Hi there! Out in UL is the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) Society of the University of Limerick. It’s our job to collectively tackle any queerphobia in UL, and bring a fun and safe place to any LGBTQ students into the college.
You can join the society by pre-registering on the UL Wolves website and either coming to the start-of-semester Recruitment Drive, emailing and meeting with a committee member, or coming to a members’ meeting. If you’re unsure about popping along, just drop them an email to outinul@gmail.com and they can answer any questions you may have ASAP.
They were originally set up to give the support that wasn’t available in UL to LGBTQ students through weekly meetings and a drop-in office to help with coming out, stress of college, dealing with your sexuality or just a chat.
Today, they’re an active society with huge annual events such as Queerbash, Rainbow Week, and Alternative Miss UL.
If you need some advice or a friendly ear, you can arrange a meeting with a member of our committee. They’re here to support you, and they provide workshops such as sexual health, coming out and homophobia, all to make sure your experience as an LGBTQ postgraduate student in UL is as fantastic as possible!
LGBTQCISAP+
Lesbian: A lesbian is a female who expresses romantic or sexual attraction to other females, or who self-identifies as lesbian.
Gay: is a term that mostly refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual.
Bisexual – Bisexuality is romantic/sexual attraction towards two or more genders.
Trans*: is the state of one’s gender identity (self-identification as woman, man, neither or both) or gender expression not matching one’s assigned sex (identification by others as male, female or intersex based on physical/genetic sex). Trans* is independent of sexual orientation.
Queer – Queer is an umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities that are not heterosexual, or gender-binary. We in Out In UL generally use the term to describe ourselves, our members and our events, while still hoping to be respectful to those who find the term offensive.
Curious/Questioning: People who, while attracted to a certain sex show curiosity for having a sexual or romantic relationship with a different sex. The questioning of one’s gender, sexual identity, sexual orientation, or all three is a process of exploration by people who may be unsure, still exploring, and concerned about applying a social label to themselves for various reasons.
Intersex: Intersex, in humans, is a variation in sex characteristics including chromosomes, gonads, or genitals that do not allow an individual to be distinctly identified as male or female. Such variation may involve genital ambiguity, and combinations of chromosomal genotype and sexualphenotype other than XY-male and XX-female. Intersex infants with ambiguous outer genitalia may be surgically ‘corrected’ to more easily fit into a socially accepted sex category. Others will not become aware that they are intersex—unless they receive genetic testing—because it does not manifest in their phenotype.
Straight Ally: a heterosexual person who supports equal civil rights, gender equality, LGBTQ+ social movements, and challenges homophobia and transphobia. A straight ally believes that LGBT people face discrimination and thus are socially and economically disadvantaged. They aim to use their position as heterosexual and/or cisgender individuals in a society focused on heteronormativity to fight homophobia and transphobia.
Asexual: Asexuality (or nonsexuality) is the lack of sexual attraction to anyone or low or absent interest in sexual activity. It may be considered the lack of a sexual orientation, or one of the four variations thereof, alongside heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality. A study in 2004 placed the prevalence of asexuality at 1%.
Pansexual: Pansexuality, or omnisexuality, is sexual attraction, sexual desire, romantic love, or emotional attraction toward people of all gender identities and biological sexes. Self-identified pansexuals may consider pansexuality a sexual orientation, and refer to themselves as gender-blind, asserting that gender and sex are insignificant or irrelevant in determining whether they will be sexually attracted to others. The Oxford Dictionary of English defines pansexuality as; “not limited or inhibited in sexual choice with regard to gender or activity”.
Other terms: