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Understand the Context: Challenges Faced by Sexual and Gender Minorities

Gender Minorites

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  • Learn to recognize the common barriers that gender and sexual minority individuals experience in STEM 
  • Learn about protective factors for LGBTQ individuals in STEM
  • Learn to overcome barriers against gender and sexual minorities in STEM through micro interventions 
  • Learn about forming an advocacy group 

“There are so many straight men in my engineering program.” 

“When I tried to come out to my Organic Chemistry professor, he told me it was “unprofessional” to discuss my “lifestyle.” The same doesn’t seem to apply to my straight peers who talk about their romantic partners. I feel silenced.” 

“The other day, I heard someone in my lab say ‘that’s so gay.’  Now I’m afraid to come out.” 

“I heard one of my labmates use a slur against a gay man in our lab. I’m not sure how to intervene.” 

“Finding LGBTQ friends on campus has been so rewarding. I feel like I belong now. Without oSTEM, I’m not sure if I would have stayed in my PhD program.” 

“I am so glad that the LGBTQ Resource Center connected me to a faculty mentor. It is great seeing another lesbian woman in academia.” 

In other modules, you read about how women in STEM programs may experience challenges being in a male-dominated field. Many women experience isolation, hostility, discrimination, and an overall chilly climate. When women in STEM have other marginalized identities, such as Women of Color, gender and sexual minority women, and women with disabilities, they may have additional unique experiences due to intersectionality. Intersectionality describes how systems of oppression, such as sexism, racism, and homophobia, intersect, operate together, and often exacerbate each other. 

This module discusses the experiences of being both a woman and LGBTQ in STEM. Whether you are a member of the LGBTQ community yourself, or are looking to serve as an ally to a gender or sexual minority peer, this module will provide insight into the barriers encountered by LGTBQ STEM students, as well as strategies to overcome those barriers. 

In this module, we will use the term “gender and sexual minority,” as well as the term LGBTQ. The LGBTQ umbrella includes a wide variety of unique identities. Here is a glossary with important terms to note. 

Not only is there a wide variety of sexual and gender identities within the LGBTQ community; individuals with those identities also come from a wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, and identities in terms of race, ability status, SES, etc. It is important to note that much of the research on the experiences of LGBTQ individuals in STEM focuses on white, cisgender individuals. Be sure to read the intersectionality section below to learn about how individuals within the LGBTQ community may be affected differently based on other salient identities. 

Members of the LGBTQ community in STEM may encounter additional challenges in their graduate programs that their peers do not. If you are a member of a gender or sexual minority in a STEM graduate program, think through the following questions. If you do not identify as a member of the LGBTQ community, imagine the following questions from the perspective of an LGBTQ peer. 

Have you:

  1. heard anti-LGBTQ language from your professors or peers? 
  2. experienced heteronormativity in your graduate program, or a feeling that heterosexuality is viewed as the norm, with little tolerance for other identities? 
  3. felt isolated in your graduate program due to your sexual or gender identity? Have you ever felt ignored or like you didn’t belong because of these identities? 
  4. felt pressure to “pass” as heterosexual and/or cisgender in your graduate program? 
  5. felt pressure to keep your academic and social lives separate due to your sexuality and/or gender identity? 
  6. received messages that talking about your sexual or gender identity is unprofessional? 
  7. felt that your work was devalued or not respected due to your sexual or gender identity? 
  8. encountered barriers in your STEM program due to your sexuality or gender identity that made you question your place in STEM? 

If you answered yes to these questions, you are not alone. Research has demonstrated that many LGBTQ students in STEM encounter these experiences. Because STEM professions are considered technical, gender and sexual minority individuals may receive messages that issues of equality and therefore LGBTQ identities are too social to discuss in the STEM world, and therefore are irrelevant. Some LGBTQ students feel silenced or ignored because of this (Cech & Waldzunas, 2011; Linley, Renn, & Woodford, 2018).

While transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) individuals fall under the LGBTQ umbrella, their experiences may differ from cisgender sexual minority STEM students. TGNC individuals may feel pressured to use their deadname or incorrect pronouns. They may encounter individuals deliberately using incorrect pronouns, or making disparaging remarks about their identities. While sexual and gender minority individuals in STEM may feel a lack of belonging in their programs, there are ways to seek out sources of acceptance and community. You will read about those below. 

As mentioned above, intersectionality matters when considering the experiences of LGBTQ students in STEM. LGBTQ individuals with disabilities and LGBTQ individuals of color may have different experiences than white, able-bodied gender and sexual minority individuals. Here are some examples of gender/sexual minority students with additional marginalized identities and how they experience their graduate programs.

