On the evening of Tuesday 14th April, the Claverton Rooms at the University came alive with colour, creativity, and community as students and staff gathered to celebrate Campus Pride—an event that felt especially meaningful this year.
From the outset, the atmosphere was warm and inviting. Craft stalls encouraged everyone to get involved, whether decorating canvas tote bags, painting plant pots, or weaving friendship bands that quickly became small but powerful symbols of connection.
Alongside these activities, stalls hosted by the Library, Student Support, our Security team, The SU, ResLife, and the University Chaplaincy highlighted the wide network of support available across campus, reinforcing that inclusion is a shared responsibility.
Speeches brought a reflective tone to the evening. I highlighted the importance of visibility and institutional commitment, while Izzy Downer (Students' Union Community Officer) emphasised the role students play in shaping an inclusive culture. Sophie Madison, stepping down from her role leading Kaleidoscope (the staff LGBTQ+ network), reflected on why the network was created and its progress, and encouraged others to get involved as the position becomes vacant.
This sense of togetherness carried into the evening’s performances, hosted by ‘Mother’, creator of WIG at Komedia (Bath's longest running drag and cabaret show). Five drag performers lit up the stage with energy, humour, and pride, turning the celebration into something joyful and unapologetically expressive.
Yet what made the night particularly powerful was its timing. The event fell on the year anniversary of a Supreme Court ruling that has left many feeling confused and distressed. In a wider context of increasingly open hostility toward LGBTQ+ communities in both the US and UK, moments like this carry extra weight. Campus Pride became more than a celebration—it was a visible act of solidarity, a reminder that community and allyship matter deeply, especially now.
As the evening drew to a close, it was clear that Campus Pride at the University of Bath is not just about marking a date in the calendar. It is about creating space—for expression, for support, and for standing together at a time when that unity feels more important than ever.
Dr Catherine Butler
LGBTQ+ Institutional Lead
Responses
It was lovely to attend… and be a part of one of the performances!! Love the effort of everyone pulling together to make a space for LGBTQ+ voices to be heard in the university 🫶