Ziv Mann-Wineberg – LGBTQ+ PTO

Ziv is running for LGBTQ+ PTO; Ziv is an English Language and Creative Writing student who has had an active role in the LGBTQ+ and Students with Disabilities (SWD) liberation forums. Xeir other experience includes being Queer+ Officer in the LGBTQ+ Forum; Accessibility Officer in the Students with Disabilities Forum and involvement in The Proud Trust, a Manchester-based LGBTQ+ youth group

One of the priorities for Ziv’s campaign and xeir role is to ensure everyone feels welcome regardless of identity. Ziv feels that given xeir intersectional identity as a disabled, Jewish, aromantic, trans (non-binary) person, this means xe has a unique understanding of the issues that minority students face and xe feels it is important that “everyone gets a voice and I think it’s important to remember that people can be more than one thing.”

Ziv describes xeir motivations behind running for LGBTQ+ PTO as xe wants to ensure safe spaces are created for minority groups where xe has seen little of this in the past; xe describes wanting to reform the ‘Welfare Hour’ system to allow for members of these communities who may be shy to have a safe space to talk. This forms the priority for xeir first term in office, should xe be elected, and describes applying structure to the forum to make it easier to engage with and more accessible to students, particularly first years to give them a place where they feel they belong and can find like-minded people.

To increase the invisibility of the LGBTQ+ Forum, Ziv plans to engage in campaigns on campus, one named ‘LGBTQ+ and?’ which focuses on the idea that people who belong to the LGBTQ+ community can be more than just their label – “I don’t want people to just be reduced to their LGBTQ+ identities.”

When asked about the role Student Union currently play in the work for LGBTQ+ groups, Ziv stated that although they work a lot to make LGBTQ+ issues more widespread across campus, there is more to be done to educate people on the various terminologies and genders that apply to those in the LGBTQ+ communities. To remedy this xe believes whoever is PTO next year needs to work closely alongside FTOs, other PTOs and the Student’s Union as a whole to ensure they are doing as much as they can to spread information about the LGBTQ+ community. One of these plans includes working with the International Officer to educate international students on the rife LGBTQ+ culture in Britain compared to abroad; in order to provide this there is a suggestion for sessions to run to benefit both the international students coming to Lancaster, but benefit the LGBTQ+ students as awareness will be raised for their community, hopefully encouraging a safer and friendlier environment.

Ziv describes that as LGBTQ+ PTO, xeir main method of communication regarding campaigning with fall on social media. This will allow the communication of information of smaller minority groups others may be unaware of whilst also raising their representation in a campus setting.