  • Elizabeth is a pansexual woman who uses a wheelchair. She is a first year PhD student studying Biology. On her way to an oSTEM meeting, she finds that the building is physically inaccessible. She is late to the meeting because it is difficult for her to find an entrance with a ramp. 
  • Jordan is a Black lesbian woman studying Chemistry. She went to the LGBTQ resource center at her Predominantly White Institution (PWI) and found there were no other LGBTQ people of color in the center. She struggles to find a space or community that is accepting of all of her identities.
  1. Mentors: finding mentors who provide a sense of support and acceptance can be beneficial in helping you navigate barriers that arise in a STEM doctoral program. LGBTQ faculty members in particular may serve as confidantes and provide a source of support, leading to increased feelings of belonging.
    • Looking for LGBTQ mentors? Your campus LGBTQ resource center may help connect you with gender and sexual minority faculty members. Find an LGBTQ campus center here.
  2. Community:  LGBTQ STEM students who feel a sense of belonging are more likely to persist in their degree programs. LGBTQ peers on campus can serve as a vital source of support in navigating challenges that arise in a STEM program 
  3. STEM Identity:  Feelings of competence in your field and recognition as a member of your field create a strong sense of STEM identity (Carlone & Johnson, 2007; Hughes, 2018). STEM identity increases feelings of belonging and motivation to persist in a STEM program. 
    • Looking to increase your STEM identity? See the Online Resources and Supports module to find professional organizations for members of your field.

It is never the responsibility of individuals who have experienced discrimination to resolve systems of oppression. Regardless, some people find advocating for themselves to be empowering and liberating. Because of the power differential between students and faculty, it can be difficult or unsafe to take on advocacy alone, particularly when addressing climate concerns to faculty. If you feel passionate about advocating for yourself and other gender and sexual minority individuals in STEM, you may wish to form an advocacy group of multiple students to approach faculty and express your needs. 

Cooper et al. (2020) developed the following list of guidelines for creating an inclusive environment for gender and sexual minority individuals in biology. Your advocacy group may present these suggestions to faculty as requests in a format such as an open letter, along with any other concerns about program climate you might have. 

 

GUIDELINE

RESOURCES 

Learn what the acronym LGBTQ+ encompasses and use the term appropriately

 Here is a comprehensive glossary of terms related to the LGBTQ community: https://lgbtqia.ucdavis.edu/educated/glossary

Learn the specific vocabulary around the LGBTQ identity

  

Foster safe environments for individuals to reveal their identities

Cooper et al. (2020) suggest that faculty members provide students the opportunity to share their identities and pronouns via a survey. These surveys can be either identifiable or anonymous, and should include an option for “decline to state.” Surveys could inquire about students’ level of comfort with using their name and pronouns in different settings (eg. one-on-one, in the classroom, in the lab, etc.)

 

The Cooper et al. (2020) supplemental materials include a sample pronoun survey.

Create opportunities for individuals to choose to reveal their name or pronouns

Faculty members can provide pronoun stickers or name badges to students. These can also be utilized in a conference setting.

Here is a site of how the University of California, San Francisco uses pronoun stickers: https://lgbt.ucsf.edu/pronoun-stickers

 

Here is a site that provides other best practices for names and pronouns: https://lgbt.umd.edu/good-practices-names-and-pronouns

 

Here is a site about the importance of using pronouns at conferences: https://esa.org/louisville/name-tag-pronouns/

Be careful not to assume the gender or partner preference of individuals

Using gender neutral language, such as they/them pronouns, can help establish an environment that is inclusive to individuals with LGBTQ identities.

 Here are some basic tips for using gender neutral language: https://www.mypronouns.org/inclusivelanguage

View mistakes as learning opportunities

Mistakes with pronouns, names, or gender preferences may happen. When these happen, it is best to give a quick apology and correct oneself; lingering on the subject can put an undue burden on the TGNC individual or make them uncomfortable. Faculty members can then take steps to avoid the mistake moving forward. 

