LGBTQ+ Leader Stories - Jonny Tridgell

As an out and proud gay/queer man, Jonny (he/him) recognises the many complex difficulties of being a LGBTQ+ leader. In his professional roles and as Co-Chair of the LGBT+ Staff Advisory Group, however, he experiences the joy and camaraderie that comes of working for and with LGBTQ+ people. Jonny reflects on his experiences of education, leadership and community, and shares his aspirations for the future.  

Read Jonny's full story

Jonny's journey to Oxford 

“I have spent much of my career as a teacher in secondary schools, specialising in Religious Studies. During this time, I was my school’s 'go-to' person for all LGBTQ+ issues and began some part-time work on teaching on the University of Oxford’s PGCE in Religious Education, helping train new teachers. I eventually left full-time teaching to complete my MSc in Education (Digital and Social Change) in 2023-2024. In October 2024, I began my main role at the University, supporting the work of the EDI Committee at Jesus College as the EDI Data and Insights Officer. I still do some work on the PGCE, as well as teaching part-time. It has been a joy to get more involved in Oxford.

"I am out and proud as a gay/queer man, and am available to students on the University PGCE programme to discuss the challenges and joys of being LGBTQ+ in schools. Although I've been in and out of the University since I did my own PGCE here in 2008-2009, it has taken a little while to get used to the sometimes confusing web of committees and networks, but I love getting to work with such a range of people and meeting so many people committed to LGBTQ+ liberation."

Challenges and motivations

"I do firmly believe there are many ways to be an LGBTQ+ leader. Some of these do not require you to actively be doing LGBTQ+ liberation work and some don’t require you to be 'out' at work. In my life, I have been in a privileged position where I can come out and I can do LGBTQ+ liberation work, made easier by a supportive family, friends and many great colleagues. However, it hasn’t always been easy to be openly gay and position myself as a leader. In schools, I sometimes had to deal with homophobic backlash, and my work can mean having to face views that are deeply upsetting. Sometimes the sheer overwhelm of sad stories and rollback of LGBTQ+ rights can be a real barrier to this work, as can (to paraphrase Sara Ahmed’s excellent phrase) being a queer killjoy.

"A key motivator for me in this work, was my own experience of being a young queer person at school and at university, who desperately needed role models and people advocating for my rights. I have been encouraged by the sheer joy to be found in this work and the camaraderie and friendship that comes of working for and with LGBTQ+ people. Being able to see a policy updated or hear a story of great inclusive practice is really rewarding.

"A really important moment for me has come in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling in April 2025; this has, perhaps more than anything else, radicalised me. Working with others, especially our magnificent Trans Rep in the Staff Advisory Group, has changed the way I see the world. I will never forget marching with around 1100 people through Oxford to demand trans+ rights and show our solidarity."                                       

Role models and inspiration

"I am always inspired by LGBTQ+ people I have worked with – including the rest of our amazing LGBT+ advisory group. I have been lucky to learn a great deal from LGBTQ+ leaders in my teaching union and in the LGBTQ+ Research Network overseen by Pride & Progress. I am especially grateful to those who have shared their experiences of being LGBTQ+ that differ from mine, including trans+ people, people of colour, people of faith and women. I especially admire the writer Shon Faye, whose books have really opened my eyes."

A better future for the community 

"My hopes for the future are nothing less than LGBTQ+ liberation and an end to cisheteronormative systems that disadvantage queer people. I want a social system where trans+ people (and the wider LGBTQ+ community) are not used as scapegoats by governments and the press, and where being LGBTQ+ is always a cause for joy, never for fear. My modest ambition is for the University to be able to safeguard the fundamental human rights of LGBTQ+ people, especially our trans, non-binary and intersex siblings, and prioritise our/their right to dignity over the rights of others to comfort."
  

We must talk always in the language of inclusion and follow this up with decisive action.

"This means taking the courageous and moral view and avoid ‘both-siding’ debates that centre on the rights of people to exist. While there is room for discussion in many areas of life, it is important to never to ‘debate’ whether trans+ people exist, for example. We must listen to our LGBTQ+ community and actively take a stand to protect them. As a University community, we are also well-placed to call out scientific illiteracy and poorly evidenced claims that are used to justify anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice, marshalling the power we demonstrated during the Covid-19 pandemic, for example, to promote better public understanding.

"Alongside this, I am keen for us to extend each other more grace and express our solidarity at every opportunity with those who are minoritized or oppressed. To be more mindful that those minorities might express emotion or distress in the face of this oppression."