No sexuality please, we're scientists

@bmatb No sexuality please, we’re scientists Dr Ben Britton (He/him),
CEng, CSci, FIMMM t: @bmatb, e: [email protected] Senior Lecturer/RAEng Research Fellow, Imperial College London Trustee, Pride in STEM

@bmatb 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej82v0V1iIA

@bmatb 3

@bmatb • UK Charitable Trust (HMRC Charity Number: EW64395) •
Founded in 2016, and led by Dr Alfredo Carpineti • Core Mission: “Highlighting the importance of LGBT+ diversity of those working in science, technology engineering and maths (STEM) fields and supporting groups, events and institutions working to achieve that goal” • Aka ‘Queer up science space’ & ‘Science up queer spaces’ Pride in STEM 4

@bmatb Major activities • Advocacy and engagement • Government, institutions,
companies, social media (tw: @prideinstem, insta: @prideinstem), and people • Organising OutThinkers • London Pride walking group • Coordinating (with others) #LGBTSTEMDay 5

@bmatb OUTreach 6 My PhD supervisor

@bmatb

@bmatb 8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy200FOXrMk

@bmatb About me

@bmatb Brief Bio… (the shiny one) DPhil in Oxford: Ti
for Aero PDRA in Oxford: Materials for Fission and Fusion Nuclear Metallurgy Fellow @ Imperial Director of Nuclear Engineering MSc RAEng Research Fellowship: Materials for Safer Reactors Lecturer @ Imperial Senior Lecturer @ Imperial 2014 IOM3 silver medal 2016 RAEng Young Engineer 2017 Imperial ECR Award EPSRC Solders Grant 10

@bmatb Brief Bio… (the shiny one) DPhil in Oxford: Ti
for Aero PDRA in Oxford: Materials for Fission and Fusion Nuclear Metallurgy Fellow @ Imperial Director of Nuclear Engineering MSc RAEng Research Fellowship: Materials for Safer Reactors Lecturer @ Imperial Senior Lecturer @ Imperial 2014 IOM3 silver medal 2016 RAEng Young Engineer 2017 Imperial ECR Award EPSRC Solders Grant Ski Season & Law School Finish PhD Early (eek!) Oxford Lecturership Fail Oxford Eng. Sci. Lectureship Fail RAEng Fellowship Fail #1 (Oxf.) RAEng Fellowship Fail #2 (Imp.) Swansea Lecturership Fail Zr Grant Failure Euro Grant Failure ^ 11

@bmatb Brief Bio… (the shiny one) ^ 2008 – Came
out to close friends College LGBT rep 2008-2015 2 body problem (+more) Moved jobs… Came out to new colleagues (again + again) Came out to supervisor (only) 9 months Would I be ‘out’ with him on social media? Feb 2018 Out to family July-5-2018 Out to world #LGBTSTEMDay 12

@bmatb @ExpMicroMech • We focus on Experiments to understand the
intersection of mechanics, microstructure and materials & we like to experiment! Electron microscopy of the Gibeon Meteorite Britton et al. Materials Characterisation (2018) 13

@bmatb STEM and LGBT+ (trigger warning)

@bmatb LGBT+ Lingo bingo – what do these words mean?
• Coming out • Intersectionality • Why the +? 15 • Cis-gender • Heteronormative • Queer • Patriarchy

@bmatb LGBT+ STEM Experience • Significant evidence of widespread workplace
experience inequalities for LGBT employees compared to non-LGBT colleagues [1] • Uncorrelated with age, tenure, and demographic diversity STEM Federal Workers – Workplace Experience, 1 = negative, 2 = neutral, 3 = positive (from [1]) [1] Cech and Pham Social Sciences 2017 https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/socsci6010012 16

@bmatb Heteronormativity and heterosexism • Cultural expectations abound – conscious,
unconscious and systems • <60% of LGBT+ people are out at work • LGBTQ+ individuals frequency encounter wage inequalities, social isolation, and pressure to downplay or cover their LGBTQ+ status [1] • LGBTQ+ individuals may feel they need to ‘pass’ themselves as straight • Institutions/colleagues suggest ‘covering’ to ‘make life easier’ [1] [1] Excerpt from Cech and Waidzunas 2011 https://doi.org/10.1080/19378629.2010.545065 17

@bmatb Professional Culture • Professional culture can create stereotypes •
Often ‘co-constructed’ with professional norms and perceptions • Stereotypes can be used like armour, but they exclude so many • Rendering engineering as “apolitical” and “technical”, and equality as “political” can increase marginalisation [2] • Care in analysis/extrapolation of experience – experiences are often intersectional, and your individual experience will differ from your neighbours – listen first! [2] Cech and Waidzunas (2011) Engineering Studies DOI: 10.1080/19378629.2010.545065 18

@bmatb Privilege • “many STEM disciplines remain dominated by, and
unconsciously biased towards, straight, white, non-disabled, middle-class, cis-gendered men” [1] • You can’t change your past but can acknowledge it, and improve the lives of others • Recognise, listen and support individuals from underrepresented groups consider power dynamics too • STEM is not a zero-sum game [1] Oliver et al. Evidence to the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee https://bit.ly/2GdXqns 19

