Centrale Nantes reaffirms its commitment to the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ students and re-signs L'Autre Cercle's LGBTQIA+ Charter of Commitment

Marta Herrera, Equality and Diversity Coordinator at Centrale Nantes, attended the signing ceremony held on 4 November 2025 at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space. Four pioneering institutions, including Centrale Nantes, chose to re-sign L'Autre Cercle Charter of LGBTQIA+ Commitment for Higher Education, affirming their commitment to continuing and strengthening their efforts to promote an inclusive academic environment. These institutions were among the first signatories of the Charter when it was launched in 2022. They chose to renew their commitment on the occasion of the launch of the Guide jeunes LGBTQIA+ de L'Autre Cercle (in French).

By re-signing the L'Autre Cercle charter, Centrale Nantes confirms its commitment to its staff and students to create a caring and inclusive working and learning environment where everyone can feel free to be themselves, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It is also a commitment to prepare our students to be the responsible and inclusive professionals of tomorrow.

The LGBT+ Charter for Higher Education was established by l'Autre Cercle, in partnership with Caélif and FAGE. It is structured around four main areas:

• Create an inclusive environment for LGBTQIA+ staff, teachers and students
• Ensure equal rights and treatment regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity
• Support staff, teachers and students who are victims of discriminatory comments or actions
• Measure progress and share best practices to improve the professional environment and study conditions in higher education

Inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people at Centrale Nantes: several initiatives already underway

Since the charter was first signed in 2021, several actions promoting inclusion have been carried out. Here are a few examples:

• Formalisation of the procedure for requesting the use of a first name or common name for students
• Têtu campus conference (diversity month – March 2024)
• LGBTQ+ phobia training offered to all staff and students
• Several exhibitions by L'Autre Cercle displayed at the school
• Diversity fresk for members of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
• Survey conducted by the Stonewall student association and poster campaign to raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ phobias
• Removal of gender from lists (roll call, attendance, school tools)
• Inclusive communication (egalitarian language, removal of titles, option to register a gender other than ‘male’ or ‘female’, signature with pronoun in emails)
• Gender-neutral toilets in certain buildings
• Implementation of a support and reporting system accessible to all students who are victims of or witnesses to harassment, sexist and/or sexual violence
• Participation of the school in the ‘Nantes ville non sexiste’ (Nantes, a non-sexist city) network
• Provision of documentation supplied by OUTRANS

L'Autre Cercle's Charter of LGBT+ Commitment for Higher Education

Photos © Isabelle Morison