Continuing the Pride month series, a short announcement – I’m doing a “Queer in STEM” AMA (Ask Me Anything). If you have questions, queries, quandaries, conundrums or dilemmas around the topic of being an out gay/queer scientist, or just being gay/queer I will have a go at providing an answer.

You can submit your question using this (anonymous) Google form [the form’s now closed, but you can still ask questions anonymously in the comments], in the comments below, or by email (thelabandfield@gmail.com). The only data collected on the form are time/date (autofilled), and your question; there’s an optional field if you want to provide your name, but there’s absolutely no need to (or even indeed to provide your real name).

I’ll put a blog post up here on Sunday 24 June 2018 with my responses.

 

Why am I doing this? Because it’s something I wish I had seen/been able to do from the other side for ages. I didn’t have any other queer scientists to ask questions to until I went to the first LGBT STEMinar, really. And that event has created such a community, but is UK centric because that’s where the folks organizing it live. if I was still living in Canada, chances are I wouldn’t have made the connections I have with other out LGBTQ+ scientists. Making connections with other queer scientists has been personally rewarding (with several new friends), but also professionally fulfilling because it provides an outlet to ask questions and have discussions that I just can’t have with my straight colleagues (usually because it would take too long to get them up to speed on issues or topics that they haven’t really thought about).

So this is my go at providing a forum to help those who haven’t yet found a community, or who may not even be out (personally or professionally). Or those straight friends and colleagues who have their own questions but aren’t sure how to ask. No question is too basic, ridiculous, or even likely one I haven’t already been asked.

 

So ask away! I’ll leave the form up until noon UK time on Saturday 23 June.