Every June, Pride Month is celebrated in the United States. At the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), we take this opportunity to highlight the LGBTQ+ community in STEM fields and their many contributions.
Visit this curated collection of resources of some of the latest podcast episodes, blog posts, magazine articles, and online courses honoring the LGBTQ+ community’s work and impact.
Diverse: a SWE Podcast
- Ep 278: Courageously Authentic Leadership With Shelley Knust of Cummins Inc.: Shelley Knust, vice president of product compliance and regulatory affairs at Cummins Inc., shares her approach to courageous leadership and embracing her authentic self.
- Ep 231: Championing Inclusivity in Tech With Joannie Fu of Intel: Joannie Fu, then vice president of the Network & Edge Group Execution Office at Intel, discussed building a more inclusive tech sector and her experience of being out at work as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
- Ep 218: Transgender Voices in Engineering with Bree Fram: Active-duty lieutenant colonel and astronautical engineer in the U.S. Space Force, Bree Fram discusses her journey, both professional and personal, as one of the highest-ranking out transgender officers in the U.S. military, and what progress she has seen for the LGBTQ+ community in the military.
All Together Blog
- How LGBTQ+ Resource Centers Are Making a Difference on College Campuses: oSTEM (Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) shares the importance of LGBTQ+ resource centers on university campuses and provides actionable tips to support students and professionals.
- SWENext Resources for Pride Month: Find toolkits, guides, and stories to recognize the LGBTQ+ community throughout June and beyond. Here are some Pride Month resources to support LGBTQ+ precollege students, such as those in our SWENext Clubs, as well as parents of precollege students, educators, mentors, and adult advocates.
- PRIDE Month – Support Groups and Organizations Discussion: The LGBTQ+ and Allies Affinity Group discussed with their members the importance of support groups and organizations geared to the LGBTQ+ community and their authenticity. Read on to see what four AG members shared.
SWE Magazine
- Moving Toward More Equitable Classrooms and Workplaces: Researcher Erin A. Cech, Ph.D., who identifies as queer, addresses both LGBTQ+ equality issues in engineering and how the passion principle perpetuates inequality in her book The Trouble with Passion: How Searching for Fulfillment at Work Fosters Inequality.
- Being Inclusive with Pronouns: Adding pronouns to conference badges, email signatures, and social media and videoconferencing profiles is more than just the new, cool thing in diversity and inclusion. It helps build community and enhance communication, says SWE member Marcie Mathis.
- What Does It Really Mean to Bring Your Authentic Self to Work?: Why is bringing your authentic self to work crucial for fostering an inclusive and diverse engineering workplace? Read here to find out and check out some of the Advance Learning Center courses listed covering workplace relationships, communication cues, and negotiation.
Advance Learning Center
- WE24 Closing Keynote: Shelley Knust: Watch Shelley Knust, vice president of product compliance and regulatory affairs at Cummins Inc., speak at the WE24 closing keynote, where she shared her journey of embracing her LGBTQ+ identity and the importance of strong role models. Also, watch her WE24 Q&A recorded right after her closing keynote at the conference.
- Developing the Mindset for Exclusive Leadership: This e-learning course includes five interactive modules aimed at building leadership, inclusion, and allyship behaviors, the core elements of a truly welcoming workplace.
- Inclusive Outreach: A Guide to Engaging Underserved Youth in STEM: Learn to recognize common biases against underrepresented youth, understand strategies for actively combating these biases, and execute appropriate communication techniques for engaging these students in STEM.
LGBTQ+ and Allies Affinity Group
SWE’s LGBTQ+ and Allies Affinity Group provides community for LGBTQ+ members of SWE and advocates for LGBTQ+ affirmation and inclusion in SWE’s work and in engineering more broadly. Join their almost 500-strong Facebook Group to connect with fellow SWE members. You can also subscribe to their newsletter by logging into the member portal and opting in under Communication Preferences.
SWE Joint Member Organizations
Out to Innovate is a professional society and global community of LGBTQ+ students and professionals (as well as allies) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. SWE partners with Out to Innovate to offer discounted memberships for SWE members. Email membership@swe.org to get the discount code.
Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM) is a professional association for LGBTQ+ people in the STEM community. Membership in oSTEM is donation-based.
(SWE acknowledges that the observation of Pride Month in June is in accordance with a United States tradition and that LGBTQ+ history and culture are celebrated at many different times throughout the year across the globe.)
