Student story: Milo Edwards

I am a DPhil student in the Education Department at Oxford researching students’ LGBTQ+ experiences at English universities from the 1970s onwards. I have spent the past three years studying this and see great value in understanding and sharing queer histories. There are many reasons for this - a pertinent one is that recognising the existence of lives outside of cis- and heteronormativity in the past can remind us that we are not alone even when we continue to face adversity in different ways. Therefore, ‘LGBT+ History Month’ is an exciting time for me. The Month was founded by Schools Out after Section 28 was repealed. Each year a different theme is selected as a focus; this year’s theme was activism and social change.

While I wish that LGBTQ+ histories were embedded in more mainstream history throughout the year, I still look forward to the month, because events held at this time often showcase relevant research and highlight perspectives and stories that are not widely taught or shared. As LGBTQ+ identities are not generational, a lot of learning about ourselves often requires searching. Events that follow the intentions of LGBTQ+ History Month usually make me feel less alone in this searching and create a space for recognition; A person might share a small factoid or anecdote that makes me and my younger queer-self feel seen, or I look up from scribbling insights into my notebook to see others doing the same, and I know that in that moment I belong.

Mary Jean Chan’s lecture for LGBT+ History Month set a strong example for LGBT+ History Month events at Oxford. Reading about the event, I was happy to know that it was given by someone who is part of the LGBTQ+ community, and when they spoke, it felt intended to be heard by and shared with LGBTQ+ people at the University. I would definitely recommend watching the recording if you were unable to attend. In the current climate, the speaker’s obvious respect for all LGBTQ+ people would have fulfilled my hopes for an LGBT+ History Month lecture at Oxford. Yet, this lecture did so much more; its organisation and connection to the audience turned out to be everything I needed from the Month and more.

‘Splendid lecture. Insightful, moving, stimulating, comforting.’ 

Audience member

It was an interesting choice to have a poet speak at a History Month lecture, although there was a short prelude about LGBT+ history (shared by Dr. Eleri Watson, Fellow in Queer Studies). Nevertheless, Chan notes that ‘queer history (…) is always being made continuously in the present’. Furthermore, in Chan’s reflections on their own history of engaging with and then writing queer poetry, they touched on experiences and moments that I think many LGBTQ+ people have and/or can relate to. For example, they discuss ‘an unlikely piece to read with a queer lens’, but through reading it ‘queerly’, they find ‘a source of comfort’ and ‘feel less alone’. This resonated with me. Every word and sentence Chan spoke seemed just as considered as their poetry, which emphasised the speaker’s recognition that what they were saying and how the audience are affected by it holds great importance. I would like to thank Mary Jean Chan for this and the organisers for creating space for this event.  

Despite Chan’s notability as a Costa Book Award for Poetry recipient and publisher of Fléche (2019) and Bright Fear (2023), I was not aware of their work before attending the Lecture. I will now be reading more of their poetry. Meanwhile, I wonder what other LGBTQ+-related outputs are being produced across the University that people are not yet aware of. I hope not to have to wait until next February to find out!I thought Mary Jean Chan was a wonderful speaker and I found their speech and presentation interesting.