I have been supported by colleagues at work, by my lecturers and have even had affirming conversations with strangers on nights out. Without joining the LGBTQ+ society, I think it would’ve taken me a lot longer to accept my trans identity, meeting people who have had similar experiences to me was a huge step forward for my self-acceptance. Furthermore, being a member of RAMS has really helped my confidence – I was welcomed with open arms as a man, by a group of intimidating and (mostly) cisgender, heterosexual men. It reminded me that I don’t always need to be in LGBTQ+ spaces to feel safe and accepted. I think it’s important that members of our community remember that pride is a protest. We must fight to ensure that all members of our community – regardless of race, ability or background – have the rights that they deserve to live free, authentic lives. Pride is, and must remain, political.” – Ethan Williamson, 20, Film & Media

21/07/2020

“I am a (fairly open) gay man. I figured out my sexuality at a very young age, when I was around 10 years old. Despite that, I did not fully understand what it meant and I thought something was wrong with me. I come from a small town in a different country where the support for LGBTQ+ people at the time was next to 0. For me, pride means the celebration of the evolution of LGBTQ+ rights and of its acceptance in society. Although a lot more progress could be made, during pride month, worldwide people get a light of hope that one day, they will be accepted for who they are without fearing for their life just because their identity does not match the societal norm. Growing up, I have not experienced direct homophobia as I was extremely deep in the closet to the point where I supressed my sexuality almost completely which caused my mental health to rapidly decline, eventually getting better once I moved to Scotland and started going to secondary school. The next step of my life, starting University and moving to Stirling was what got me out of the dark: joining the LGBTQ+ society, meeting people who are like me, understanding I can be loved for who I am, and, of course living without parents for the first time, all these boosted my confidence. Compared to the past me, I am now more of an extrovert than an introvert, I publicly advocate for LGBTQ+ right, I am more open minded, I love myself and I am not afraid to speak up for myself and for the community anymore. Pride is important as it connects everyone in the world and encourages them to love who they are and to reassure them that we are in this oppressive system together and we need to continue to fight for our rights.” - Laurentiu Petre, 19, French and Spanish

16/07/2020

“Currently a 2nd year international student yet figuring out her way through life one day at a time.
This is a message to all those who feel there is no light at the end of the tunnel, who feel there is no rainbow after the storm.. I’ve faced fear, betrayal, failure, separation, homesickness, heartbreak, loneliness, anxiety, quite a lot more things in about 1/4th of my life span.
The one thing that keeps me going is my strong will power, faith and knowing my family need me as much as I need them. And I know there is someone somewhere who’s facing worse times than I have.
It will all get better, I promise. And one day when you or I look back to our struggles, only to realise it all happened for a reason and shaped you into a better & stronger YOU. Start cherishing the little things in life. I don’t have a lot, but valuing that one person makes me happy, valuing my 3 basic needs keeps me grounded, and valuing my family makes me feel safe.
And lastly, be kind and honest; have a caring heart. You will get the good in return too someday.
Just because life is about trial and errors doesn’t mean you lose value of what you already have.” -Sara Gokhale, 20, studying Management

30/06/2020

“I identify as a le***an and I use she/her pronouns. I was 12 when I realised I wasn’t straight. For a week I stayed up past midnight every night watching and reading as much q***r content as I could get my hands on. I would cry as I went through all of it but then one night I let myself think, ‘well I’m only young and this won’t affect me until at least uni because only adults are gay’. So I forgot until I was 15 when I had a big fat crush on my friend and that made it a bit harder to forget. My first pride was in Edinburgh when I was 16. I didn’t tell my mum where I was because I wasn’t out and to this day it was my best pride experience. My hardships as a le***an would begin with how difficult it was for me to say ‘le***an’ because of the p**n industry and the hyper sexualisation of women loving women relationships existing exclusively to please men. There’s also the feeling of lying; before I came out I was really distant from my family, I could feel myself not being present in conversations and having the biggest lump in my throat of guilt. Coming to Stirling has been one of the best choices I’ve ever made. Surrounding myself with q***r people and other open-minded folk has really made this move worthwhile. I’ve never had this total level of unquestioned support from everyone around me. It’s nice to be able to discuss complex issues and the niche intricacies of identity and what that means for individuals rather than just discussing the basics of the acronym (LGBTQ+). I joined the LGBTQ society from the beginning of 2018 and made some really good friends, and then last year I joined the committee and this yesr I am the le***an rep for the society! Also, this year I have been attending SSHES who are an amazing group of people. We have such open conversations about our own sexual experiences it truly feels like a safe space to share. The most important thing about Pride is to know our history and where we come from. Pride isn’t a parade to celebrate what we have, it’s a protest to fight for what we don’t yet have. If we don’t stand with our trans siblings and our BAME community we are betraying our history".- Alanna Stewart, 19, French

