🎧 Show notes

Episode title: Who Gets to Belong? LGBT+ History Month

Podcast: Research Culture Uncovered

Host: Heledd Jarosz-Griffiths (Researcher Development Advisor, University of Leeds)

Episode overview

LGBT+ History Month takes place every February, and the 2026 theme is Science & Innovation. In this episode, Heledd is joined by Morgan Buswell and Dr Robin Hayward to explore what LGBT+ History Month means in a research context — including how science and innovation spaces are experienced by LGBT+ colleagues, why some stories and contributions remain overlooked, and what helps create cultures where people genuinely feel able to belong and thrive.

The conversation reflects on the balance between celebration and realism, the emotional labour involved in community and visibility work, and the importance of curiosity, psychological safety, and practical inclusion within research cultures.

Featured contributors

Morgan Buswell (he/him) - Morgan works across internal and external communications at the University of Leeds and has been Co-Chair of the University’s LGBT+ Staff Network for the past two years. In this role, he supports community building, visibility, and inclusive engagement across the institution, helping to create spaces where LGBT+ colleagues feel able to connect, be heard, and access support.

Connect with Morgan: LinkedIn: Morgan Buswell

Dr Robin Hayward (they/them)

Dr Robin Hayward is the Communications and Engagement Officer for the Leeds Ecosystem, Atmosphere and Forest Centre (LEAF) at the University of Leeds, sharing research into trees and woodlands across the institution. Robin was also part of the team that developed the University’s Inclusive Fieldwork Hub, supporting safety, equity and inclusion for LGBTQ+ fieldworkers.

Outside the University, Robin is a freelance science communicator, communication trainer, LGBTQ+ educator and designer, specialising in the intersection between nature and LGBTQ+ identities. They were recently commissioned to create the official badge design for LGBT+ History Month 2026.

Connect with Robin

1. LinkedIn: Robin Hayward
2. Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/canopyrobin.com
3. Bluesky (LEAF): https://bsky.app/profile/leedsleaf.bsky.social
4. Website: https://canopyrobin.com/
5. LEAF: https://leaf.leeds.ac.uk/
6. Inclusive Fieldwork Hub: https://inclusivefieldwork.leeds.ac.uk/
7. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canopyrobin/
8. Instagram (LEAF): https://www.instagram.com/leeds_leaf/
9. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@canopyrobin
10. Threads: https://www.threads.com/@canopyrobin
11. Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/search?q=%40canopyrobin

Key themes explored

1. LGBT+ History Month as celebration and education
2. Belonging, visibility, and emotional labour in research cultures
3. Whose stories are remembered — and whose are overlooked
4. Inclusive fieldwork and practical guidance for safer research environments
5. Curiosity, respect, and psychological safety as foundations for belonging

Resources mentioned

1. LGBT+ History Month (official site)
2. https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/
3. Inclusive Fieldwork Hub (University of Leeds)
4. https://inclusivefieldwork.leeds.ac.uk/
5. PRIDE Guidelines for LGBTQ+ fieldworkers
6. https://inclusivefieldwork.leeds.ac.uk/pride/
7. Podcast Episode 137 — Drag, law, and the value of collaborative knowledge sharing
8. https://research-culture.captivate.fm/episode/episode-137-drag-law-and-the-value-of-collaborative-knowledge-sharing

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1. Bluesky: @researcherdevleeds.bsky.social | @openresleeds.bsky.social | @researchcultureuol.bsky.social
2. LinkedIn: @ResearchUncoveredPodcast

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📩 researcherdevelopment@leeds.ac.uk

Who Gets to Belong? LGBT+ History Month

Transcript

[00:00:24] Heledd: Welcome to the Research Culture and Covered podcast. I'm your host, Heledd Jarosz-Griffiths, and today's conversation is part of our LGBT + History month, which takes place every February in the uk. It was originally founded by schools out UK and has been running for 22 years this year. And just to say at the start, if anything we mention today sparks your interest, we'll share links and resources in the show notes, including some of the work that's happening here at Leeds, particularly through February With all the events that we've got planned. Each year, LGBT+ History month has a theme, and this year's focus is science and innovation. Now, for me, that feels like a really important opportunity, not just to reflect on progress or visibility, but on how research cultures are actually experienced by people over time, and how identity, curiosity, and belonging play out in everyday professional life.

