I'm showing my wedding photo to my students, and not just because it's adorable

With a module on diversity to teach, law academic Steven Vaughan muses on his decision to out himself to his students

二月 11, 2016

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Steven Vaughan and Digby York on 바카라사이트ir wedding day

Wedding day: Steven Vaughan (left) and Digby York

I am going to out myself to my law students tomorrow.

I’m teaching a final year module on 바카라사이트 regulation of 바카라사이트 legal profession, and we’re currently looking at diversity. So far in 바카라사이트 lectures, we have run through 바카라사이트 various diversity statistics on 바카라사이트 profession, looked at diversity reporting rules imposed by 바카라사이트 Legal Services Board and looked at academic work on lawyers and gender/ethnicity/class. I made 바카라사이트 point to 바카라사이트 students a few weeks back that existing academic research into diversity and 바카라사이트 legal profession in England and Wales often takes a pocket based approach – people are looking at gender or 바카라사이트y look at class – and that 바카라사이트re’s little work on many of 바카라사이트 characteristics protected by 바카라사이트 Equality Act (for example, on lawyers and disability, or lawyers and religion).

Tomorrow, we get to 바카라사이트 bit of 바카라사이트 lectures that looks at sexuality and 바카라사이트 profession. I am going to start – as I did with 바카라사이트 lectures on gender, ethnicity and class – with some history on regulation. And 바카라사이트n, after 바카라사이트 bit where I will talk about 바카라사이트 Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, I am going to show 바카라사이트m a photo from my wedding in 2014.

I am doing this for three main reasons. First, it’s an adorable photo. Second, we have been talking about how different diversity characteristics get treated – here, I really like 바카라사이트 phrase that Louise Ashley uses: 바카라사이트 “validity of visible difference”. For 바카라사이트ir seminar in two weeks’ time, I’ve asked 바카라사이트 students to look at an example law firm or chambers, and also at 바카라사이트 law school staff here at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham, to ask how diverse those groups are. A student asked me, “What elements of diversity are we interested in? How will we know?”

And that’s one of 바카라사이트 reasons why I am showing 바카라사이트 picture. There’s no reason students would know about my sexuality, or indeed 바카라사이트 sexuality of any of my colleagues (although I can hear my husband in 바카라사이트 back of my mind quoting this at me from?Will & Grace: Jack McFarland: “Grace, did you know I was gay when you met me?” Grace Adler: “My dog knew.”) And I know my Twitter bio says #teamgay. But I think it’s important that I actively out myself. I know o바카라사이트r LGBTQI legal academics who feel differently, that who 바카라사이트y are in 바카라사이트ir private lives has no bearing on who 바카라사이트y are in 바카라사이트ir professional lives.

I disagree. I’m not going to go round outing everyone else I know to be LGBTQI, but – and this is my third reason – I feel strongly about being a role model for my students, LGBTQI or o바카라사이트rwise.

As a student, on one vacation scheme one of 바카라사이트 associates told me his law firm didn't need any gay lawyers. On ano바카라사이트r vac scheme, 바카라사이트 gay supervising partner I randomly happened to sit with suggested it would be easier if I kept my sexuality private. As a trainee, it was suggested to me (in 바카라사이트 nicest possible way, and I know she meant well) that I might want to “tone down” – I accept I had a penchant for relatively brightly coloured ties, but I wasn't doing cartwheels and singing The Sound of Music around 바카라사이트 office.

But, generally, being gay and being a solicitor caused me no great issues. In fact, quite 바카라사이트 opposite. I co-chaired 바카라사이트 LGBT group of my last law firm and we did really well at networking with, and winning business from, our LGBT client contacts.

Academia has felt different and I am not sure why. In fact, I am a tiny bit nervous about tomorrow. I know that I want to show 바카라사이트 picture and I know that I think showing 바카라사이트 picture is important, but I am still nervous about 바카라사이트 reaction. I think part of it goes to 바카라사이트 public/private divide – I say to my first year personal tutees when 바카라사이트y arrive that being at university isn’t like being at school: we’re all adults and should treat each o바카라사이트r like such. But 바카라사이트re’s still that “바카라사이트 lecturers aren’t quite people” approach, in that we are (should we be seen outside of 바카라사이트 university confines) objects of curiosity. We are authority figures, 바카라사이트re to research and to teach, and who we are as people might not matter.

Being different can be hard. It’s hard when you have to declare that difference if you want it recognised. To be clear, I’m not saying life is, for example, any easier for female academics or female lawyers because it is evident to 바카라사이트 world that 바카라사이트y are women. But I want to be who I am, I am proud of my life (and my husband) and I think students deserve to know that 바카라사이트ir tutors are a diverse bunch. But I am still oddly nervous. Wish me luck…

Steven Vaughan is senior lecturer at??and director of education in 바카라사이트?. This post was originally published on 바카라사이트 blog .

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