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LGBTQ+ STEM @UCL Network

If you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community or an ally working in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) discipline, please come and join us in our social events.

Manifesto

The LGBTQ+ STEM @UCL Network aspires to promote the disruptive thinking of UCL staff and students who identify as LGBTQ+ working in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines by providing a platform for dissemination and enabling meaningful connections.

This network is a student-staff partnership that celebrates diversity and excellence at all career stages.

According to the UCL’s Staff Survey 2017, over 40% of UCL LGBTQ+ staff respondents reported that they did not discuss their personal lives openly at work or were not out in the workplace. The culture of STEM disciplines has long been considered to lean away from the overlap between person and professional lives. The international nature of science has also caused particular concerns for members of the scientific LGBTQ+ community as it increases the likelihood of interacting with cultures that were not yet inclusive of queerness (i.e.  conferences or fieldwork in countries where LGBTQ+ people are criminalised). A visible LGBTQ+ presence in STEM disciplines is imperative to foster a supportive and productive environment for other members of the community.

Diversity is crucial for the development of ground-breaking research. This network will raise awareness of the research and professional activities of underrepresented groups within STEM disciplines.

To enable this, the network will work closely with other LGBTQ+ and EDI initiatives and representatives.

Our core values are based on:

  1. Visibility
  2. Representation
  3. Diversity
  4. Inclusivity

Aims of the Network

1) Provide a forum for support and advocacy around issues relevant to LGBTQ+ peoples in STEM within the LGBTQ+ community at UCL and more broadly within the university;

2) Broaden wider perceptions of LGBTQ+ identities in STEM disciplines at UCL by celebrating diversity and research excellence, fostering a support and productive research environment in which queer expression is visible;

3) Facilitate communication and social opportunities for LGBTQ+ postgraduate students and staff at UCL in STEM disciplines

Members of the Committee

  • Javier Bautista (Chair)
  • Luciano Rila
  • Sarah Beale
  • Scott Allan Orr
  • Keith Siew
  • Vivienne Leech
  • Hector Garcia-Moreno

Want to get involved?

We regularly organise events, ranging from social meetups to talks by invited speakers. If you would like to join us for future events and receive the newsletter, use the following link: http://www.mailinglists.ucl.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/lgbtq-stem-network (you need to log in using a UCL VPN).

Follow us on Twitter at @LGBTQ_STEMatUCL

You can also reach out to us if you have any questions: lgbtq.stem@ucl.ac.uk