Building a Queer- and Trans-Inclusive Microbiology Conference

Abstract

Microbiology conferences can be powerful places to build collaborations and exchange scientific thought, but for queer and transgender (trans) scientists they can also become sources of alienation and isolation. Many conference organizers would like to create welcoming and inclusive events but feel ill-equipped to make this vision a reality, and a historical lack of representation of queer and trans folks in microbiology means we rarely occupy these key leadership roles ourselves. Looking more broadly, queer and trans scientists are systematically marginalized across scientific fields, leading to disparities in career outcomes, professional networks, and opportunities, as well as loss of unique scientific perspectives at all levels. For queer and trans folks with multiple, intersecting, marginalized identities, these barriers often become even more severe. Here, we provide concrete, practical advice to help conference organizers in the microbial sciences design inclusive, safe, and welcoming conferences, where queer and trans microbiologists can flourish.

Recommendations Emerging from Carbon Emissions Estimations of the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting

“…Scientific conferences allow participants to exchange knowledge, techniques, and perspectives via presentation of current work and through formal and informal discussions, thus stimulating new relationships, ideas, and research ( Parncutt et al, 2021 ). Yet, in-person meetings often exclude or marginalize individuals who identify as queer or transgender, require childcare or are lactating, face visa restrictions, and possess restricted travel budgets ( Klöwer et al, 2020 ; Sarabipour et al, 2021 ; Fent et al, 2022 ; Gregor et al, 2023 ). Further, they rely on aircraft to convene, which accounted for 3.5% of net anthropogenic global warming in 2018 ( Lee et al, 2021 ).…”