​My name is Keira White and I am currently in the final year of my PhD at the University of Portsmouth. I am investigating quality of life experienced by parents and caregivers of children with speech, language and communication needs. I also have a degree in Human Communication Science and have a specific interest in research conducted in the areas of lived experience, wellbeing and the quality of life experienced by patients and their immediate support networks.

Being Gay in Academia: Unravelling Suffocating Contradictions

This article explores the experience of a gay man entering academia in an oppressive conservative culture, creating impossible contradictions between who they are and who academia wants them to be. Professional norms of academia clash with stereotypes of what ‘gay’ looks like to produce a suffocating costume that we often feel is necessary to survive. The article advocates for representation of minority groups in academia to expand ideas of who we can be – and for PhD students to care for one another and embrace our unique stories and identities.

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