International LGBTQIA+ People in STEM Day 2022

Pride in STEM is a charity dedicated to promoting and highlighting the struggles of LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual) people in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In 2020, the charity chose November 18 as International LGBTQIA+ People in STEM Day to reflect the anniversary of American astronomer and gay activist Frank Kameny’s US Supreme Court fight against discrimination in the workplace.

According to an article published in Scientific progress, LGBTQI+ people were more likely than their non-LGBTQI+ peers to experience social marginalisation, bullying and limited career opportunities, and in a study by the Institute of Physics, the Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry , 49% of respondents agreed that there was an overall lack of awareness of LGBTQIA+ issues in the workplace.

There is also a lack of information available about the experiences of LGBTQIA+ people of color (PoC), but a 2018 survey of people working in the UK found that 12% of LGBTQIA+ POC had lost a job because of their sexual or gender identity, while the percentage of white LGBTQIA+ persons who lost their job for the same reason is 4%.

Each individual will have different experiences related to identifying as LGBTQIA+ and working or studying in STEM. Technological networks had the pleasure of interviewing five individuals currently pursuing STEM careers who identify as LGBTQIA+ to learn about their experiences, opinions and ideas to inspire the next generation. This article contains segments from the five individual interviews, which you can find by following the links below.

KR: What are the main barriers to LGBTQIA+ people entering and progressing in STEM and what can be done to support them?

“In the short term, allies could work with LGBTQIA+ colleagues to ensure they feel supported in their department.” – Dr. Justin Luong

Izzy Jayasinghe (IJ): The main barriers are still widespread harassment, abuse, discrimination, stereotyping and targeted microaggressions. Exclusionary workplace cultures, discouraging LGBTQIA+ colleagues or students from coming out are real red flags. The lack of representation of LGBTQIA+ people in leadership roles and the failure to recognize the intersectional impact of belonging to other marginalized groups in addition to LGBTQIA+ are also at the root of many types of barriers facing our STEM community. There is also a serious lack of data that allows us to study, understand, highlight and redress the negative experiences of LGBTQIA+ people in STEM. This data is unlikely to arrive soon due to the lack of momentum from academies, funding bodies and employers to collect this data in a responsible and reliable way.

Justin Luong (JL): In my opinion, one of the biggest barriers for LGBTQIA+ people entering STEM is that there is often little or no representation, and it’s hard to pursue a career where you’ve never seen someone like you. Another barrier is the explicit and implicit bias that LGBTQIA+ people have to face from their colleagues, students and supervisors. Representation can be addressed slowly by building our community’s visibility and contributing to networks like 500QueerScientists and connecting with like-identified individuals within their field on social media platforms. Implicit and implicit biases are difficult to address because this will require institutional and structural change to help reduce biases. In the short term, allies could work with LGBTQIA+ colleagues to ensure they feel supported in their department. Additionally, when someone repeats falsehoods or biases that are harmful to LGBTQIA+ people, their colleagues must take initiative and action to ensure that these biases are not acted upon.

KR: Have you faced any obstacles in your career due to identifying as LGBTQIA+?

“…there are quite a few places I can’t safely travel to because I’m queer, be it for fieldwork/museum work or conferences.” – Dr. Sebastian Gro

Josh Makepeace (JM): I was very fortunate to be shown a lot of support from colleagues at my workplace, so the main thing I would see as a barrier was the lack of obvious role models when I was starting my career. It was a long time before I knew anyone in academia who was out, so it was hard for me to feel like I belonged or that I would ever be fully “myself” at work. Things have improved in recent years with initiatives like LGBTQIA+ STEM day, but I think we still have a long way to go to encourage this sense of belonging in the workplace more broadly. I’m in a relatively privileged position, but other parts of the LGBTQIA+ community still face a lot of active discrimination.

