For many LGBTQ+ students and professionals, navigating STEM fields means facing a multitude of barriers to entry, mentorship, and representation. That’s where oSTEM steps in. oSTEM (Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is an international nonprofit organization with more than 140 collegiate and professional chapters. oSTEM works year-round to create a more inclusive world for LGBTQ+ people in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). From community building to leadership, from scholarships to advocacy, oSTEM helps LGBTQ+ individuals not just survive in STEM, but thrive.
Around the world, a growing wave of legislation is dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in education, healthcare, and public life. And while the rhetoric may target policy, the fallout is deeply personal.
In higher education alone, at least 47 college campuses affiliated with oSTEM chapters have been directly affected by these measures, based on recent data compiled by the Chronicle of Higher Education. In some places, this means bans on public funding for LGBTQ+ and multicultural centers resulting in the closing of centers and firing of staff. In others, it means the quiet rebranding of former centers as support offices with names like “Institutional Excellence” or “Student Success”, often without dedicated LGBTQ+ staff or services. Still in others, it means the reversal of all gender bathrooms to single sex toilets.
For many in the STEM community, especially those who are LGBTQ+ or multiply marginalized, the result is a growing sense of erasure – a message that their presence is politically inconvenient or professionally risky.
The Impact on the STEM Ecosystem
While much focus has been on student experiences, it is also worth considering the ripple effects these changes have. Funding cuts for research on gender, marginalized communities, and diversity have had a devastating effect on research that benefits our community. Furthermore, early career researchers are losing access to mentorship and networks. Professionals working in STEM policy, government labs, or other publicly funding institutions have found their ability to support inclusive programming restricted and scrutinized. Professionals in industry may feel isolated and unsafe as companies remain silent on inclusion or roll back internal diversity programs due to political pressure.
As DEI infrastructure is dismantled, the responsibility doesn’t disappear — it shifts. The burden now falls on individuals, who are expected to step in and do the work informally: unpaid, unrecognized, and often at personal cost. They are left to protect students, support colleagues, and safeguard their own well-being — all without the backing of the systems that once made this work visible and valued.
Why This Moment Matters
STEM is directly shaped by who has access, who is heard, and who feels safe contributing their ideas. When institutions roll back inclusion efforts, we not only lose individual talent, but compromise on the innovation, ethics, and impact STEM has on public life.
How the STEM Community Can Respond
Whether you’re a student, educator, or industry professional, you have a critical role to play in protecting inclusion, especially now as formal structures are under attack. Here are a few concrete ways to take action:
- Speak up. Use inclusive language and visible signs of support in your spaces — even small acts matter.
- Share the mic. When asked to speak or lead, recommend LGBTQ+ voices instead for panels, talks, or leadership.
- Share power. Nominate LGBTQ+ colleagues for high-impact roles. Representation changes culture at every level.
- Educate yourself. Read, listen, and learn from LGBTQ+ run and focused organizations and media sources.
- Educate allies. Host a panel, share resources, or partner with other DEI groups to increase understanding all year long, not just in June.
- Connect with others. Join or start an oSTEM chapter. Community can’t wait.
- Volunteer your time. Support organizations like oSTEM and Out to Innovate with your time and skills.
A Call to Collective Care
The political climate threatens to divide STEM along lines of fear and scarcity. But we already have the tools to resist: solidarity, connection, and care. Across disciplines and identities, we must commit to building environments where LGBTQ+ people are included, protected, and empowered. Pride isn’t just for June, and equity in STEM isn’t optional — it’s essential. LGBTQ+ people have always belonged in STEM. It’s time we show up for them.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog belong solely to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), its affiliates, or any other organization with which the author may be associated. The content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute endorsement or official guidance by SWE.