@bmatb Coming out & being human • Sexual identity is
less “visible” than other differences • Many STEM LGBT+ individuals are not OUT to their colleagues • Sexual identity is often seen as “irrelevant to the scientific workplace” [2] • Conflict with objectivity of scientific objectivity • LGBT+ people face hostility – direct or indirect • Groupthink, unconscious bias, self- expectation [1] https://www.aps.org/programs/lgbt/upload/LGBTClimateinPhysicsReport.pdf [2] https://www.jstor.org/stable/20628175?read-now=1&seq=3#page_scan_tab_contents [1] 20

@bmatb Coming out & being human • Hiding part of
yourself is exhausting • partner pronoun ‘games’ (passing) • ‘do you have a wife?’ • constantly looking over shoulder • social exclusion & mental health • “Labour of cues” [1] • STEM is hard enough • But coming out everyday is exhausting… (aka why not just read my blog?) [1] https://www.jstor.org/stable/20628175?read-now=1&seq=3#page_scan_tab_contents 21

@bmatb Role models & mentorship 22

@bmatb Improving Culture

@bmatb Diversity, equality & inclusion • Diversity without inclusion is
not enough • Inclusion without equality is not enough • Stamp collecting can be fun, if you are collecting stamps • Varies by field, work culture, social culture, intersectional approaches… • Engage with Athena SWAW + Stonewall Diversity Champion [1] Yoder and Matteis (2016) Journal of Homosexuality 24

@bmatb *We can always use “they/them”

@bmatb

@bmatb As an LGBT+ person, I can… • You have
no obligations • Be yourself • If you can… • Be out & be a role model • Share your story • Advocate & get involved • You are not the ‘only gay in the village’ • Support each other • Listen to others • Consider and support groups (intersectionality) 27

@bmatb As an LGBT+ ally, I can… • Listen, educate
and empower yourself • Be visible and challenge • Amplify voices • Advocate for policy shift & influence others • Diversity AND inclusion AND equality • Attend LGBT+ events & listen to their stories • Stop assuming everyone is straight, or that sexuality is static • Observe & challenge cis-heteronormative behaviour & stereotyping • Consider within framework of intersectionality 28

@bmatb I can ask my organisation to… • Improve policies,
specifically with respect to LGBT+ • Senior staff lead by example • Create professional networks • Gender neutral communications • Stop assuming everyone is straight • Recruit from LGBT community & support LGBT people • Diversity training as standard • Contribute & support local LGBT community • Consider within framework of intersectionality 29

@bmatb Dr Ben Britton, tw: @bmatb, e: [email protected] Pride in
STEM (www.prideinstem.org)

@bmatb Further resources: • www.prideinstem.org • www.houseofstem.org • http://www.iop.org/policy/diversity/ •
IOP LGBT+ Physical Sciences Network • www.stonewall.org.uk/diversity-champions-programme • https://www.aps.org/programs/lgbt/index.cfm 31

No sexuality please, we're scientists

No sexuality please, we're scientists

benjaminbritton

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@bmatb No sexuality please, we’re scientists Dr Ben Britton (He/him),

@bmatb 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej82v0V1iIA

@bmatb 3

@bmatb • UK Charitable Trust (HMRC Charity Number: EW64395) •

@bmatb Major activities • Advocacy and engagement • Government, institutions,

@bmatb OUTreach 6 My PhD supervisor

@bmatb

@bmatb 8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy200FOXrMk

@bmatb About me

@bmatb Brief Bio… (the shiny one) DPhil in Oxford: Ti

@bmatb Brief Bio… (the shiny one) DPhil in Oxford: Ti

@bmatb Brief Bio… (the shiny one) ^ 2008 – Came

@bmatb @ExpMicroMech • We focus on Experiments to understand the

@bmatb STEM and LGBT+ (trigger warning)

@bmatb LGBT+ Lingo bingo – what do these words mean?

@bmatb LGBT+ STEM Experience • Significant evidence of widespread workplace

@bmatb Heteronormativity and heterosexism • Cultural expectations abound – conscious,

@bmatb Professional Culture • Professional culture can create stereotypes •

@bmatb Privilege • “many STEM disciplines remain dominated by, and

@bmatb Coming out & being human • Sexual identity is

@bmatb Coming out & being human • Hiding part of

@bmatb Role models & mentorship 22

@bmatb Improving Culture

@bmatb Diversity, equality & inclusion • Diversity without inclusion is

@bmatb *We can always use “they/them”

@bmatb

@bmatb As an LGBT+ person, I can… • You have

@bmatb As an LGBT+ ally, I can… • Listen, educate

@bmatb I can ask my organisation to… • Improve policies,

@bmatb Dr Ben Britton, tw: @bmatb, e: [email protected] Pride in

@bmatb Further resources: • www.prideinstem.org • www.houseofstem.org • http://www.iop.org/policy/diversity/ •