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Hello beautiful (future) Balliol-ites, we're JJ and Georgina, Balliol's very own and fabulous LGBTQ Officers. We are in charge of all the possible LGBTQ welfare, events and general brilliance that you could want.

Events

Oxford's LGBT Soc means that there's always plenty going on in Oxford. Whether it's films, club nights or more academic discussion groups there'll be something for you. Probably the easiest way to find out about all this great stuff is by subscribing to the LGBT mail list (newsletter@oulgbtsoc.org.uk) either at Fresher's/Refresher's Fair or by emailing the OUSU LGBT rep (currently Katie Colliver at Univ).

Within Balliol itself there is also plenty going on. Every year there's an LGBT bop as well as other events such as LGBT Dinner, Gay Punting, tea parties, charity events and so on.

The LGBT bop (the last of Hilary term) is a great excuse to dress up outrageously and let your hair down a lot! Past themes have included US of Gay and 80's, both of which were very successful and fun. Each year the profits go to a charity- last year we raised money for the Terrence Higgins Trust, which you can read more about here. 

LGBT Dinner is also a good occasion to dress up and have a nice formal meal in Balliol Hall. People from all over Oxford are invited and guests are very welcome. 

There are many gay nights in Oxford that are really good fun to go to. The most popular is Poptarts at Babylove on Tuesdays- the music is pretty decent and it’s not too sleazy. The Plush Lounge is Oxford's very own gay club and is open Wednesday to Saturday (Friday and Saturday nights are probably the most popular) and can be a fun change/addition to Poptarts (especially when you get bored of that cramped Babylove dancefloor). For a slightly less cheesy night clubbing there's also The Coven which has a gay night every Friday. While it can sometimes be quite quiet the club does attract a more local crowd and can be a nice break from the more Oxford Uni based LGBT scene.

The University LGBT society has a weekly drinks party, generally held on Tuesday so that people can head off to Babylove en masse afterwards. It's a great way of meeting people at other colleges - though of course Tuesdays are infamously Crazy at Balliol, so there's still plenty going on if you choose to stay home!

Welfare

If you’re just about to come to university and you’re unsure of your sexuality (or whether to come out or not), we’re the guys to talk to! You’ll find that Balliol is an incredibly open and very gay-friendly college.

OUSU, the student union, also has lots of support and literature about being LGBT in Oxford. There is a guide on pretty much everything an LGBTer could need in Oxford here. There is also the University’s Equality and Diversity Office, which has lots of information and links.

If you haven’t come out yet, uni is a great place to do it- everyone is finding their individuality so why shouldn’t you? We understand that it’ll be a daunting prospect for many of you, so we’ll do anything we can to help you through it. It’s worth checking out the LGBT guide (link above) as this has a pretty decent section on it.

You can email either of us at any time if you'd like to talk about any worries you might have - we're always happy to have a quiet chat over some tea and biscuits. We'll even bring the biscuits.