Abstract
While scientific environments have been described as unwelcoming to the LGBTQ+ community, and fields like physics have systematically documented these challenges, the climate in biology workplaces has not been assessed. We conducted the largest survey to date of LGBTQ+ experiences in biology, including 1419 biologists across five professional societies, with 486 identifying as LGBTQ+. Trans and gender non-conforming (TGNC) biologists reported lower belonging and morale within the workplace, professional societies, and the biology community compared to cis, straight biologists. They also reported being less comfortable with the climate of various professional biology environments. While LGBTQ+ biologists report that their workplaces are moderately inclusive, over 20% of all LGBTQ+ biologists and nearly 40% of TGNC biologists experience exclusionary behavior at work. This landmark survey provides the first comprehensive analysis of the LGBTQ+ climate in biology, revealing specific challenges faced by TGNC scientists and identifying interventions to enhance inclusivity for scientists.
Teaser Climate study for LGBTQ+ biologists highlights exclusion of trans and gender nonconforming scientists.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Footnotes
The original version mistakenly listed funding sources. This project was not funded.