People in the LGBTQ+ community exist in the STEM industry. Unfortunately, they are invisible due to hetero-normative assumptions and the lack of disclosure. As a result, attracting and retaining LGBTQ+ members in the STEM industry is difficult.
In the workplace more than 40% of LGBTQ+ individuals are not out to most of their collogues and 69.2% of “out” faculty university employees in the STEM field have felt uncomfortable in their department. In addition, “out” faculty members are 7.2 times more likely to experience exclusionary behavior from collogues. It is vital that employers create an inclusive culture for sexual and gender minorities if they want to increase diversity in the STEM industry. This means employers must go beyond enabling the personal and professional success of their LGBTQ+ employees to ensure they feel like they belong and can be themselves.
500 Queer Scientists is an online initiative that aims to provide LGBTQ+ role models for the next STEM generation, raise awareness that LGBTQ+ individuals exist in the STEM field, and create networking opportunities for members of the community.
Want to share your story or support? Check out their tool kit on the 500 Queer Scientists website. The the tool kit includes outlines for social media posts and a list of appropriate hashtags.
Visit https://www.500queerscientists.com/ for more information!