Imperial graduate Abellona reflects back on his formative experiences at Imperial
I came to Imperial from Hong Kong for my BSc in Biology back in 2011. Closeted, with an engrained internalised homophobia instilled by a deeply religious school, and a Hong Kong society that was (and in some ways still is) lagging behind most of the Western world by 20 years on acceptance of LGBTQ+, I was naïve and ignorant.
My first introduction began on my very first day at Imperial. Having missed a group meeting with my personal tutor Dr Steve Cook, I ended up having a one-on-one chat with him. Through the meeting, I was nervous enough to meet my tutor for the first time – until the moment he mentioned his husband in the most casual way during our conversation. The concept was so alien to me at the time that my brain froze. I remember I just did my best to act as if it was normal (which it is!). Over the course of first year, during which Steve gave many of the lectures for biologists, we found that he took every opportunity to mention his husband in almost every lecture. The normalisation of the concept helped me immensely with my own changing attitudes towards my identity: from a misguided and self-critical state to being able to fully embrace my true self.
After my undergraduate degree, I stayed on at Imperial for an MRes working on microbiome research, which I then followed up with a PhD on metabolic profiling for the early detection of primary liver cancer. In the first year of my PhD, I went to see London Pride for the first time. It was an eye-opening experience. However, at the time, I had never openly discussed the topic of LGBTQ+ with friends, let alone come out to them, and so I went on my own. Eventually, I began talking about it more frequently and in greater detail with friends in London as well as in Hong Kong, and I found – much to my surprise – that they were all extremely supportive. Around the same time, the Imperial 600 network, which was founded in 2006 as a network for the LGBTQ+ staff and postgraduates, began to mature. Through them, I joined the London Pride march twice in subsequent years. Actually being in the march was a truly remarkable experience.
Over the years, I have met many teaching staff and peers proudly being themselves, acting as role models or supporting the community as allies. I particularly enjoyed the sight of Queen’s Tower lit up in rainbow colours during Pride History Month in February and Pride Month in July (tip: you can get a brilliant view of Queen’s Tower from the top floor of SAF). It is these little things that led to the most prized moments of joy for me.
The years I spent at Imperial were a period of marked transformative self-discovery: from first coming out to family and friends as lesbian, to eventually understanding and realising that I identify as trans, the inclusive environment here provided the necessary condition for me to discover who I am. And throughout all this time, I was being supported by peers and teaching staff at Imperial. Thanks to my experiences, I genuinely believe that Imperial is a fantastic workplace for anyone who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
I recently attended my PhD graduation, and I am immensely grateful for my time at Imperial, with the LGBTQ+ experiences among the most memorable highlights. I wish to pay this back by acting as a role model and advocating for a more inclusive society.
Article originally published in Felix Issue #1842 p.16
Felix is the student newspaper of Imperial College London. https://felixonline.co.uk
Abellona U 