Scientists once hid their identity – is life in STEM better today?

Ask anyone to mention a famous LGBTQIA+ scientist, and they’ll probably start off with Alan Turing, the incredible brains behind the Enigma machine that helped win World War Two.

Some may also mention Sally Ride, the first US woman in space. 

Others may also be familiar with Ben Barres, the pioneering neuroscientist who transitioned in the 1990s.

But as many will know, Alan Turing was shockingly, and horrifically, chemically castrated in order to avoid prison on a charge of gross indecency for engaging in homosexual acts.

Sally Ride’s sexual orientation was only revealed posthumously. 

And Ben Barres, in a letter to colleagues about his transitioning process, wrote: ‘This has been a difficult decision because I risk losing everything of importance to me: my reputation, my career, my friends and even my family.’

But decades on, what is life like for the LGBTQIA+ community working in STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths), whether in the lab or out in the field?

Last Pride month, Metro.co.uk teamed up with New Scientist to ask people all over the world how they found life in the industry. The results offered a mix of hope for the future and concern for the present.

More than one in seven respondents said they had previously or were currently concealing their identity at work, often out of fear over how their colleagues would react.

One person said: ‘[There was a] hostile environment, [I] felt it would not be safe or sensible to be open. Even in my current position I am selective and tentative about revealing my sexuality although I am trying to be braver than I have been in the past.’

Another said: ‘I felt I won’t be accepted and supported. I have faced discrimination and racial slurs for my identity. I felt threatened.’

Others who have come out still suffered homophobic treatment.

‘I was unsure how colleagues would react, and management,’ said one respondent. ‘Previously I have heard homophobic jokes and remarks – even while being open with my sexuality – in my office space. I also work with a large number of international clients and I am unsure how they would react, so while I don’t hide my sexuality I also do not tend to be as open/transparent about it.’

Some have not faced such extreme harassment, but still find it difficult to be themselves.

‘It still feels uncomfortable to talk to colleagues about relationships if I’m currently in a relationship with a woman,’ said one person. ‘I always find myself using “they”, and if I ever slip up and say “she”, every single time the other person looks shocked and the conversation gets uncomfortable and ends quickly – which may be as I get uncomfortable myself – but conversations about being single are always about “finding me a man”, which makes it difficult to rebut, especially if it’s a more senior person.’

However, some feel the industry is changing.

‘The acceptance of non-straight people now is much higher than when I started working 30+ years ago,’ said one person. ‘Then there was much more casual discrimination, [but] that is not the case now. Civil partnerships and marriage have normalised gay relationships within the wider community, and that has bled into workplace culture.’

Another said: ‘Support has increased dramatically over the last 10 years. There is a much more diverse range of staff and students with people feeling comfortable to dress as they like and be who they are.’

But in a wide-ranging global industry, what is a positive experience for some may not be for others, and 71% of participants said they had considered leaving their job, with the main reasons cited as a lack of diversity, a lack of senior role models and a lack of change.

‘A recent reorganisation ended with me as the only LGBTQ+ person demoted and top management is now all white heterosexual and under 50,’ said one person.

Another responded: ‘There’s something really stuffy and austere about science, or at least there is in my experience. I don’t think it makes room for people to be themselves.’

When asked what improvements they would make, a common response was for companies to increase support for members of the community in the workplace, including promoting the use of correct pronouns.

And in positive news, two thirds of people surveyed agreed that their workplace is welcoming for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and had a diverse range of employees – although only 44% said their pronouns were respected by colleagues.

‘I’m open about my sexuality but not my gender identity,’ said one participant. ‘It’s a topic I’m still not sure older generations who occupy executive management positions and our customers understand. Would they be able to use my pronouns properly? 

‘I already struggle enough as a female presenting person, who knows what might happen?’

Others said they would prefer the industry not to highlight the community as separate in any way. One response read ‘Would prefer to be accepted by colleagues irrespective of sexual orientation’, and another ‘Stop talking about it. Just be what you are’.

Unfortunately however, given the global nature of the industry, that is not always an option for those working within it.

‘I worked in an Eastern European country and I was afraid for my life,’ said one participant. Another said: ‘I have faced discrimination and racial slurs for my identity. I felt hostile and threatened.’

While STEM itself may be making incredible leaps forward – in the past few weeks alone breakthroughs in cancer vaccines, Parkinson’s diagnosis and the search for alien life have all made headlines – for those working in the industry, progress towards equality is not always as rapid.

More than a third have either witnessed or suffered an incident at work relating to sexual orientation, and of those who reported it, only a quarter of those were happy with how it was handled.

As outside the bounds of the industry, there is much that needs to be improved.

However, it does seem to be moving in the right direction, with a number of respondents who had worked in the STEM for many years noting obvious improvement.

‘From when I started to where I am now, I have seen so much change and progression – I am very excited to see what the future brings for future generations,’ said one person. 

‘I would love to be part of this journey.’