I am really pleased to be joined today by two guests. We have Morgan Buswell, who has worked across the internal and external communications at the University of Leeds and has for the last two years, been co-chair of the University's LGBT+ staff network. We also have Robin Haywood, a communications and engagement officer within the Leeds Ecosystem atmosphere and Forest Center.

Now, before we dive in, can I invite you both to say her quick hello to our listeners?

[00:02:14] Morgan: Hello. Thank you very much for having me.

So to start us off, Morgan, what Doest LGBT+ History Month mean to you personally and why does it still matter in a university research context, particularly this year with a focus on science and innovation?

So, uh, especially in the university context, if you sort of think about the, the history of LGBT people as we are, you know, at, at the moment, um, a lot of that has been sort of hard fought for. So acknowledgement is kind of important, but at the same time, you really want to be able to celebrate the wins that we have.

So, um. It's a balancing act, especially for me at the network when I'm trying to sort of suss out, events and things that are, you know, gonna be meaningful for the community because we want to be able to have that sort of celebration aspect of it, but also to be able to provide insight, especially for, colleagues who might want to educate students about it, you know, the resources that we have available to us to be able to provide that insight.

That sort of sits alongside a lot of the lived experience that we, that we have, and we have a wealth of lived experience at the university, and it can be. Yeah. Interesting. To try and figure out how, how the best way to, to celebrate this month is. I mean, for me it's, mostly about the celebration, I think.

I think we do need to really celebrate how far we've come, and, and the shoulders that we are still standing on in order to have got as far as we have.

And I think a theme, just as you've mentioned there, that really came through strongly, uh, was that chance to recognize that breadth and depth of experience across the campus and that opportunity really to, you know, make priorities and realities more visible. Um, and to create that space as well. You know, it's that opportunity for everybody to kind of come together and, like you say, to celebrate us as a community.

And we've got a lot of really great work. I could wax lyrical about all of the work that's, being done in terms of sort of progress. Of LGBT LGBT+ inclusive research that's happening at the university at the moment. Obviously, I don't want to speak on Robin's projects on their behalf, but I, you know, for instance, things like, Paul Johnson's work, he's led a campaign with, sort of cross bench in the House of Lords to get veterans who were impacted by the ban pre 2001 to make sure that they're getting financial recompense from the government.

And that's been a very successful thing that's happened through the university. What else have we got? We've got, obviously the laws of drag stuff that's happening in, law to sort of explore the intersection between law and drag artists. Uh, you know, and this is happening across every faculty. You know, those are just the first ones that popped into my head because I used to do press and media for the, for the faculty of social sciences, but I, know for a fact that there is, you know, huge, huge, huge amounts of this inclusive work happening all across the institution.

Research culture can look like. So if that's of interest to our listeners, you know, I'd really encourage you to check out that episode and we'll link it in the show notes as well. Robin, can I invite you in to share some of your perspectives?

Uh, but I think there is kind of this distinction where especially this year and, and last year, I think there's less of an emphasis that I personally put on celebration because although we have come a long way as a community and as a society, there's a lot of regression happening at the moment. And I think Celebration sometimes provides things as kind of a.

I done. Thing like as if we, we've, we've achieved a lot and hooray, we've achieved it. And I think there needs to be kind of these ongoing conversations about what we can do next. And obviously the university has this, this lived experience, I think was a phrase used, but also kind of this professional experience.

And I think that's something that can go really nicely with the theme of this year's month. Uh, the idea that science innovation is this very, well-respected portion of academia to talk about not just, uh, the LGBTQ people living within that, that theme, but also the lgbtq LGBT+ people who, uh, study it and where lgbtq LGBT+ adjacent things are part of what they study.

So I think there's this, this real kind of. Value to, to talking about that. And, and one of the things that this month in particular does really well is isn't just a visibility month, it is very specifically an education month. So something that encourages people to learn more and, and really engage with the topic and find out about people rather than just kind of being generally aware of, the existence of the lgbtq LGBT+ community.

