Uneven Ground: Fieldwork Accessibility for LGBTQIA+ people

What are the challenges LGBTQIA+ people face when working in the field? What needs to be done to overcome these challenges and make fieldwork safer, more accessible, and more inclusive?

For many geoscientists, fieldwork is a key aspect of their career: data collection is an important skill to learn and may be required to achieve academic success in their research area, and can provide oppertunities for networking and teaching. Unfortunately, participation in fieldwork campaigns can also include negative experiences, such as discriminatory behavior and harassment which adversely impacts personal wellbeing and career trajectory.

Recent studies have shown that researchers who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or other marginalized gender and sexual identities (LGBTQIA+) experience higher levels of discrimination and marginalisation. However these experiences are yet to be explored through an intersectional enquiry which recognises the complex interaction between different components of discrimination.

In this webinar we explore past experiences, including resiliency strategies, and how mentors and institutions can plan actions to provide a safe, inclusive, and accessible fieldwork experience for LGBTQIA+ scientists.

This is the second webinar in a multi-part of series which examines fieldwork practices and accessibility.

The webinar will last for one hour and conclude with an audience Q&A. This webinar will be recorded and uploaded to the EGU YouTube Channel the following week: https://www.youtube.com/egu.

Speakers:

Jaime J. Coon (they/she) is an interdisciplinary restoration ecologist working at Earlham College in Indiana, USA, whose work integrates social and natural science to assess the impacts of management on biodiversity, especially grassland birds. Jaime leads field teams of undergraduate students each summer and has a scholarly interest in fostering inclusivity in science, especially for students in fieldwork settings.

Nathan Alexander (he/him) is a postdoctoral research associate at the Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, USA. He predominantly researches wildlife populations, species distributions, and landscape genetics. Nathan also currently chairs the LGBTQ+ Homeless Workgroup under the Champaign County Continuum of Service Providers to the Homeless, focusing on increased access, inclusion, and protection of LGBTQ+ people seeking assistance and social services.

Kay McMonigal (he/him or they/them) is an Assistant Professor of Oceanography at University of Alaska Fairbanks. His research uses observations and models to understand the role of the changing ocean circulation in climate. He is also passionate about making seagoing oceanography more inclusive.

Organizers:

Clara Barker, Anita Di Chiara

If you have any questions about ‘Uneven Ground: Fieldwork Accessibility for LGBTQIA+ people’, please contact us via webinars@egu.eu.