Proceedings of The 2nd International Conference on Gender Studies and Sexuality
Year: 2022
DOI:
[PDF]
LGBTQ2+ Students’ and Professionals’ Inclusion and Diversity in STEM; Struggles and Potential Approaches
Hessam Mirgolbabaei
ABSTRACT:
Diversity and inclusion may not have been of great emphasis in STEM, specifically in engineering, when it comes to LGBTQ2S+ (i.e., Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and Two-Spirit). Since diversity in any field, including engineering, will increase the likelihood of achieving breakthroughs, attention to potential factors promoting diversity and reducing the retention of sexual minorities can be a significant step towards reaching a more successful environment. Strategies towards this goal are supposedly covering a range of spectrum in the engineering profession and education, from recruitment to classrooms, from the search committee structure of the hiring process to decision making and the structure of the administration. The present study discusses multiple struggles in achieving a diverse and inclusive working and educational environment and proposes potential approaches to untangle the issues at hand.
keywords: diversity, inclusion, LGBTQ2S+, minority professionals, minority students .