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  • Featured in Physics
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LGBT+ physicists: Harassment, persistence, and uneven support

Ramón S. Barthelemy* and Madison Swirtz

Savannah Garmon

Elizabeth H. Simmons

Kyle Reeves

Michael L. Falk

Wouter Deconinck

Elena A. Long

Timothy J. Atherton†

  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Utah, 115 S. 1400 E., Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA

  • Department of Physical Science, Osaka Prefecture University, Gakuen-cho 1-1, Sakai 599-8531, Japan

  • Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, USA

  • Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Physico-chimie des Électrolytes et Nanosystèmes Interfaciaux, PHENIX, F-75005 Paris

  • Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA

  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2

  • Department of Physics, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA

  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tufts University, 574 Boston Ave, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA

  • *Corresponding author. Ramon.s.barthelemy@gmail.com
  • †Corresponding author. Timothy.Atherton@tufts.edu
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Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 18, 010124 – Published 28 March, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.010124

Abstract

Diversity and inclusion in the field of physics has been an important area of research in the last two decades. However, such work has scarcely looked at the concerns and barriers faced by LGBT+ physicists, despite numerous indications they face discrimination in wider society. This article presents the first study looking at the climate experiences and persistence of LGBT physicists through an online survey (N=324) focused on intragroup differences within the LGBT+ community. The results indicated that 36% of all respondents reported considering leaving their institution or workplace with 22% reporting that they experienced exclusionary behavior in the last year (i.e., being shunned, ignored, or harassed). However, this number varied by gender with transgender participants (49%) experiencing the most exclusionary behavior. Overall, respondents who could be out about being LGBT+ were more comfortable at their institutions and workplaces. The results point to the increasing challenges of LGBT+ physicists who are also transgender or persons of color, indicating the need for further research on this topic.

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Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Viewpoint

Making Physics Inclusive to LGBTQ+ Folks

Published 28 March, 2022

Despite improvements in working conditions, harassment and discrimination continue to affect the retention of LGBTQ+ physicists; creating positive workplace climates could help.

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See Also

Workplace climate for LGBT+ physicists: A view from students and professional physicists

Ramón S. Barthelemy, Bryce E. Hughes, Madison Swirtz, Matthew Mikota, and Timothy J. Atherton
Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 18, 010147 (2022)

Article Text

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Outline

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Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 18, 010124– Published 28 March, 2022
  • Received 23 July 2020
  • Revised 23 April 2021
  • Accepted 1 February 2022
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

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