Celebrating LGBTQ+ in STEM
Celebrating and highlighting the work of LGBTQ+ people in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) has a special day on the calendar: November 18. Why this date? It is based on the 60th anniversary of American Astronomer and gay activist Frank Kameny’s fight against workplace discrimination, which he took to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Science is a place of innovation, research, and progress, but many communities are still marginalized in these spaces. Pride in STEM notes that 28% of LGBT+ people have considered leaving their jobs because of discrimination or workplace hostility.
On LGBTQ+ in STEM Day, we celebrate the contribution of LGBTQ+ scientists, while also recognizing that barriers are still faced and that efforts have to continue to break these down. We spoke with SAFS graduate student, Aspen Coyle, who shared her thoughts on her journey so far in academia, what inclusion means for her, and some of the barriers and highlights she’s experienced. She also shares some advice for those concerned about a lack of representation in marine science.
For more information on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion activities and support at SAFS, visit our DEI page. For UW-wide resources, visit The Q Center.
What led you to pursue studies in science?
I’m one of those people that’s wanted to be a marine biologist ever since I was a little kid. I grew up in a fishing town in coastal Alaska, and my favorite thing in the world was scrambling along the intertidal, peering into tidepools and turning over rocks, trying to find the neatest critters. That base delight in hunting for cool creatures was augmented in undergrad with a deeper understanding of the ecological importance, and then after getting a job in another Alaskan fishing town, the economic importance.
What are some of the positive experiences as LGBTQ+ in STEM that you’ve had?
From an outside perspective, I’ve existed in several different modes as a queer person in STEM – up until recently as a queer guy, and for the last six months or so as a transfemme. Before grad school, I was working for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in a variety of fieldwork positions. Being queer in rural Alaska, especially around the fishing industry, is often met with confusion (and occasionally, mild hostility), but I never felt much of that from my coworkers.
Here at SAFS, my lab is mostly other queer people, which has been wonderful. When I was living as a queer guy, it was really great to have a bunch of people around with this shared experience and perspective. And since queer cis people are usually around more trans people than straight cis people, it really wasn’t that big of a deal when I started transitioning.
What does inclusion look like for you?
Most people in the U.S. don’t personally know a single trans person, which means their idea of trans people is based on whatever they’ve picked up from media they’ve consumed. And generally, that means they’ve got some very strange ideas around trans people. For me, inclusion means not having those ideas projected onto me. I feel included when people are seeing me as an actual individual, as a three-dimensional person, when my transness is an aspect of me without it becoming my entirety.
Have you faced any barriers?
My first job post-undergrad involved month-long surveys at sea, and generally had a pretty macho atmosphere. I stayed closeted to my coworkers and crew (despite regularly calling my boyfriend on the ship’s satellite phone – I definitely spent a lot of effort being intentionally vague with pronouns). I’ve also certainly had some odd interactions with coworkers, especially around being trans.
The biggest barrier is probably one I haven’t yet faced – figuring out a job after graduation. Seattle is one of the best places in the U.S. to be trans. Unfortunately, most marine science jobs – especially those involving substantial amounts of fieldwork – are in areas that aren’t exactly trans-friendly. At this point, I’m not going to choose to live in an area where I’ll get stared at walking down the street, or where my access to HRT might be threatened in the future, so if I can’t find a job in a major city, I’ll probably have to leave marine science altogether.
Do you have any advice for others wanting to pursue studies or a career in STEM, but have concerns around lack of representation?
There’s definitely a lack of representation of queer people (and especially trans people) in marine science, but most scientists are pretty accepting too, even if they don’t “get it”. That means generally, the issue is finding a sense of community and connection rather than dealing with outright hatred. Because of that, I really, really recommend working on building community outside of grad school. I think that’s generally good advice no matter who you are – if all your friends are people in your grad program, it’s easy for your life to start revolving completely around grad school, which is a recipe for burnout. But if you’re queer in marine science, it’s extra important.