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Today the University of Surrey’s Rainbow Network is hosting an LGBTQ+ STEMM day. Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths, & Medicine not far from this statue of Alan Turing. The event will cover both the professional and personal experiences of the LGBTQ+ community in STEMM and be an opportunity to showcase research.  All staff and students have been invited to attend and join in this celebration, showcase, and discussion whether they identify as LGBTQ+ or as an ally of the community University of Surrey Sarah Trinder Fabio Fasoli Earlier this week was the International Day of LGBTQIA+ People in STEMM (18 November) to celebrate and highlight the work and barriers they face. Although the situation has improved in many countries, there are still people who consider leaving their jobs because of a hostile workplace or discrimination towards them, as well as being urged to stay in the closet to progress in their career. - 18 November was chosen as it marks the anniversary of American Astronomer and gay activist Frank Kameny’s US Supreme Court fight against workplace discrimination. - Kameny, Barbara Gittings and John Fryer were instrumental in homosexuality being removed from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) list of mental disorders. You can read more here: https://lnkd.in/exs4TfS4

We're celebrating the work of our scientists and support staff on #LGBTQinSTEM day. While sexuality and gender shouldn’t be relevant to research careers, sadly, they are. A study in 2021 showed #STEM professionals identifying as LGBTQ+ are 30 per cent more likely to experience workplace harassment compared with their non-LGBTQ+ peers. And a 2013 Queer in Stem survey revealed more than 40 per cent of LGBTQ+ people in STEM are not out at work. The Earlham Institute takes active steps to foster an open and supportive research culture, where all individuals have the right environment, opportunities, and encouragement to grow and develop in themselves and their career. Dr Siobhán Dorai-Raj, is the Inclusion, Diversity, Equality, and Accessibility (IDEA) Manager for the Institute. 💬 “The four institutes on the Norwich Research Park have an active working group, the #NorwichBioscienceInstitutes LGBTQ+ Group, which has also linked in with UEA’s LGBTQ+ group. It means all the staff and students across the Park can take part in joint social activities and awareness-raising seminars. “The Earlham Institute has several active members here, helping organise events and sharing feedback to our IDEA committee.” Last year, the Earlham Institute and Quadram Institute joined the John Innes Centre as signatories to the #StonewallDiversityChampions programme. 💬 “Together with representatives from the NBI LGBTQ+ group, we are working with our Stonewall account manager to review ways we can make our Institutes as LGBTQ+ inclusive as we can.” ➡️ Further information about supporting the LGBTQ+ community in STEM roles can be found at: https://okt.to/V8E5cv #PrideinSTEM #STEMcareers #LGBTQ Ref: Cech & Waidzunas, Science Advances, 2021

Supporting LGBTQ+ Students Against Micro-Aggressions in Campus Housing Addressing micro-aggressions in campus housing is essential to creating a supportive environment where LGBTQ+ students feel valued, respected, and empowered to thrive academically and socially. Supporting LGBTQ+ students in campus housing when they face micro-aggressions requires both immediate action and long-term inclusivity. Here are key strategies that include: Acknowledge and Validate Experiences: Listening empathetically and validating students’ feelings shows respect for their experiences. Provide Safe Reporting Channels: Encourage students to document incidents and inform them of campus resources, such as counseling services and LGBTQ+ support organizations. Engage with Housing Administration: Advocate for clear anti-discrimination policies, along with sensitivity training for residents and staff to reduce bias. Foster Community: Create spaces where LGBTQ+ students can connect and bring in allies to promote an inclusive culture. Offer Academic Support: Recognize that discrimination may impact academic performance, and offer flexibility in assignments and due dates. Educate the Campus Community: Host events to raise awareness about LGBTQ+ issues and encourage respectful interactions. Creating a supportive environment where LGBTQ+ students feel respected and safe can significantly enhance their campus experience and resilience in facing challenges.

