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. 2021 Jan 15;7(3):eabe0933.
doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abe0933. Print 2021 Jan.

Systemic inequalities for LGBTQ professionals in STEM

E A Cech  1 , T J Waidzunas  2
Affiliations

Systemic inequalities for LGBTQ professionals in STEM

E A Cech et al. Sci Adv. .

Abstract

Researchers have documented race and gender inequality in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for decades. Do lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) professionals face parallel experiences of disadvantage in STEM? Using representative survey data from 21 STEM professional societies (N sample = 25,324; N LGBTQ = 1006), this paper presents multidimensional and methodologically robust documentation of 5 dimensions of LGBTQ inequality in STEM. Controlling for variation by demographic, discipline, and job factors, LGBTQ STEM professionals were more likely to experience career limitations, harassment, and professional devaluation than their non-LGBTQ peers. They also reported more frequent health difficulties and were more likely to intend to leave STEM. These trends were similar across STEM disciplines and employment sectors. We found no differences by LGBTQ status in education level, work effort, or job commitment. These findings reveal LGBTQ status as a clear axis of inequality in STEM and motivate further research into the mechanisms producing such outcomes.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Career opportunities and resources, by LGBTQ status.
Predicted means by LGBTQ status, holding constant variation by demographics, employment and job characteristics, and professional society. Scale ranges from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with higher numbers representing stronger agreement. Error bars represent 95% CIs. N = 25,324.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Professional devaluation, by LGBTQ status.
Predicted means by LGBTQ status, holding constant variation by demographics, employment and job characteristics, and professional society. Scale ranges from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with higher numbers representing stronger agreement. Error bars represent 95% CIs. N = 25,324.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. Social exclusion by colleagues, by LGBTQ status.
Predicted means for each category, holding constant variation by demographics, employment and job characteristics, and professional society. Scale ranges from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with higher number representing stronger agreement. Error bars represent 95% CIs. N = 25,324.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4. Percent experiencing harassment, by LGBTQ status.
Predicted percentages for each category, holding constant variation by demographics, employment and job characteristics, and professional society. Scale represents percent of respondents in each category who experienced harassment at work at least once in the past year. Error bars represent 95% CIs. N = 25,324.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5. Health and wellness difficulties, by LGBTQ status.
Predicted means for each category, holding constant variation by demographics, employment and job characteristics, and professional society. Scale ranges from 1 (never) to 5 (very often in the last year), with higher numbers representing more frequent incidence of each symptom. Error bars represent 95% CIs. N = 25,324.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6. Intentions to leave STEM, by LGBTQ status.
Predicted means for each category, holding constant variation by demographics, employment and job characteristics, and professional society. Scale on the “Thought About Leaving STEM Job” measure ranges from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with higher number representing stronger agreement. Scale on “Plans to Leave STEM Profession” measure ranges from 1 (spending rest of their career in their profession) to 5 (spending less than 5 years in their profession). Error bars represent 95% CIs. N = 25,324.
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