Zoe McIntee: My Story

I arrived at Essex in 2016, initially studying BSc Actuarial Science, however I changed course at the end of my second year to do BSc Finance and Mathematics. I graduated from Essex in 2020, finishing my course during the first lockdown.

I was the first in my family to go to University and after growing up in a very rural area, it really opened my eyes to possibilities that I thought were impossible. While I was studying at Essex, I worked as a Student Ambassador and then a Senior Student Ambassador, and I really enjoyed that role. During my free time, I got involved with the Politics Society and was elected to the first Student Parliament.

After leaving Essex, I ended up working at a theme park for the summer as a ride operator. I then eventually managed to get a job as a Croupier in September 2021. I worked in the Casino for a year before leaving to join my current job as a Senior Conductor on the railway. I absolutely love my job, even though it really doesn’t have much to do with my degree, I do think that all the skills I learnt at Essex really helped me get the job and help me be a better Conductor. I think that’s something that everyone needs to know when they graduate, you might not necessarily get a job in your degree field, but that’s doesn’t mean you can’t do something that you love.

During this time, I was discovering my trans identity. I think my journey of discovering myself started while I was at Essex, especially in my first year back in 2016, but for various reasons I felt I had to repress myself. It took me until after the Covid pandemic, towards the end of 2021 before I let myself admit that I was trans and started taking steps towards transitioning.

My friends and I started Coventry Trans Pride in 2024. We saw a need in our local community for a trans community, and we came together and used our skills to create a new organisation that campaigns for trans rights and provides a safe space for trans people in Coventry. I’m proud to say that it’s been a massive success. We managed to get over 50 attendees at our first Trans Pride, and we’re hoping to increase that later this year. I currently hold the role of Treasurer for Coventry Trans Pride.

The biggest challenges that I face as a trans person is the lack of awareness in the media. I see Trans Pride as being so important, it’s a reminder to other trans people that we can celebrate our joy, that we can find a community, and fight back if we all pull together. I think there’s been some good work taking place for LGBTQ+ rights on campus at the University and I’m glad to see initiatives such as the gender affirmation fund and the trans and nonbinary forum. I’m happy to see that degree certificates can be altered with a new name due to a gender transition.

My LGBTQ+ hero is Jamie Raines, who I met while at Essex, taking part in his PhD Research study. His YouTube videos about transitioning really helped me when I was first coming to terms with the process of transitioning and dealing with my self-doubt. I’d really recommend his book The T in LGBT as a great beginner’s guide to what being trans is, and how to be a good ally to trans people.

Some advice that I’d give to new LGBTQ+ students is to be yourself, if you bring your whole self into everything that you do, things generally have a way of coming out for the better. My biggest regret from my time at University is that I didn’t come out as trans, and I know that almost every trans person wishes that they’d come out sooner than they did.

In the next 10 years I hope that Essex continues to develop political activists. I know that I’ve taken so much from my time at Essex, and I hope that continues long into the future. I also hope that Essex can continue being a place where LGBTQ+ students are accepted and valued as part of the community.