Another first for West Lothian College
West Lothian College has become the first college in Scotland to achieve LGBT Charter Gold accreditation.
Awarded by LGBT Youth Scotland, the Charter is a programme through which colleges, schools, universities and other organisations can support LGBT people in every aspect of their study.
As part of the rigorous accreditation process, over a hundred college staff took part in LGBT and Trans Awareness training. The college made its policies more inclusive and created new initiatives such as Ask Ally that offers support for transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse staff and students.
Further commitment was shown in reinforcing the college’s commitment to celebrating LGBT History Month and hosting the hugely successful West Lothian PRIDE festival each year.
While most organisations are initially awarded the charter at bronze level, West Lothian College achieved silver status at first attempt in 2019 and is now the first and only college or university in Scotland to receive gold. This is a testament to the hard work of college staff and student association.
Iona Rogers from LGBT Youth Scotland said: “Since kicking off their LGBT Charter journey in January 2023, West Lothian College worked incredibly hard on a proactive approach to LGBTQ+ inclusion across all areas of their campus. They have set a high standard for colleges and universities across Scotland to follow when it comes to LGBT inclusion.”
College Principal, Jackie Galbraith said: “I am so proud of employees and students at West Lothian College who work so hard together to make our college even more welcoming and inclusive to everyone. We believe in the power of difference and it was lovely to be presented with this award during LGBT History Month.”