Here is an overview of correcting mistakes regarding pronouns: https://www.mypronouns.org/mistakes

Overtly support the LGBTQ community using cues such as Safe Zone Stickers, LGBTQ+ Rainbow Ribbons At Conferences, and an Explicit Mention of LGBTQ+ Individuals

 Here is a link to the Safe Zone Project: https://thesafezoneproject.com/about/

Familiarize yourself with LGBTQ community and campus resources

Here is a directory of LGBTQ Community Centers: https://www.lgbtcenters.org/LGBTCenters

Here is a directory of LGBT Campus Centers: https://www.lgbtcampus.org/find-an-lgbtq-campus-center

LGBTQ Campus Resource Centers play an important role.  They may provide LGBTQ students with access to health care and counseling, and they may foster a sense of support and belonging. Many LGBTQ resource centers provide training and education; faculty may be encouraged to attend a training, or request a training for the department as a whole. Your advocacy group may wish to include this as a request. 

Be thoughtful about your use of humor and pop culture in the classroom and how it can impact LGBTQ individuals

Instructors should avoid using jokes that are offensive to LGBTQ individuals and making references to media that portrays negative stereotypes about LGBTQ individuals.

Present LGBTQ  role models in science

Here are links to lists of influential LGBTQ scientists: 

https://www.osc.org/important-lgbtq-scientists-who-left-a-mark-on-stem-…

https://www.sciencemag.org/features/2010/10/closeted-discoverers-lesbia…

https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/07/05/queer-scientists-history-first-lg…

Be inclusive of LGBTQ identities when designing research

This website provides an overview of using LGBTQ inclusive language when collecting demographic data: 

https://lgbt.umd.edu/good-practices-demographic-data-collection

Advocate for LGBTQ inclusive language in publications

 Here is an American Psychological Association style guide for using bias-free language, with sections on gender and sexual orientation: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/bias-free-language
 

As a member of the LGBTQ community in STEM, you may encounter microaggressions, defined by psychologist Derald Wing Sue as "the everyday slights, indignities, put downs and insults that people of color, women, LGBT populations or those who are marginalized experience in their day-to-day interactions with people."  See the Microaggressions module for more details and for examples of how bystanders can respond in support of women.  

While it should never be the responsibility of individuals who experience oppression to educate others or stop discrimination, some might feel empowered by standing up for themselves. At the same time, faculty members are in a position of power; they play a significant role in a doctoral student’s academic and career advancement. This power differential is amplified when the faculty member is part of a dominant group (i.e. heterosexual individuals), while the student is a member of a marginalized group (i.e. LGBTQ students). Therefore, it is important for students to weigh the benefits and costs of confronting microaggressions. Here are some questions for consideration (Nadal, 2014): 

  1. If I respond, could my physical safety be in danger
  2. If I respond, will the person become defensive and will this lead to an argument?
  3. If I respond, how will this affect my relationship with this person (e.g., coworker, family member, etc.
  4. If I don’t respond, will I regret not saying something?
  5. If I don't respond, does that convey that I accept the behavior or statement?

Ultimately, if you choose not to confront discrimination, the microaggressions you experienced were not your fault , and you are not in the wrong. You are justified in making the choice that feels most safe and feasible to you. 

If you do wish to challenge microaggressions, microinterventions are strategies that have been suggested.  Micro interventions are  

“the everyday words or deeds, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate to targets of microaggressions (a) validation of their experiential reality, (b) value as a person, (c) affirmation of their racial or group identity, (d) support and encourage-ment, and (e) reassurance that they are not alone.” (Sue, Alsaidi, Awad, Glaeser, Calle, & Mendez, 2019, p. 134). 

These micro interventions may also be used by individuals who do not identify as LGBTQ who witness microaggressions. In fact, bystanders who witness unjust behavior, particularly those with privileged identities, can play an important role in combatting discrimination. Allies who are a part of a dominant group (i.e. white, heterosexual men in STEM), may have more power than the targets of the microaggressions. 

The following table is adapted directly from Sue et al. (2019) work on micro-interventions. Examples were changed to align with LGBTQ students in STEM. 

Situation: Julia, a transgender woman, shares that she will be attending a SWE meeting that afternoon. Bradley, a male cohort member, says “Why? You won’t fit in there.” Julia and Sara, a cisgender, straight classmate, try to intervene. The metacommunication here is that Julia is not a “real woman.” 

GOAL

OBJECTIVE

TACTICS

EXAMPLES

Make the invisible visible

Bring awareness to the microaggression

Undermine the metacommunication. A metacommunication is hidden communication that may be outside of the individual’s conscious awareness.

Sara says “why do you think that? SWE is inclusive of all women. Julia will fit in just fine.”

Stand up for yourself or others

Sara says “let’s not say negative things about Julia.”

Express that the microaggression was hurtful

Name and make the metacommunication explicit

Julia says “you assume that I won’t fit in because I am transgender. It seems like you are implying that I am not actually a woman.”

