Psychology student makes it onto the Attitude 101 list

Rylee Spooner, PhD student and associate lecturer in psychology at the University of Chichester, has been named one of 101 LGBTQ+ people making a difference by Attitude magazine.

Named in the ‘Future’ section alongside The Last Of Us actress Bella Ramsey and musician Reneé Rapp, Rylee has been listed for being ‘a trailblazer making the world a better place’. Other names to make the list include person of the year Graham Norton, Doctor Who’s Ncuti Gatwa and Labour MP Keir Mather.

Rylee served as LGBTQ+ officer for the University of Chichester’s Students’ Union for two years, supporting LGBTQ+ people on campus and earning the Role Model of the Year 2022 award from National Student Pride. Rylee has since published research on lesbian internalised homophobia and self-harming, and co-led an LGBTQ+ mental health needs assessment for youngsters aged 11-25 with West Sussex County Council.

Rylee said: “I am beyond proud to have been included on Attitude’s 101 list. Being part of the ‘future’ category is a huge honour and I hope has shone a light on how we, as students, have the power to contribute to queer academia and advocate for our experiences in Higher Education.

“The event was incredible with quite a few famous faces including my personal icon, Suzi Ruffell. Graham Norton gave a speech mentioning how even though we have made progress in society, sometimes it doesn’t feel like it. So the list of 101 names is important for young people, especially young people who feel alone, to realise ‘maybe there is hope for me’. That is exactly what Attitude 101 is about; it’s not just the accomplishments behind the names, the names themselves are a symbol of queer strength and liberation.”

The Attitude 101 list consists of 10 categories of 10 individuals who have contributed to the community in a game-changing way, in addition to a ‘Person of the Year’.