LGBTQ+ Leader Stories - Debbie Aitken

Debbie (she/her) is an educator, a researcher, and an activist. In her leadership roles within Medical Education and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), she aims to create spaces where individuals from all backgrounds feel seen, valued and supported. For Debbie, inclusion isn’t a destination: it’s an ongoing, shared practice that requires courage, care, kindness, and accountability. Read about her practical and supportive approach to leadership, the LGBTQ+ role models that have inspired her, and her hopes for the future. 

Read Debbie's full story

Debbie’s Leadership 

“My work often focuses on shaping inclusive teaching practices, supporting widening participation. I mentor students and colleagues (especially those from underrepresented groups) to help them navigate structures that were not always built with them in mind.

“As someone who is LGBTQ+ and lives with a disabling long-term chronic health condition, I bring a lived understanding of what it means to work within systems that can feel conditional in their acceptance. Part of my role as a leader is to question those conditions: to ask why certain people are only welcomed when they fit a particular mould, and to help create environments where that mould itself is challenged.”

Journey to leadership at Oxford

"I came to Oxford as part of my academic career in Medical Education, primarily to develop my research alongside my teaching, and I’ve stayed because of the people and the purpose I’ve found here. My journey hasn’t always been straightforward, but Oxford has offered opportunities to make a real difference. I have been able to develop my research in EDI in medical education in a way that has allowed me to engage others and hopefully have an impact on practice.

Working here, I’ve learned that change can happen through both everyday acts and strategic efforts.

"At the same time, being part of this institution as someone who is LGBTQ+ (and has a disability) means holding a constant awareness that inclusion is often partial and precarious. There are moments of genuine connection and allyship. In fact, some of the allyship I've experienced here has been absolutely incredible. However, there are also moments where I find myself wondering whether people’s acceptance is contingent on my performance; on being 'good enough,' 'professional enough,' 'palatable enough.' That tension can be exhausting, but it also motivates me to work towards something better for others.

"Over the last 10 years or so, I've really begun to understand how both power and privilege operate within medicine and academia - and how silence can sometimes serve the status quo. That realisation drove me to step into more active leadership roles, particularly in EDI. Another key moment on my journey was being encouraged by a mentor to stop asking for permission to lead and instead, to trust that I already had something meaningful to offer. 

"I’ve been shaped by moments of failure and rejection too, especially where I feared those around me might withdraw their support, not just because of the failure or mistake itself, but because it gave them an excuse to lean into latent biases they might hold. That fear is familiar to many of us who are marginalised. It is the fear that inclusion is fragile, and that we are only welcome as long as we are exceptional or agreeable.

"These moments have shaped how I lead: with care, with kindness, and with a deep awareness of how trust is built and broken."

Role models and inspiration 

I’m inspired by people who lead with integrity, kindness and courage; often quietly and without seeking credit. 

"I've been really lucky to have lots of amazing role models who have paved the way by being unapologetically themselves in environments where that wasn't always safe or celebrated. My colleague, co-author, and former student, Dr Antony Zacharias, has been a profound source of inspiration and support. It is through walking this path together - as collaborators and as members of the LGBTQ+ community - that I have felt able to embrace LGBTQ+ research with confidence and purpose. Our shared lived experience has shaped a partnership where authenticity is valued, and where we stand proudly side by side in our work. Gathering the experiences of LGBTQ+ medics has shown me not only the transformative power of visibility but also the meaningful impact such research can have on professional practice and inclusion within medicine. 

Other people of note are my mentors, Prof Matt Cook (Professor of the History of Sexuality at Mansfield College, Oxford) and Dr Jonathan Amiel (Professor of Psychiatry and Senior Associate Dean at Columbia University), but also the many amazing allies who have supported me over the years. 

"I also take inspiration from students who challenge norms and ask difficult questions - they remind me that leadership is not a fixed role, but a collective, evolving responsibility."

Hopes for the future 

"When I'm working with students on an individual level, I want them to feel comfortable from the outset that they can show up as entirely themselves. I'm mindful of that in how I lead and support them. Recognising with LGBTQ+ students, for example, that they may have gone through a lot of trauma in their lives as a result of discrimination and being excluded, and thinking about that at every stage of the supervision or mentorship relationship. 

"I hope they feel encouraged to bring their whole selves to their work, and to recognise the value of their voice and perspective. I hope they develop confidence not just in their abilities, but in their right to belong. Not conditionally, not only when they are excelling, but always.

"For those who are navigating structures with the added weight of marginalisation, I hope they know they do not need to be perfect to be deserving of support. Most of all, I hope they feel empowered to shape their environments for the better: to be the person who says what needs to be said, who lifts others up, and who chooses compassion even when it’s not the easiest option."