Loïc Chave has been named the 26th member of the Leeds Pride List, which celebrates LGBTQ+ individuals and allies from the University community making a positive impact in the pride space.
When Loïc Chave (Sociology 2017) arrived in Leeds, they were still negotiating their own visibility. “I remember lying when filling in the student data form about sexual orientation. It says a lot about the internalised fear and shame that many LGBTQ+ people carry when they come from an environment where differences are policed.
“That changed for me at Leeds. Leeds embraces eccentricity, visibility, and being unapologetically oneself in everyday life.”
Now, Loïc joins the list of individuals from around the world recognised for their role at the forefront of LGBTQ+ progress.
Leeds helped transform queerness from something I had been taught to conceal into a source of strength, legitimacy, and creativity.
Their inspiring journey has seen them become Head Executive at Le Refuge Foundation, which provides temporary shelter and support for young adult victims of homophobia and transphobia. As well as providing crucial support to LGBTQ+ individuals in France, Loïc helps to bring about institutional change through analysis and reports.
Loïc contributed to the first LGBTI report of the French Equality and Human Rights Commission, and officially presented it to President Emmanuel Macron and then Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne in 2022.
They were also named a global and national finalist in the British Council Study UK Alumni Awards, which celebrate the outstanding achievements of international students who have studied in the UK.
“It is both deeply personal and genuinely humbling to be included in the Leeds Pride list,” said Loïc. “Especially when I see the extraordinary people featured alongside me.
“What stands out most is that no matter how lost we may have felt as queer people, there is not a single narrative of queer success, but rather a constellation of very different paths. I receive this recognition with gratitude, and with a strong sense of humility.”
Loïc remembers a lightbulb moment when they arrived in Leeds. They attended a student demonstration in solidarity with LGBTQ+ people facing violence and imprisonment in Chechnya. “Standing among hundreds of people, I understood that visibility, when it is collective, is not exposure, it is protection. It is also joy. That was a turning point in how I understood both activism and identity.”
It was the platform Loïc needed. After graduation, they began work as independent National Rapporteur on the effectiveness of LGBTI rights. They contributed to the first LGBTI report of the French Equality and Human Rights Commission, and were part of a select team which met with French ministers to ensure recommendations were integrated into action plans. This report is now used by NGOs, politicians, researchers and lawyers in France as a reference to guide and support actions.
Loïc built on this experience to make a positive impact at La Refuge, where they have trained over 500 regional advocates in lobbying for LGBTI rights. In 2024, they founded the Observatory of Queer Vulnerabilities with Le Refuge, bringing together research and data about vulnerabilities faced by the queer community.
“My aim is to strengthen the link between field realities, data, and action, so voices are not only heard, but result in real change,” said Loïc. “Last year’s report highlighted a vicious triangle in which stigma, precarity, and deteriorating health reinforce one another.”
The report, which reached 400 parliamentarians, outlines a timeline of discrimination – from the family environment and reports of physical, psychological, economic and sexual abuse, to harassment at school and increased dropout rates, to employment discrimination.
Loïc draws on their Leeds studies in this day-to-day work. But it was the lessons they took from outside the classroom that had the greatest impact: “Leeds helped transform queerness from something I had been taught to conceal into a source of strength, legitimacy, and creativity.
“It is an honour to be included in the University’s Pride List. I’d like to thank the University for creating it. This list plays a vital role in amplifying LGBTQ+ visibility and recognising the many forms of struggle, care, and leadership within our communities.”
Further information
Loïc was named in the Leeds Pride 26 in June, a list which celebrates LGBTQ+ individuals and allies from the global Leeds community making a positive impact in the Pride space.
For more information, email Ed Newbould, Digital Communications Officer at the University of Leeds, at e.w.newbould@leeds.ac.uk.