26/06/2020

“I am a Trans Non-Binary person who is Q***r. I know that's a lot of words so if anyone wants to educate themselves please feel free to contact me with questions! I came out at aged 13 but if I hadn't lacked the words to describe it and the knowledge I'd probably have come out as non-binary a lot sooner. To me Pride is primarily a protest, parts of the community are still asking for the same things they were at Stonewall and it's only really those who have conformed to cishet norms who have been given some concessions legally. I see pride month as a time of community, learning and a chance to get allies to understand our daily struggles. Growing up in Clackmannanshire (the county beside Stirling) I had a pretty horrific time as a q***r person. The area is pretty backwards and there isn't a big q***r community. I was bullied a lot and because the community is so small and ostracised it's prime ground for predators to take advantage of young, vulnerable, and newly out people. This all combined meant I ended up with really poor self-esteem and in an abusive relationship at the age of 14. My mental health suffered pretty badly but it encouraged me to get involved in supporting local young q***r people through lgbt youth groups and setting up one in my own highschool. The uni culture is vastly different from the local area so it was refreshing to be able to get involved in the uni q***r community and see a lot of support for lgbtq+ people in the student’s union. I'm a member of SSHES; a few political societies; and the lgbt society and all have been very empowering. The Labour, LGBT, and SSHES societies are great at supporting lgbtq+ people by upholding their voices and giving platforms for healthy and supportive discussions. My overall message for Pride is that Pride is political! It always has been. Supporting the whole community must always be at the forefront of Pride activism and celebrations. We need to use it as a time to educate allies and the rest of society on our history and struggle. As well as taking time to celebrate our culture and lifestyles.” - Avar Wilson, 21, psychology

23/06/2020

“I joined UoS Marine Conservation Society because I'm very passionate about protecting our environment, and marine conservation is a huge part of that. We're all about coming together as a community and taking action, which I love! I also find our events fun and educational.

I recently joined the committee, and this month I was lucky to have their support in organising a campaign to and through sponsored hair donation. I got a buzzcut, losing all 19 inches of my hair to donate it to the Clean Wave Project by the charity Matter of Trust. Human hair is actually very efficient at attracting and retaining oils, so it's used by this charity to clean oil spills, minimising the harmful effect oil has on life in and around our seas.

At first I was nervous, but I wanted to go all out and make as big an impact as possible! I'm glad I did, because I think that really helped to raise funds and awareness. It encouraged others to donate their hair too - in the end, 5 others braved the chop alongside me. We raised £500, making it all worthwhile, which will be split between Friends of the Earth Scotland, a leading national environmental campaigning organisation, and the aforementioned Matter of Trust.

Despite lockdown, there is a range of ways we can continue to care for our planet and help with marine conservation! For example, try taking a walk to do some litter picking (while observing health and safety); be mindful about avoiding plastic waste when possible e.g. by using reusable bottles and straws; and consider minimising seafood in your diet, taking particular care to avoid fish that isn't sustainably sourced. You're also very welcome to join us in donating hair!

Supporting charities, both by donating and raising awareness, is incredibly important, now more than ever. I loved my long hair, but I know I won't regret the buzzcut. It was a bit of a bucket list thing, it was exhilarating to go out of my comfort zone, and most importantly "it's just a haircut" but I'm proud it's made a difference in the world!”- Jennifer Morton, 22, Studying Philosophy

09/06/2020

“Last year I was at a house party with no more than 15 people and we got a noise complaint. Two officers arrived and my Italian friend answered the door and the officers took advantage of the fact that he didn’t know that he didn’t have to let them inside. I stayed quiet but my white friends began to shout at the police, attempting to voice their frustration and try and get them to understand why their presence had put us on edge. There were three people of colour present, two females and one male; we had previously had an issue with this particular officer and my male POC friend had started joining in with shouting. I decided to step in because I knew that the police would have no trouble hurting him. The male officer started squaring up to me. He hadn’t behaved like this at all towards any of my white friends. I spoke to my friends who were POC and told them to leave the room because they were getting angry and rightfully so; I didn’t want things to escalate any further. The female officer then grabbed my arm. The training my parents installed in me all my life growing up as a black person then kicked in. I stayed calm and I told her she had no right to touch me unless I was under arrest or being searched; she let go. Moments later the police then called for backup to a house filled with no more than fifteen 19-20 something year olds that got a noise complaint. This was when I knew I had the leave the house for my own safety. I joke in the video because I couldn’t show any weakness as a black women but truthfully I feared more for my life in that moment than I had ever felt before. I knew that if I stayed here and things escalated, even if I had done nothing wrong, I would face police brutality. I went on to have the worst panic attack of my life. For 4 hours I sobbed and screamed about how these people didn’t care about us and that they would hurt us, unprovoked, without a second thought. I come from a family of freedom fighters and believe it is in my blood to fight for freedom and justice of all, I have been terrified every single day of my life since that night.” - Ndapanda Ngairo, 20, Studying Business and Marketing

