Raising Visibility: Materials for LGBT+ Diversity and Inclusivity in STEM
Abstract
There is a profound lack of LGBT+ representation in STEM, due to the nature of visibility. Many of us are not obviously LGBT+, even if we are out to our colleagues, and there remains a toxic heteronormative assumption that our identities are not relevant to our work as scientists and should be kept quiet. Efforts to improve the climate for LGBT+ people has been hindered by a lack of information, the first survey on LGBT+ people in STEM was published in only 2016, and subsequent studies have shown that roughly 50% of LGBT+ scientists in the UK and US are not out to everyone at work, and there remains a disappointing lack of well-known LGBT+ role models in STEM vs other careers. To help rectify this, I have created a number of publicly available materials that can be downloaded, printed and distributed by schools, universities and employee groups to help raise awareness of LGBT+ people in STEM, the work they do, and advice on how to be a supportive and constructive ally to LGBT+ people in the lab. These materials have proven very popular, in part due to a lack of similar materials available prior, and in two years at least 2000 'Proud to be a Scientist' stickers have been given away at conferences, LGBT+ STEM events and Pride festivals, while >250 LGBT+ Role Model flyers have been distributed, and a poster version has been put up in 50+ schools across the world. The popularity of these materials was significantly greater than I expected, and will be followed by more materials featuring greater representation of diversity in terms of identity, ethnicity, age, and career progression so that more people will be able to find a role model in whom they can see themselves.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMED33G1053R
- Keywords:
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- 0855 Diversity;
- EDUCATION;
- 6630 Workforce;
- PUBLIC ISSUES