Imperial Pride Network was established in 2006 as 'Imperial 600 (i600)'  to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender staff at the university.

The group’s name originally reflected the estimation that around 10% of the UK’s population is LGBT – in 2006, this equalled 600 of Imperial's 6,000 staff. Today, Imperial has over 8,000 staff and over 19,000 students.

For its 20th anniversary in 2026, 'Imperial 600' was renamed the Imperial Pride Network to ensure the group remains ready for the next 20 years. 

Our network is as active as ever, welcoming LGBTQ+ staff, postgraduate students and their allies.

Please note: IQ (Imperial College LGBT+) is the network for Imperial undergraduates, not the Imperial Pride Network. 

What are we achieving?

Our mission is to champion LGBTQ+ advocacy, accountability and action at Imperial:

  1. Driving LGBTQ+ inclusion: Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion across the Imperial, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community and their allies.
  2. Supporting career advancement and community engagement: Demonstrate that sexual orientation and gender identity are not barriers to professional advancement, or feeling part of a dynamic community of researchers, educators, professional services staff, and students.
  3. Enabling networking and external relations: Supporting events and other programming that provides a forum for networking at all levels of the Imperial, and with selected external stakeholders.
  4. Consulting on policy issues: Providing consultative support to the Imperial on policy issues relevant to the LGBTQ+ community at Imperial, and campaigning for change where required.
  5. Supporting intersectionality and coordination: Crucial to supporting the continuous improvement of institutional culture at College, we are committed to working with the other staff networks, EDIC, EDI Forum, and other areas of the college, such as IQ (the LGBTQ+ undergraduate society at Imperial) and department-level initiatives, to ensure inclusivity efforts are well coordinated and working towards common aims. 

How is the network structured?

Staff and Postgraduate Students who have signed up to either the newsletter or joined the MSTeams group are considered members of the Imperial Pride Network.

Members are then welcome to regular townhalls where they can contribute in whatever way they see fit - from listening to initiating new projects. Alternatively, members can email the network confidentially with issues or aspirations. 

Who are the current organising committee members?

A small committee, governed by two co-chairs, is responsible for delivering the core remit of the Imperial Pride Network - such as community consultation, company-wide representation and organisational accountability. 

Attention: Please contact the co-chairs via email, before any other of the contacts on this page. 

Who and what are executive sponsors?

With inclusion at Imperial important at all levels, sponsors help advocate for our network within top university governance. 

Who and what are the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Centre advisors?

Imperial has a dedicated EDI team at Imperial, we leverage there expertise to deliver the most effective experience we can.