05/06/2020

“A letter to my unborn children.
As of today being black or a woman in this world means an unprovoked death sentence. As of today we are guilty until proven innocent. As of today the world is taking a stand against a virus, a cancer, a disease, a genocide, a holocaust which has been very much existent for 400 years.
By the time you grow up and read this letter I hope and pray that the world that you will be living in will have changed drastically. I hope that as a black man or woman you will be able to walk the streets without been stopped because you match a description or look suspicious, that you are able to walk to the corner shop and come back to your mother, or you are able to go for a jog and return home alive.
Let me tell you this now. You are not slaves. You are very much free. You deserve to live. You are not a disease, virus or cancer. You have as much right to live as anybody else.
You’re probably wondering why I’m writing as if I won’t be there, well that’s the case as of right now. The wrong place, the wrong time, the wrong day and it could be all over.
This my promise to you, that I will keep on fighting until you live in a world that is fair and not corrupt. Where a policeman thinks twice before firing his gun. Where violence is not the answer. Where a dialogue can occur. I promise that no matter what happens, whether I’m there or not, I’ll always protect you whether there’s change or not.
As of right now I am alive and well and our fight to justice still stands and we won’t stand down.
I LOVE YOU.
Dad.”
- DK, 22, Sports Science
Links to petitions and donations are in our bio. It’s time to be the change you want to see in the world.

04/06/2020

“I got involved in the COVID-19 response through my job as a pharmaceutical dispenser. Effectively that means my job is to make up prescriptions for people and ensure they are able to access the vital meds that they need. With many of our patients in the vulnerable and high-risk categories, lots of them aren't able to pick up their prescriptions. Myself and a few of my colleagues began making lists of vulnerable patients that we would deliver prescriptions to, on our own time after finishing work. We do this unpaid and using our own cars, because we want to make sure everyone is looked after. We even check if the patients need a wee loaf of bread delivered with their meds too! Work was very tough to start off with, some customers were rude impatient as they didn't understand the huge workload we were undertaking. I would go home very stressed and emotional, especially if one of our patients had fallen ill. The new environment has presented lots of challenges to myself and my team, especially as we work in such a small space where it is very difficult to socially distance. But helping out has been so rewarding as it feels amazing to know our patients are looked after and put first, and we have been so grateful to all of the patients who have brought us gifts of chocolates and bottles of prosecco as a thank you! My main piece of advice to everyone at this time would be, stick with it. I know its stressful and uncertain, and I know you might be getting lonely. But we are all together in this, experiencing different versions of the same difficulties. Know that you're not alone. And another piece of advice is to remember to appreciate key workers even after this is over. We are always working away to look after the people of this country, pandemic or not!” – Rachel MacLean, 20, Politics

29/05/2020

“My mum and I have both been involved in charity for years and one night we were discussing how so many people will now be turning to food banks we realised we had to do what we could to help. We started gathering donations and posting about it on social media and we were approached by an amazing charity called The Health and Wellness Hub. They provide amazing support, services and food to people who are struggling during this pandemic. Within a week we had over 60 donations of food, toiletries and household products that people would, unfortunately, have to go without if it wasn’t for these charities. This has helped to remove any previous stereotypes I had of people using food banks. They are all the loveliest people and, some, are people in lovely homes who have worked hard for that but have turned to the charity because they’ve lost their job and worry about feeding their kids. During this time we have no right to stereotype anyone using any service. We’re all in it together. However, it’s emotional in better ways too! I enjoy seeing people smile when I arrive as they know that it means they will be able to feed themselves this week. Just being able to speak to someone for 5 minutes and ask how they’re doing and telling them to look after themselves means a lot as many people live alone and might not have anyone ask them how they’re doing all week. During lockdown, everyone needs to look after themselves but if you can, support those around you. Next time you’re at Tesco, maybe pick up a couple extra tins and pop them in the boxes they often have in store, or see if there are food banks around you that are collecting. But only if you can, take care of yourself first. Start Up Stirling is an amazing organisation that provides food and essential packages deliveries in the area and I’m sure they will have a collection in Tesco. All I can say is stay happy and stay smiling. Get out a walk, take a picture of something beautiful and take the time to learn to love yourself if you don’t already ✨💚” – Emily Weir, 20, Sociology & Criminology