Happy international LGBTQI+ day! As a team of STEMM professionals, we wish to share with you some facts. Members of the LGBTQI+ community still face systematic inequality including in STEMM - Members of the LGBTQI+ community are 17-21% less represented in STEM fields than expected (1, 2) - Of LGBTQI+ STEM Academic faculty members, 69% report feeling uncomfortable in their department (3) - LGBTQI+ students experience patterns of exclusion (2) which may be mirrored in the workforce (4) This is just a snapshot of the barriers and challenges faced by the LGBTQI+ community in STEMM. This pride day, we encourage you to think critically about the way that members of the LGBTQI+ community are treated in STEMM and in the world more broadly. The facts above are extracted from Nature article ‘LGBTQ scientists are still left out’ https://lnkd.in/gY4Gydx and other sources, please refer to this and the other excellent articles cited below: 1. Queer in STEM Organizations: Workplace Disadvantages for LGBT Employees in STEM Related Federal Agencies https://lnkd.in/eDKVxgCT 2. Coming out in STEM: Factors affecting retention of sexual minority STEM students DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aao6373 3. Factors Impacting the academic climate for LGBQ STEM faculty 10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.2014007429 4. Systemic inequalities for LGBTQ professionals in STEM DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe0933 #PrideMonth2024 #lgbt #pride #queerinstem

Each year I take time to step back from The Queer Student Awards to evaluate the event. It's important that time is taken to evaluate and assess the impact of the event, both quantitatively and qualitatively. This is done using data sourced from select QSA-owned social media channels and digital ecosystem, and the feedback we receive from guests who attended to ensure that the report produced is both objective and accurate in its findings. It's important to me as the event founder to ensure that the work done to deliver this event is having a meaningful impact on young LGBTQ+ students, educators and employers, and despite some bumps in the road this year, I'm very proud to publish this year's Impact Report today. My personal highlights of this year's report include: 1. The positive feedback on the quality of what was said in the speeches delivered and their resonance with guests - we didn't shy away from talking about topics and forces impacting the delivery of the event that others have shied away from and it's been welcomed by our guests. 2. The DOUBLING in website traffic in just 12 months - over 66,000 website visits since the digital campaign for QSA2024 launched, with 76% of page views resulting in brand impressions for our partners. 3. Social media impressions reaching and surpassing 500,000 for the first time - a combined audience across LinkedIn and Instagram over 650,000 thanks to the collaborative efforts of our finalists, partners and judges. From an event that started as a Zoom meeting in 2021, planning for our fifth anniversary event QSA2025 has already begun. I'm looking for more partners to join us on our journey proudly sharing the stories behind the rainbow - something we did first for young LGBTQ+ people in the UK. If you would like to receive a copy of the report please get in touch and let's start a conversation. #LGBTQ #DiversityAndInclusion #StudentRecruitment #EarlyCareers The Queer Student Awards in association with EY

My first last-author paper! Given the lack of data on sexual orientation and gender identity in graduate student populations, I set out to see what literature exists around the experiences of LGBTQ+ doctoral students. The results have now been published: https://lnkd.in/eTsrKr5w

As we reflect the month of October. I was honored to present the purpose of the 2024 UMP Creating Safe Space event speech. "This gathering addressed a pressing need in higher education: building safe, inclusive spaces where everyone—regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity—can truly thrive. Our campuses often operate under heteronormative assumptions that unintentionally reinforce traditional gender roles and relationships as the norm. These ingrained expectations, present in institutional practices, curricula, and social interactions, can marginalize LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff, making them feel invisible or unsafe in environments meant for authenticity and growth. This event was a call to recognize these barriers and work together to dismantle structures that uphold heteronormativity. It’s about challenging assumptions, questioning institutional practices, and creating campuses where everyone feels respected and valued. We explored how heteronormativity appears across university life—from policies and curricula to daily interactions—and discussed concrete steps to address it. True inclusivity requires ongoing commitment and active participation from all of us—not just LGBTQ+ individuals but also allies, administrators, faculty, and students. The event was graced by guest speakers Siya Hlongwa, NPA Senior Advocate Christa Duplessis, and representatives from GRIP, SAPS, Ehlanzeni District Municipality, TUT, Ehlanzeni TVET, and the UMP GBV student and staff forums. By Siyabonga Shongwe, UMP 2024 Honours in Gender Studies. #CreatingSafeSpace #GenderEquality #RainbowPride #UMPLGBTQIA+ #UMPnewsletter

