By Dougie Powell, Middlesex final-year Theatre Arts student and MDXSU LGBT Assembly President 15/16

Attending the Pride in London Parade with Middlesex University and MDXSU was honestly one of the best experiences of my entire life.

I grew up in a much smaller part of Britain than London, where being LGBT was seen as something inappropriate or unusual. Even when trying to be supportive, people would make dumb mistakes and make me feel uncomfortable.

My sexuality and gender identity caused me to become homeless around a year before I came to university, and one of the main reasons I came to university was to escape the awful, violent half-way house I had been forced to live in. Even within my time at university, I experienced a lot of homophobia.

But on Saturday 25^th June, none of that seemed to matter.

It was amazing to see so many students, staff members and friends of the university - around fifty in total - come out together to march in the Pride Parade and support LGBT. What with Brexit and the ever-more present “bathroom bills," LGBT issues have seemed to be going to backwards in 2016, so it was wonderful to see my university say that they were not going to be a part of this and that they would continue to support the basic human rights of their community.

I could never have foreseen how much actually marching in the parade would affect me personally. Truth be told, on the days leading up to the event my main concern was that I would be exhausted by the end of it, but to actually get out on the streets of London and see how many people have come out to support your rights touches you in a way I can’t possibly describe.

I have never marched in a Pride parade before - perhaps it's appropriate that my first time was also the university's - and I had no idea what it would be like. After all I have been through in my life and all I have suffered for being queer, to walk down the streets holding my boyfriend’s hand and have people cheer for us is something I never thought would happen to me. If you’d have told me five years ago that I would be part of something like this, I never would have believed you.

It was also wonderful to see the members of the crowd take our stickers and show support for our university - there is no better definition of the word “pride.”

Now that I am approaching my graduation, I will not pretend that my time at university has been completely queer friendly, especially as a genderfluid person. So many facilities are still gendered, as well as sports teams - and none have declared themselves trans-friendly. I have been shamed by other students for using both male and female bathroom facilities and misgendered by pretty much all of my tutors.

I won’t say that Middlesex University does not still have work to do to become completely Queer Friendly - marching in Pride does not automatically make everything okay for LGBT+ students - but you know what? It sends out a pretty powerful message, showing current and prospective students that Middlesex wants them to feel welcome, and showing that that there is a large body of staff and students that are on their side and want to change things for the better. And I doubt I will ever again get the chance to wander the streets of London shouting “sex” at people!

Dougie was one of many students and staff to march with Middlesex University and Middlesex Students' Union in the Pride Parade in London on Saturday 25th June. Click here to find out more about MDXSU's LGBT Assembly, a student group giving LGBT students and allies space to meet people, share experience and create change on campus.