So I worked as a researcher for 18 years. Um, not researching LGBTQ LGBT+. I was a researcher in biochemistry. But, um. I worked in that space for, yeah, 18 years. As I said before, moving in my, into my current role as a researcher, developer, and you know, if I'm honest, a lot of my experiences during that time were quite positive.

Uh, had a really supportive supervisors, good colleagues and environments that I felt quite comfortable being myself. But I think kind of looking back, I think part of that. Was probably because my sexuality wasn't always immediately visible, and so I could, you know, to some extent sort of just move through those spaces without really being who I was, my identity, a defining feature of, or how people really kind of related to me.

Um, beyond, you know, my immediate colleagues who was obviously comfortable with being open with, but I think for me what changed over time was my circumstances, and I think this will happen for a lot of people. You know, I got married, I had a wife, and then I started a family and that meant that my identity then was a lot more visible in those professional spaces.

And that's when I really kind of had more moments of discomfort, maybe lack of. Understanding, maybe a bit of compassion. I dunno that that kind of weaved in at that point and I really started to notice that change. So. When, when we think about LGBT history in science and academia, whose stories or contributions do you think have been historically overlooked or underrecognized welcome to you Morgan?

You know, the, the big one that came up was obviously Alan Touring was the big one that came up for, for this. And obviously, you know, I don't wanna undermine Alan Touring's, uh, excellent work. He, you know, without the cracking of the Enigma Code, we wouldn't have won the war and all of that. But, uh, there is an element of, um, uh.

Sort of, that's the one that sort of, he has become a sort of figurehead for how accepting society is in terms of LGBT people in science and research. And I was sort of looking at this glaring omission of, you know, and I think this is not necessarily just necessarily history. I'm saying it might be an academia thing, it might be a research thing, I dunno.

But, um, there was a sort of glaring omission of anybody that wasn't necessarily cisgender or white. Um, and, and. But like none of those people were really as surfaced without having to do a real sort of quite big, deep dive. And once you do the deep dives, there's quite a lot of them. It's just that, you know, they're not necessarily being as surfaced as high on their, on their, on their web estate as we would perhaps like them to be.

But I think for me, those are probably the stories that need to come to the surface. I think without those, we're only getting a part of our history, aren't we really? So, um. Yeah, I think there's work that we can do institutionally with that. I think we probably have people that have either LGBT themselves or are engaged in LGBT LGBT+ research that we can, at the very least, through sort of our internal channels start sort sort of surfacing those stories.

So if anybody's listening to this and they, they would like to, like to get that story out, please do get in touch.

So, you know, maybe at the earlier career stages actually being able to identify with people's really important. Um, and, but there's also a frustration that sometimes initiatives, uh, don't always feel that well joined up, uh, or sustained. So it's hard to, you know, put trust in it and can maintain that sort of momentum as well.

So in terms of some of those missing stories, it isn't about lack of availability or ability or contribution. Uh, it's moments where identities become more visible and more complicated or maybe even harder to contain within those existing norms. So it makes me think about who feels able to stay, who feels able to be seen, and whose contributions actually quietly disappear along the way.

Now Robin, I'd love to hear how this resonates with your experience, particularly thinking about field work and whose stories tend to get told or remembered.

Forward and who tends to be the ones self-promoting themselves? Uh, because there is this thing that if, if you see who puts themselves forward for new opportunities, it does tend to be certain demographics over others. So yeah, it's, it's a huge, uh, thing to consider there. Within the context of field work, uh, obviously you mentioned earlier that I've been involved, uh, with, uh, a project at the University of LEED designed to create new resources to help support LGBTQ LGBT+ people in the field.

Uh, it's available at inclusive fieldwork, do leeds.ac.uk and is hopefully generally applicable to all field work, not just the kind that I do where I might head out to a rainforest for however long. Uh, but it's. It's really interesting while we were creating that, to hear from different people as parts of focus groups and see what current lived experiences are from a huge range of different backgrounds.

But one of the things that I'm really happy about seeing in, in terms of, uh, lgbtq LGBT+ history, uh, is what schools out have done in their, their series of bios from, uh, LGBTQ LGBT+ people throughout history. So, ELCA Mackenzie was a botanist, a ologist who did these huge field trips out towards, uh. The Arctic to look for cool lichens and have this, this really cool, uh.