June is LGBT+ History Month, and this year the theme is: Medicine – #UnderTheScope "The 2024 theme celebrates LGBT+ peoples’ contribution to the field of Medicine and Healthcare both historically and today. This is a fantastic opportunity to explore the contribution of LGBT+ people to advances in medical science, but also to reflect on the community’s relationship with the world of medicine, such as the history of the AIDS crisis, the medical treatment of trans people and LGBT+ people’s contributions to the NHS. It’s also an important theme because LGBT+ people are underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers more widely. The campaigning group STEM Women reports that this shortfall could be as much as 20%." source:https://lnkd.in/eEwbp4B8. #lgbtqia #2024 #pride #lgbtqiahistory

🌟 Meet the GSU Liberation Chairs: Advocates for Every Voice! 🌟 At Greenwich Students’ Union, our Liberation Chairs work tirelessly to make university life inclusive, supportive, and empowering. From leading campaigns to representing your concerns, these eight leaders are dedicated to creating positive change. 1. LGBTQ+ Chair 🌈 Ensuring a safe and supportive space for LGBTQ+ students while celebrating diversity and identity. 2. Women’s Chair 👩🎓 Advocating for gender equality and addressing issues like safety and empowerment. 3. Mature Students’ Chair 🎓 Championing resources and community for students balancing education with other life responsibilities. 4. Disabled Students’ Chair ♿ Working to enhance accessibility and raise awareness of disability inclusion across campus. 5. Students of Color Chair ✊🏽 Driving efforts for racial equality, representation, and cultural celebrations. 6. Commuter Students Chair 🚶♂️🚴♀️ Representing students traveling long distances, they address unique challenges like balancing schedules and building connections. 7. Sustainability and Ethics Chair 🌍 Leading initiatives to promote sustainable practices and ethical awareness, ensuring a greener, fairer future for all. 8. Working Class Chair 💼 Amplifying the voices of working-class students, advocating for equal opportunities and breaking down barriers. How to Get Involved: Want to know more about their goals and how they’re representing you? Check them out at greenwichsu.co.uk/edi. Need to know your Liberation Chair members: https://lnkd.in/eMxiKrSk 💬 Share your thoughts: Which cause speaks to you the most? Let’s celebrate these amazing leaders and their work! #GSULiberation #StudentVoices #InclusionMatters #EqualityForAll

Today - November 18th - is #LGBTQSTEMDay. In the abstract sense it should not matter what your gender identity or sexuality is. Yet, if you want to work, be educated, and research in STEM there is ample evidence that it does. I still only know of maybe 2 'Out' Faculty members in the Faculty of Applied Sciences at #UBC, out of 324 Faculty (please don't Out more here - that's a gross invasion of privacy and more). I do know more who are Faculty-adjacent (e.g. instructors). The lack of disclosure by individuals to each other & the disconnect of community highlights the systemic nature of the challenge we face. I am happy to say that UBC is quite a progressive place, and Vancouver is very queer friendly. Certainly when I was considering a move, I was never going to take a job in a place that would make my day-to-day existence harder or put it at threat. That's a privilege I know I have, and I am aware that there are many queer friends and colleagues who are not so fortunate, and the political flux south of the border makes this threat ever more evident (let alone issues elsewhere around the world). To my Queer friends and colleagues, continue being you - however you wish to show up. Thank you for the sense of solidarity, community, and connections when we find each other. To everyone though - we still have lots of work ahead of us if we want people to be able to be their best at work, and live happy, connected and fulfilled lives. If you want a bit of reading on this, and why it matters, here's one piece of literature I very much recommend: "Systemic inequalities for LGBTQ professionals in STEM" by E. A. Cech and T. J. Waidzunas (2021). https://lnkd.in/gebRWmTM As a moment of queer joy - today I am wearing a pair of cute rainbow themed socks today which have a little maple leaf motif on top, and I will be enjoying these as I start to make some very big decisions about the future of the large microscopy & materials project I am leading.