2016 AAAS Annual Meeting (February 11-15, 2016)

February 10 - 15, 2016

Engaging LGBT Scientists in the U.S. and Abroad

LGBT professionals are underrepresented in all STEM fields. Efforts to broaden participation typically extend only to females and ethnic minorities, although many of the same disparities apply to LGBT scientists. In the U.S., the LGBT population experiences harassment and subtle forms of discrimination in the workplace. The situation is worse in many other countries, where LGBT people are excluded from education and employment. This symposium reports on empirical social science research revealing the landscape of disparities for the LGBT population in STEM. It will include a presentation of groundbreaking best practices for academic departments wishing to foster equitable treatment of LGBT faculty, as well as education and training being implemented to ensure LGBT inclusion in international STEM capacity-building. The panel discusses the potential for LGBT STEM professional societies and student groups to contribute to broadening participation of the LGBT population and engaging LGBT scientists in the U.S. and abroad.