🌈 Jack Stokes: Queer of the Year 🌈

Jack was bullied, harassed, and attacked for being himself, and chose to openly share these stories before being elected to lead Dudley Student’s Union LGBTQ+ Support, Friendship and Activist group – quickly becoming an inclusive community for the LGBTQ+ students at Dudley College. Jack’s story impressed judges, where he had used his own experiences of LGBTQ+ bullying in the local community and the isolation he suffered, to build a safe and inclusive space in his college where young people could feel supported no matter how they chose to identify. The group he led caught the attention of the National Union of Students, created links with local charities, and raised a motion to add a transgender officer to the college’s student executive leadership team.

“I am so honoured to have been named the Queer of the Year, and I’d like to thank the judges for this opportunity and Dudley SU for nominating and supporting me. We must be at the forefront of our own narrative and refuse to be defined by those who only embody hate and bigotry. I want to be a strong voice standing up for LGBTQ+ youth, and I will not let silence be all they hear. Loud and proud, always!”

— Jack in 2021