Promoting LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in Geosciences: Enhancing Representation and Belonging
Enhance LGBTQ+ inclusivity in geosciences by promoting representation and belonging among students and staff. Join Professor Alicia T. Mullens at the NAGT Earth Educators Rendezvous to discuss the importance of this work, share experiences, and create action plans. By fostering a supportive environment, we aim to address challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in higher education and promote a sense of belonging. Let's work together to make a difference in the geosciences community.
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Presentation Transcript
LGBTQIA+ Representation in the Geosciences Showing our Students (and Staff) that they belong! Alicia T. Mullens Professor of Meteorology De Anza College 2024 NAGT Earth Educators Rendezvous Acknowledgement: De Anza Pride Center
About Me Alicia Teresa Mullens (pronouns: She/Her) Professor of Meteorology at De Anza College and Lecturer of Meteorology at San Jose State University A PROUD Transgender Woman! Loves weather, fashion, train travel, craft beer, and my wife! My journey: I knew something was wrong when I was 12 began openly questioning in 2015 after meeting a transgender student, began experimenting in 2019, came out to myself in 2020, began transitioning in 2022.
Outline 1. The need for this work 2. Sharing our experiences working with LGBTQ+ students and colleagues 3. 15 minute break 4. Discuss Strategies and Resources 5. Action Plans 6. Wrap-Up and Evaluation
Community Agreements 1. Respect one another 2. Besides your action plan/takeaways, what is said in this room stays in this room. 3. Be mindful of the sensitivity of what we are talking about (can be triggering). 4. We are relying on each other. So please share (as you are comfortable!), also, remember that nobody s experience is comprehensive. 5. Take Care of Yourself!
Heat Maker (Ice Breaker, but with no ICE ) On a poster, draw what you think a __________________________ looks like... Scientist Geoscientist Student Someone who is LGBTQ+ Now go around, look at other people s posters, and see if you identify any common stereotypes!
The Need for this Work In General, Higher Education (Source: Williams Institute): LGBTQ+ Students are 4x more likely to pick an institute away from home 1/3 of LGBTQ+ People shared that their mental health was not good all or most of the time while in college. 60% of LGBTQ+ students are not out to any faculty (75% at 2YCs) 37% not out to any other students (56% at 2YCs). Larger proportions of transgender students reported having issues, when compared to cisgender students. A larger percentage of LGBTQ+ graduate students reported not having a sense of belonging compared to CisHet graduate students.
The Need for this Work (Specifically in Geoscience) Few Quantitative Studies have been done, but there are still some striking statistics (taken from Olcott and Downen, 2020): The LGBTQ+ community is far more diverse in Geoscience than in other STEM fields 47% Cis Women, 31% Transgender, 22% Cis men Racial demographics (83% White, 8% Asian, 7% Hispanic/Latinx, 3% Black/Native/Pacific Islander) were similar to Geoscience in general Field Work, in particular, has been a problem: 55% of respondents indicated they were in an area that didn t feel safe at least once. 34% of respondents refuse to do fieldwork out of fear for their identity. Olcott and Downen, 2020 https://eos.org/features/the-challenges-of- fieldwork-for-lgbtq-geoscientists
The Need for this Work, (Specifically in Geoscience) Additional Qualitative and Anecdotal studies have been done. Nature Geoscience https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-018- 0116-6 Scientific American https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/being- lgbt-in-geoscience-is-like-being-invisible/
Sharing Our Experiences I ll Start! I ve known something was wrong since I was 12 I spent almost two decades trying to resist it. In 2015, I had a student in a GE Earth Science class transition mid-semester I came out to myself in 2020 (one of the hardest people to come out to!) In early 2021, I was doxed by an online hate group, and was forced to come out at work I was VERY supported! I was also very quickly put to work (in the best way possible! By the end of the year, I was leading workshops on LGBTQ+ in STEM I began working full-time as Alicia in 2022!
Share YOUR experiences (as you feel comfortable) Have/Were you: Had an experience coming out at work yourself? Had a student open up to you about being LGBTQ+? Encountered an LGBTQ+-related issue in the field? Been an Ally who has supported an LGBTQ+ student/colleague at your institution? What needs did you identify while encountering LGBTQ+ students/colleagues? Were you able to meet those needs? If so, how?
Break Time! Be back in 15 minutes.
Strategies to Support LGBTQ+ folx. The Simple (but very impactful) Stuff: Including your pronouns on your syllabus/in your email signature. Including Institutional LGBTQ+ resources (such as if your college has a Pride Center) on your syllabus/webpage. Simply stating that you are here to support. Finding ways to include the contributions of LGBTQ+ scientists into your curriculum.
The more complicated stuff Representation is key! Students (and colleagues) feel significantly more welcome when they see fellow queer folx doing the same work (For me, since coming out and transitioning, the number of openly queer/trans students in my classes has skyrocketed!) Utilize your queerness, if you are LGBTQ+, and feel safe* (this is much easier said than done in some places!) Take an Active Role in breaking down systems of oppression in your institution (yes, they still exist!) Don t underestimate your potential impact small contributions of just a small handful of people sped up my transition by YEARS!!! This very group (EER participants) helped me go wigless last year I haven t put a wig back on since!
Making an action plan For the next 15 minutes, come up with two or three things that you can/will do to make your classes/workspaces more LGBTQ+ welcoming Things to consider: Simplicity is best! You don t need a detailed proposal. Don t just limit this to the classroom! What are ways you can make your lab/research group culture more LGBTQ+ accepting? This goes beyond just academics! What are things you can do to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community at your institution? Once you ve made an action plan, share some of your action items here.
List of Resources The google doc we worked on today for resources will be added to the Workshop s webpage on the EER site. You can also view it at this QR code
Acknowledgements De Anza College Pride Center and Director Jamie Pelusi National Association of Geoscience Teachers Everyone who has helped me become me! All of you for attending! Please take the Roadcheck survey on the workshop website
