Genny Beemyn Participates in Think Tank on the Inclusion and Advancement of LGBTQ+ People in STEM Fields

Genny Beemyn, director of the Stonewall Center, was an invited participant in the Symposium and Think Tank on the Inclusion and Advancement of LGBTQ+ People in STEM Fields sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington, D.C. on May 30-June 1.

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Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) experience longstanding challenges to their pursuit of education, mentorship and employment in STEM fields. Current research finds that LGBTQ+ people are not only underrepresented in STEM professions, but that those in STEM professions are also more likely to experience workplace harassment and more likely to consider leaving their jobs compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers.

The symposium, held May 30, was the first to bring together federal funding agencies, the White House office that advises the president on science and technology and the researchers shaping our understanding of how LGBTQ+ people navigate education and employment in STEM fields. Its goals included to educating attendees about the current landscape impacting LGBTQ+ people in STEM, to share the personal and professional experiences and to offer real and actionable ideas for addressing disparities.

The think tank, which followed the symposium and was open only to invited leaders in the field, helped create recommendations for LGBTQ+ inclusion in STEM fields that will be turned into a report to share with federal agencies, professional societies, colleges and universities and other groups.

In addition to the AAAS, the symposium and think tank were also sponsored by the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA).