Celebrating our queer community in STEMM

International Day of LGBTQIA+ People in STEMM is an annual celebration of the innovation and unique research that LGBTQIA+ people bring to Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine. This day was established by members of the LGBTQIA+ community in STEMM fields at UK-based organisation Pride in STEM. Their goal was to recognise and showcase the contributions that LGBTQIA+ people have made to research, in order to challenge cis-heteronormative stereotypes in STEMM.  

Here’s what our queer STEMM community has to say and celebrate ahead of International Day of LGBTQIA+ People in STEMM.  

Riley Dunn, they/them, Honours in Neuroscience, School of Medical Sciences 

“I think it’s incredibly important for the LGBTQIA+ community to be involved in STEMM as our diversity drives innovation and fosters a more inclusive environment for all.” 

Riley has always loved science. As a child they were fascinated by how things worked and wanted to pursue science as a career in order to make a difference.

“Growing up I didn’t always think it was possible. I didn’t see anyone like me in STEMM. I thought I would have to choose between having a career or being my authentic self.”  

Thankfully, that was not the case. Even though they had no role models, Riley took a risk and has already come a long way to achieving their goals. They are in their honour's year of their Neuroscience degree, and looking forward to starting their PhD next year. 

“For my Honours project, I have been focusing on designing a gene therapy for a rare neurodevelopmental condition, CDKL5 deficiency disorder. I hope to continue this work in my PhD next year.” 

Klementine Burrell-Sander, she/her, PhD student, School of Chemistry

“Having queer people in STEMM has an enormous effect; whether it's a student seeing that it’s possible to be open about your identity, a colleague feeling comfortable discussing their personal life with a peer, or management being forced to confront systems that work to exclude queer people – things like parental leave and bathroom access – that they have never even thought about before.”

As Klementine explains, the benefits of participation have a far greater reach than just inclusive practice.  

“While obviously it’s deeply important for young queer people to have role models in STEMM, at the end of the day, I genuinely think it leads to better science being done.” 

“Everyone brings a different perspective and it’s not criticism of any of the other amazing researchers in the field to say that sometimes, you need different perspectives to solve a thorny research issue. In some fields the experiences of queer scientists can offer important insights the others might not have considered – much like how having women involved in medical research has led to scientists finally identifying patterns related to menstrual cycles and the like.”  

Eric Tsobanis, he/him, Clinical Trials Specialist Lead, Quality & Compliance, NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health

Eric Tsobanis works in our largest trial centre on campus, the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, where human research trials are coordinated across a variety of disciplines. His role is to ensure compliance and quality oversight across the entire trial portfolio. One current area of interest for Eric is how to encourage clinical trial participation by the queer, trans and gender diverse community, by examining the language used in consent forms and trial protocols to make it more gender neutral.

“It’s important to raise the visibility of the queer community within research and to address any barriers that may be present that dissuade or prevent queer participation. This has the effect of making the results more relevant to all segments of the community, including the queer community.”

Ren Tuttiett she/her, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Sciences

“Being queer and studying STEMM is so vital for future generations. As a woman- and pansexual-identifying scientist, I hope other queer folks can see that while it can be scary to pursue career paths with a history of being dominated by white cis-men, this is a changing landscape that more diverse people are now being encouraged and supported to study and work within.” 

Ren Tuttiett is in the School of Veterinary Sciences and recognises that her field was once dominated by men, however it is now a field featuring predominantly women. 

“Being a vet is what I’ve wanted to do my whole life, and throughout high school my love of STEMM subjects grew. This made it so much more exciting to pursue STEMM through university, as enjoying what I’ve been studying has made it so much more exciting to expand my knowledge on STEMM topics. Especially biology and immunology!

Someone who Ren looks up to is Lauren Esposito, a queer American scientist who specialises in arachnology and is one of the world’s only female-identifying scorpion specialists. Lauren co-founded the project 500 Queer Scientists with Sean Edgerton – it’s a network of international queer scientists who can self-submit bios on the website. She created this project with the aim of increasing the visibility of LGBTQIA+ scientists. 

“The future I want to see is one where anyone feels safe and welcome to pursue their interests and passions.”

The importance of diversity in STEMM

In 2018, the Diversity Council of Australia found that LGBTQIA+ employees are 50 percent more likely to be innovative and 35 percent more likely to work highly effectively in their teams if they are “out” and safe to be so, in the workplace. To help LGBTQIA+ individuals achieve their full potential in STEMM, there needs to be an enhancement of visibility, celebration of diversity, and fostering of safe, supportive work environments by encouraging allies and inclusive workplace cultures.

Significant efforts are still needed to establish safe and inclusive environments for LGBTQIA+ individuals in STEMM fields in Australia. Research indicates that LGBTQIA+ individuals often face challenges in being open about their identities at work. In STEMM, they experience lower retention rates, and students are more likely to leave university compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. This is largely due to the poor visibility of LGBTQIA+ professionals in STEMM and the lack of supportive policies, management guidance, and career resources tailored to their needs. 

The University recognises the importance of fostering a safe and supportive environment for all in our community, where everyone can thrive. Learn more about support available for our LGBTQIA+ community, including our Pride Network.