APS Celebrates LGBTSTEM Day

On July 5, science organizations around the world are joining together in support and celebration of LGBTQ+ people in science, technology and math (STEM) fields. APS is one of 50 supporting organizations that have come together with the PrideInSTEM organization to celebrate the second annual LGBTSTEM Day.

LGBTSTEM Day was created to recognize members of the STEM community who continue to face adversity and discrimination. Several reports, including the APS LGBT Climate in Physics survey from 2015, have highlighted the continued risks of harassment and discrimination for LGBT+ scientists, which risks driving talented minds from STEM. The goal of LGBTSTEM Day is to raise awareness of these issues and support LGBT+ scientists in effort to increase inclusion and diversity in STEM.

Eight organizing groups have joined PrideInSTEM to make this day possible: House of STEM, InterEngineering, OUT in STEM, LGBTQSTEM, 500 Queer Scientists, Queer in STEM, Queer in Science, and LGBT+ Physics. Volunteers from these groups and the supporting organizations have created events to celebrate LGBTSTEM day.

July 5 was selected as the date for LGBTSTEM Day as the date can be written to symbolize colors found in the rainbow flag, signifying pride: In the U.S., the date written “705” corresponds to a red wavelength in nanometers, representing life, and elsewhere the date written “507” is a green wavelength, representing nature.

To learn more about LGBTSTEM Day, visit the PrideInSTEM website.