For international students who have never been exposed to an LGBTQ+ scene before, Oxford can be quite overwhelming. The LGBTQ+ scene here is vibrant and exciting; it can also be a little intimidating for newcomers. If you’re scared, please know that it’s not just you, so don’t be hard on yourself! These were our experiences:

​"Personally, I had never really been around other LGBTQ+ people before, and the Oxford scene intimidated me, meaning I didn’t really interact with LGBTQ+ people outside of my college until my second year."
- Kathy (international rep, 2018)

​"I was very scared of going to LGBTQ+ events in the whole of my first-year too. Firstly, I was hugely closeted as I was scared of the ramifications of family and potential employers in my home country finding out that I was trans. Secondly, it’s scary to go to events alone, especially events which are most unfamiliar; for me, that was Tuesday drinks. But I kept putting myself out there and I’ve made some incredibly lovely friendships as of mid-second year!​"
- Mick (international rep, 2018)

The most important thing to remember is that your LGBTQ+ Society Committee is committed to making everyone feel welcome and included. This is your community. 
 
Although Tuesday night drinks are a great way of meeting people as it draws large crowds, there are plenty of other activities for those who don’t like environments that are crowded or that involve alcohol. These are how you find out about them: 

• The Oxford LGBTQ+ Soc mailing list is a great way to keep track of all the events. You can sign up for this at the Freshers’ Fair, or through this link: http://www.oulgbtq.org/signup.html. This is a great way of keeping track of events privately.
• The public LGBTQ+ Soc Facebook page announces events on Facebook