Long and respected career until she came out as transgender at the age of of 60. Uh, so being able to see that and, and knowing about it is, is really important to me. Uh, and, and it's lovely to be able to have those kinds of role models. So things like, uh, schools out and LGBT history Month specifically, but also the work being done around the University of Exeter.

So Prism as a group within them have also been putting out more of these kind of, uh, scientist profiles and ways to learn about individual people.

Um. I think just bringing back in some of the community, uh, you know, one word that came a lot up a lot from the community was, uh, was the word hope. So not just to celebrations, but hope for better health outcomes, better opportunities, and that willingness to be challenged. So, you know, I wonder how the idea of hope sort of connects to the work that you are describing.

Uh, I think. It's quite difficult at times to have hope as it were, uh, when you see a lot of what's happening, uh, at the moment in the world. But there are definitely kind of these, these points and uh, a lot of it does come from community and how we interact with each other, I think.

I think that's such an important aspect. Okay, so something else that's really kind of stood out from the community response is how many people describe themselves as not very visible. Uh, sometimes by choice as well, and sometimes as a strategy. So with that in mind, sort of visibility and science of research can be empowering, but it can also come with quite emotional, a lot of emotional labor.

So Morgan will come to you as co-chair of the LGBT+ staff network. How do you personally sort of navigate that tension? I

I think I. I think to echo Robin's sentiment from earlier 2025 was really quite a difficult year, um, both externally and internally as it responded to everything that was going on in terms of, um, particularly, um, impacting the trans community, I would say. Um. But then again, I think that message of hope is the one that we really kind of have to stand with because I think trying to form community in the best ways possible.

And it's like you say when, when it comes down to visibility and people feeling not visible, it's one of those things where I. It's hard to straddle the line as a network because obviously, you know, we want visibility as much as, as much as possible so that we can sort of, you know, increase the volume of the community and make sure that that representation is there as much as possible.

But I think there's an element where, you know, we still perhaps live in a society where, um, that visibility can feel unsafe in, you know, regardless of, of the, the. The support structures that you might want to emphasize as much as possible. You can't obviously force people to, to engage with that, nor would I want to.

Um, so I think there's an element there of, um, the emotional labor for us really is trying to make ourselves as much as possible, visible so that. Um, members of the community know that we are there, but we're not going to, you know, we, we're not gonna force them to join or anything. It's, it's one of those things where, you know, 'cause obviously being part of it, I can see on our network who is part of it.

So if, if people don't want to out themselves in that way, not that we ever would, but, you know, there would be at least me, who can, who can see that information. So I think the message would be, you know, from me. Navigating it is a pleasure because it's, it's, you know, it's, it's important to me that we have that visibility in the institution and that there is that community there for people, and that even in these very challenging times, um, there is people there who want to listen and want to try and change this slow moving organization from within as best they can.

My own lived experience, but also because I just really wanted to help create that space where people feel safe to come together and be able to share what's going on for them. Uh, and like I say, that openness and empathy does come with some emotional weight, and it isn't a bad thing, it's just real. Um, and I think it makes it even more important to be mindful about your boundaries, um, and notice when you need to step back and look after yourself as well.

Like, I, I, when I said I would do it, I sort of volunteered to be visible, you know, on behalf of, you know, the community that I represent in that way. So as opposed to some members of the community who the past year have had visibility kind of thrown on them, uh, in a way that they did not ask for. So the least I can do is use the platform that I've got to try and, you know, whether it's successful or not, at least be trying to, to change things.

[00:20:58] Morgan: I can, I can talk about it from the, the perspective of the network. We do have some l gbt, um, LGBT+ parents in the network. A lot of the ask really is, has actually been about collaborating with you, to be honest, to make sure that they have the community that they're looking for. So when we first started connecting with you, that was very much coming off the back of, of ask from LGBT parents within the network.