Sebastian Gros (SG): Of course, things are never easy – apart from the usual transphobia/queerphobia that I’ve experienced just like everyone else (dead name, misgendering, slander, insults, etc.) and which weighs on your mental health, something that always it would make me sad It’s small that there are quite a few places I can’t safely travel to because I’m queer, be it for fieldwork/museum work or conferences. It also proved quite a challenge to have my name changed in magazines where I had published before I came out and started the transition. The transition itself is also a limiting factor – hormone therapy for me requires GP visits at least every ten weeks, so if I had to do field work or go somewhere for a visiting semester I could never be away for longer than this. Also, the lack of gender-neutral restrooms in many buildings/conference rooms is a problem. Of course, these are things you try to work around anyway, but they make life a little more difficult!

Christina Atchison (California): I haven’t experienced overt homophobia at work, but I didn’t feel comfortable coming “out” in many of my previous jobs in hospital and academic settings. Much progress has been made since I started my career over a decade ago, many STEM organizations in the UK, including the NHS and higher education institutions, are now formally committed to inclusion, diversity and equity. In my current job, visible allyship in the form of my colleagues wearing rainbow belts has given me the confidence to finally be in the workplace. I am now a visible and active representative of our LGBTQIA+ community.

I recently worked on an evaluation of an adolescent reproductive health initiative in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania that involved site visits to research sites. In Ethiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania, homosexuality is illegal. So when asked about my personal life, I would self-censor and switch the pronouns to he/him/his when talking about my wife. Indeed, probably the most difficult decision I have to make as an LGBTQIA+ scholar while traveling on business abroad is whether to disclose my sexuality or gender identity. The decision to be outside during fieldwork is extremely complex because the risks depend on the location. There are circumstances where staying in the closet may be safer than coming out, especially in Africa and the Middle East, where homosexuality is illegal in many countries and sometimes punishable by death.

KR: If you could give one piece of advice to young LGBTQIA+ researchers starting their careers, what would it be?

It’s up to you if you come out, when or how you come out. – Dr. Izzy Jayasinghe

CA: It is important to recognize and reflect on the fact that as an LGBTQIA+ scientist, your individual professional choices and career decision-making can be profoundly influenced by your sexuality, especially if your fieldwork takes you abroad. My advice would be to raise your awareness of fieldwork safety issues for LGBTQIA+ scholars. Prepare for work in the field by identifying potential safety issues related to sexuality and gender identity and discussing them with your employer. If you know what to expect in terms of potential safety issues and cultural beliefs related to LGBTQIA+ people, you can make an informed decision about whether you still feel comfortable traveling or whether you will need additional support or mentoring to deal with the additional field stress.

IJ: My advice to LGBTQIA+ researchers starting their research/academic careers is to position themselves in a workplace or academy that takes diversity and inclusion seriously. It’s up to you if you come out, when or how you come out. More importantly, be in an environment where you feel included and uninhibited as a person and thrive as a professional. Indeed, the quality of teaching and the quality of research are also important criteria, but do not choose this environment based on traditional indicators or anecdotes about “excellence” – these are often bad. A certain level of resilience is required when navigating hyper-competitive sectors such as academic STEM; positive LGBTQIA+ role models are especially good at nurturing this inspiration and resilience. However, resilience also means having the ability to recognize discrimination, marginalization and inequality and then take action to prevent or escape them.

JM: I’d say there is a community of LGBTQIA+ researchers out there, you might just have to seek them out! Social media can be a great way to connect with researchers around the world and share experiences. It’s important to see that there are people like you doing STEM research and making your mark!

JL: It will get better, even though things seem difficult now, when you get older and start to develop a real community of supporters, you will be able to succeed and achieve goals and overcome obstacles you never dreamed possible.

SG: Find your people! Try and join organizations or groups of people facing the same challenges as you, whether at your institution or in the wider academic world (eg Pride in STEM, 500 Queer Scientists, your local LGBTQIA+ staff or student groups etc. .n.). And remember to have a life outside of research and academia, work isn’t everything!

Dr. Christina Atchison, Dr. Izzy Jayasinghe, Dr. Josh Makepeace, Dr. Justin Luong, and Dr. Sebastian Groh spoke with Kate Robinson, Editorial Assistant for Technology Networks.