Encourage the individual to consider the meaning/impact of the microaggression

Challenge the stereotype

Julia says “I may have been assigned male at birth, but I am still a woman. I always have been.”

Broaden the ascribed trait

Sara says “there’s more than one way to be a woman.”

Ask for clarification

Sara says “What makes you think that? Julia is just as much a woman as anyone else at the SWE meeting.”

Julia says “Why wouldn’t I fit in? I am just as interested in engineering as the other women.”

 

Situation: David, a straight, cisgender man, is a 2nd year PhD student studying Mechanical Engineering. He is discussing Marvin, a first-year PhD student in the same program who identifies as gay. Marvin is not in the room. Referring to Marvin, David says “He’s too flamboyant to be an engineer. He might as well go be a Gender Studies major like the rest of his people.” Tonya, a bisexual woman, overhears the conversation. As a woman in the LGBTQ community, she feels hurt by the statements. Samuel, a straight male colleague, also witnesses the microaggression. Samuel and Tonya  use the following micro-interventions.

 

GOAL

OBJECTIVE

TACTICS

EXAMPLES

Disarm the microaggression

Stop or deflect the microaggression

Express disagreement

Tonya says “I don’t agree with that.”

Encourage the individual who stated the microaggression to immediately consider their actions

Sam says “That’s just not true.”

Communicate your disagreement or disapproval in the moment

State values and set limits

Sam says “I value respect and inclusion. While you have the right to express your opinion, using discriminatory language and perpetuating harmful stereotypes, especially when the person is not there to defend themselves, is disrespectful. I ask you to have more respect by not making those comments.”

Describe what is happening

Tonya says “As a bisexual woman, I feel hurt by that statement. I feel uncomfortable that you are disrespecting Marvin like that. I can imagine he would feel even more hurt by that statement.”

Use an exclamation

Tonya says “Ouch!”

Use nonverbal communication

Shaking head, covering mouth with hand.

Interrupt and redirect

Tonya says “Stop. Let’s not say things like that. Why don’t we get back to work?

Remind them of the rules

Sam says “Our program has made it clear that comments like that will not be tolerated. If you continue with that behavior, the diversity and inclusion officer may become involved.”

 

Situation: Jade is a non-binary individual who uses they/them pronouns. They have communicated their pronouns to their cohort, and wear a pronoun pin most days. During a group project, Kevin, a male colleague, continues to refer to them as “the only girl” in the group, and continues to use she/her pronouns. Lin, a bystander in the group, may employ the following micro interventions.

 

GOAL

OBJECTIVE

TACTICS

EXAMPLES

Educate the offender

Engage in a one-on-one dialogue with the perpetrator to indicate how and what they have said is offensive to you or others

Differentiate between intent and impact

“I know you don’t mean any harm when you refer to Jade as a girl, but they feel hurt when you misgender them.”

Facilitate a possibly more enlightening conversation and exploration of the perpetrator’s biases

Appeal to the offender’s values and principles

“I know you value hard work. What if we put that same effort into remembering Jade’s pronouns?”

Encourage the perpetrator to explore the origins of their beliefs and attitudes towards targets

Point out the commonality

 

“I think your research interests align with Jade’s. Learning their pronouns and respecting their gender identity might be a good first step towards forming a good working relationship.”

Promote empathy

“If someone used she/her pronouns for me, even though I use he/him pronouns, I would feel upset. I’m curious if you would feel the same way? It can be painful when your identity is invalidated.”

Point out how they benefit

“If we treat Jade with respect, not only will they feel more respected and included within our group, but we will also have a better group environment. We can be more productive that way.”

 

While advocacy and micro-interventions can be empowering, it is equally important to take care of yourself. If you have experienced microaggressions or discrimination, applying your coping skills will be critical; see the Mental Health and Wellness module for more details. Self-care also includes reaching out for support. Whether that means reaching out to friends and family, or pursuing therapy, it is important to connect with others. See the Online Resources and Supports module for information on finding LGBTQ-focused organizations.

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Budge, S. L., Domínguez, S., Jr., & Goldberg, A. E. (2020). Minority stress in nonbinary students in higher education: The role of campus climate and belongingness. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 7(2), 222–229. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000360

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Duran, A. (2019). Queer and of color: A systematic literature review on queer students of color in higher education scholarship. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 12(4), 390-400. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000084

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Hughes, B. E. (2018). Coming out in STEM: Factors affecting retention of sexual minority STEM students. Science Advances, 4(3), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aao6373

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