The movie Pride was released in 2014 and was about UK gay and lesbian activists work to help miners during their lengthy strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984, and was fundamentally about Allyship. And, while you can learn more about the movie on IMDB here, Imperial 600 would like to invite you to meet the person the movie was based on, Mike Jackson. And if you haven’t seen the movie yet, be sure to do so before the event!

Join Mike Jackson and the Co-Chairs of Imperial 600 to talk about the importance of allyship, and how it can be found in the most unlikely of places and partnerships, and to hear from Mike on what he thinks remains to be done in the EDI space, and particularly within the LGBTQ+ space. Mike will also talk about the what differed between the dramatization of how the allyship between the LGBTQ+ community and the National Union of Mineworks, and how it was in reality, and he’ll share his perspective on how things have evolved since then.

Format: Conversational in nature, Mike will be co-hosted by Imperial 600 Co-Chairs Joël McConnell and Maeve O-Sullivan, and participants will be invited to actively participate in this intimate event that looks at unexpected approaches to allyship.

What to Expect and Take-Aways: Understand why allyship is important, and how to make it happen, and how it benefits all communities involved.

Audience: Imperial 600 network members (Imperial staff and postgraduate students), and external guests – including LUKI and LGBT Network of Networks in Higher Education member school staff and students.