I suppose in terms of why I think it happens, I think. I don't know if I were to sort of make an assumption. I think it's about time, isn't it? I think when you're having institutional conversations, you need to be given the time to have them. Um, and when you've, you know, already got the constraints of a family sort of sitting on top of you, I suppose there's also, you know, and your day job and, um, anything else you might be going through in terms of your identity that might be sort of, um, crossing over with that, then the time is going to feel like it's potentially slipping away from you a bit.

I suppose you can probably, um. Articulate that better than I can, but that's, that, that was, that's what I was guessing at.

I mean, I mentioned earlier that the, the big change in terms of me and my visibility, uh, as a. A gay woman, um, kind of came with that parenting responsibility. Um, even things like, who's the real mum? Or Are you mommy or mama? You know, and it's, and people don't think, they don't realize, and I go along with it a lot of the time.

I'm like, oh, yeah, yeah. You know. Yeah. You know, I almost make, make light of it sometimes, but you know, in my head I'm like, I have to just gently remind myself that. These are both my daughters. They're both mine, you know, regardless of their biology, they're my children. And it's some of those things that I guess you don't, you're not always prepared for, um, or know really how to respond.

Um, and I, you know, I, I love to talk about the, the journeys and talk about my experiences are very open. And if people come with me with curious questions about it, I'm happy to share. But it's when. Those things are sometimes just put upon you with just that, almost that slight bit of judgment that it, it, it kind of lands a little bit funny and it's difficult to know how to respond.

Um, so yeah, I'm hoping that by expanding the community in the parent and carer space, um, to include LGBT+ parents, this, you know, in this space, it, um, I can't wait. It's gonna be great. And I, I can't wait to meet more people who are, who are parents like me. So moving on to, um, one of our kind of final questions actually today is, you know, for colleagues who want to mean, engage meaningfully with BT LGBT+ history months this year, particularly around science, innovation, and research culture, where would you suggest they start?

Welcome to you, Robin.

Are people visible to you? And do you know anyone personally who is involved in science communication and is LGBTQ LGBT+, but kind of, well, what do you do to support them? Uh, I think at this point there is that point of what can we learn? What stories can we pass on about people? And maybe we don't talk about Alan curing next time, or we talk about him as one of many options that we give to see have people see themselves.

Uh, but. Genuinely to think about what you can do to support friends, colleagues, check out the inclusive field work guidelines. Uh, but yeah, taking things a step forward from education into action. Uh, especially if you are in this kind of space of academia, there are so many opportunities that just arise day to day to perform allyship.

[00:25:14] Morgan: Yeah, I'm, uh, the urge to just do a completely shameless plug, um, and, and suggest getting involved with the, the LGBT staff network if you feel safe to do so. Um, I, I think one thing I would like to sort of make sure is clear about the network is that yes, we do.

Operate events and things, but also we're very open to being approached and providing some money for things that other people want to do. It's, you know, we're not at all gatekeeping this minute budget that we have been given. If we can, um, support other people to, to do things that they want to do with the network, then we are a hundred percent happy to, to try and facilitate that.

I think also engaging with just the other resource that's going on across the institution. Um, internal comms will probably be doing a whole, um. A bunch of things over the course of, the, of the month. You know, there'll be blogs and, and things like that that people can read. Uh, a big shout out to the people at the libraries also who are doing a, um, uh, a display and a.

Curated collection is what it's called. Uh, I can provide a link to that that we can share with everybody, but that's been collaborated with across the entire institution, including the LGBT staff network who have all contributed texts, fictional nonfictional research texts, all kinds of things that, uh, will be available, I believe, from the Laid Law Library, um, for the entire month.

There's still so much that I don't know. Uh, and that's okay. It's okay to not know everything. We're not, you know, it'd be impossible for us all to know everybody's experiences and perspectives, but what, what matters really is how we approach difference, you know, with that openness, with that curiosity, and that genuine desire to understand.

Rather than judge or feel defensive. Um, so today isn't about having all the answers. It's about that listening, reflecting and thinking about what science and innovation spaces can look like with when curiosity, respect, and that all important psychological safety are actually genuinely present. So I'd just like to thank our guests today, Morgan and Robin.

You've both been absolutely fantastic. It's, uh, been really great to have a conversation with you. It just leaves me to say thank you to our listeners and to our wonderful guests.

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