This month, we are amplifying the voices of the LGBTQIA+ community and allies, talking about their career journey and what Pride Month means to them.
My name is Hannah and I’m a lifETIME CDT PhD student based at the University of Birmingham. I graduated from the University of Leeds in July 2018 with a BSc in Medical Sciences (Industrial). As a part of my degree, I completed an industrial placement year with AstraZeneca and re-joined the organisation in September 2018 on the R&D Graduate Scheme in Cambridge. During my two years with AZ, I realised my passions for diversity and inclusion and biosensing. Although seemingly two very different interests, both have intersectionality at their core, challenging me to step outside of my box and continually learn.
In three words, pride for me is unity, celebration and education. It’s a celebration of all individuals within the community coming together to celebrate the freedom of loving who we love and being who we are. But at its core, Pride is also a protest, and it is important to reflect on the activism still needed today as well as how far we’ve come. To quote Einstein, “the more I learn, the more I realise how much I don’t know”.
Being queer and mixed-race, I feel a responsibility to educate myself about QTIPOC history, as well as the diverse lived experiences of those within the community and the issues wider groups still face. Learning leads to growth and pride month is a great time to grow as individuals and as a community.
#VoicesofPride #PrideMonth2021