This Pride Month, we’re speaking with students and faculty leading LGBTQIA+ societies at their institutions to explore how they’re making a difference. We ask about the impact of their societies and what more business schools can, and should, do to champion inclusivity…

• Name: Steph Metz 
• Institution: University of Cologne 
• Programme: Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Management 
• Club: Autonomes Queerreferat der Universität zu Köln (AQUK) – Autonomous Queer Department 

Why did you decide to go to business school and why did you choose your institution/programme?  

I started off as a biotechnology student, but after a few years I changed to business administration. While I am still passionate about science, I found that I could apply the scientific way of thinking well within supply chain management and currently enjoy working with route optimisation algorithms in my thesis. 

Can you share your overall experience as an LGBTQ+ student in business school? Were there any particular challenges you have faced, or opportunities you found?  

As a queer student, I found my university to firstly be a space of opportunity. My city – Cologne – has many active organisations and groups that build a welcoming landscape. Nonetheless, starting classes in the pandemic proved to be a challenge in finding my spaces.

Thankfully my LGBTQ+ club hosted Zoom events that allowed me to connect to others in an isolating time. But as we slowly went back to classes in person, other problems showed up as well. There were people in study groups that would treat you differently, ask invasive questions about your sex life or other microaggressions that queer people are all too familiar with. But I also found people within my  
student faculty that had actively built a welcoming space – I attended my first Pride March with them! 

Tell us about the LGBTQ+ club at your school. What role does the LGBTQ+ club play in supporting students? 

The “Autonomes Queerreferat der Universität zu Köln” (AQUK) is one of the oldest Queer student groups in Germany, founded in 1981.

This space has been a cornerstone of the community, both as a Safer Space to connect and socialise within our uni and as a platform to develop and strengthen voices and ideas.

“I always felt passionate about actively taking part in shaping the spaces I exist in.”

-Steph Metz

This space helped validate and found our area of gender studies by giving lectures on queer topics in times where the official faculties did not deem these appropriate for an academic setting. Visibility on campus was not given with smiling patience but fought for with perseverance, in person and on paper, with open communication and a keen eye for the bureaucratic processes.

Even small steps, such as the raising of a pride flag on campus, have many a (typewritten!) letter in their path.   

Why did you decide to take up the position as head of the club?

I always felt passionate about actively taking part in shaping the spaces I exist in. When I was asked to be elected by my group, I took it as an opportunity to develop it into the space that I would have  
needed years ago and wished for other young queer adults to be able to experience.  

Did your role in the LGBTQ+ club shape your perspective on your career or  leadership goals?  

I can say that I have grown a lot with my role and learned a lot about working with people from diverse backgrounds and with differing needs and wishes.

I’ve learnt that finding common goals is not about having one single opinion but about building a space in which various opinions and needs can grow and develop while inherently respecting one another. I am sure that these experiences positively influence the way we work with others.  

How can business schools improve their support and inclusion of LGBTQ+ students?  

Many business schools struggle to prioritise the well-being of their students, no matter their backgrounds. I believe that good intentions can be a healthy seed to start off, but that support and inclusion start with building real, tangible spaces and investing in their development. These can take the shape of repeating events, visibility within the faculty, and group meetups.  

“Support and inclusion start with building real, tangible spaces and investing in their development.”

-Steph Metz 

However, understanding the lived experience of your students is at the core of their well-being. As an example, a trans* student struggling for months with the bureaucracy of getting their name accepted for their course and paperwork will have less time to spend preparing for their statistics exam on the bottom line.  
 
Structural issues can impede the real tangible success of our students, so prioritising the education of staff and the streamlining of bureaucratic processes has an enormously positive impact on LGBTQ+ students. Knowing which LGBTQ+ and general resources exist within the business schools and making them known to all students is the first step in giving access to those who need them the most.  

What initiatives or events has your club led that you’re particularly proud of? What impact did they have?  

I am proud to say, that for over four decades, the oldest queer student party of Cologne has been held twice a year by our group. The lived experience of trans-students with university bureaucracy has improved in part, and is an ongoing process. We have taken part in building up the lesbian-taskforce of the city of Cologne and the lesbian-visibility weeks.

“Protests are built by people, not by corporations.”

-Steph Metz 

Our historic LGBTQ- library with first-hand sources from the AIDS-crisis and other important resources has been digitalised and continues to grow. And of course, we can proudly say that we organise the largest group in the Pride March of Cologne each year; the Queer Students of Cologne! Not bad for the third largest Pride March in Europe and a strong reminder that these protests are built by people, not by corporations.  

What sort of legacy do you hope to leave for future students? 

Building healthy social spaces has always been important for the development of empathetic and open communities, especially for young adults. Legacy is a big word – I spent the better part of the last three years as my group leader and have now transferred the role to the next generation. I can already start seeing the way they lead, still learning but with self-confidence and warmth. The spaces have become more welcoming and diverse in themselves over the years, and that is all one can wish for. 

What advice would you give to future club leaders looking to make a difference? 

I’d tell them that leading is about knowing where to set boundaries or question old limitations in order for a space to thrive. I have found that the goal in leadership is ultimately the wellbeing of the group you are building so that they can develop the self-confidence to build and sustain events, communities and spaces of their own. 
 
Find friends and allies but also trust that the discomfort of confrontation is a valuable part of the process and will ultimately lead to sustainable changes.  

What advice would you give to current LGBTQ+ business students about navigating university? 

You are not alone. No matter how small your faculty or how unwelcoming the environment can be – there will always be others. And even in perfectly accepting environments, your struggles are valid to be heard, and your need to connect with people who “get” you is real.

Especially in uncertain times, don’t forget that there have been people before you and will come after you – it is for you to decide what to feed into that process. 

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