tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/lgb-youth-46044/articlesLGB youth – The Conversation2019-12-24T15:57:47Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1287862019-12-24T15:57:47Z2019-12-24T15:57:47ZHome for the holidays? LGB youth report lower parental support than heterosexual youth<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/308126/original/file-20191220-11891-147tumf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C8%2C5463%2C3522&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">LGTBQ Asian Community marches with QUEER ASIAN YOUTH banner at the 2017 Toronto Pride Parade.
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shawn Goldberg/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>During the holidays, most people — including young people — spend more time at home and with their families. But home and family can feel different based on varying levels of support from one’s family. Our research found LGB (lesbian, gay and bisexual) youth’s perceptions of family support remained the same or, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01489-3">in fact, worsened from 1998 to 2013</a>.</p>
<p>Our study’s trend analyses show that, generally, youth’s perceived parental support and family relations have improved steadily since 1998. As hopeful as that might be, the LGB youth in our study — average age 14¾ years — don’t see their parents and families as being as supportive as their heterosexual peers do, or indeed as they used to. It’s a striking difference when you consider that attitudes toward LGBTQ+ people have generally improved over time.</p>
<h2>Missing Support and Connection</h2>
<p>I study parent-child relations in the context of the family. In particular, as an associate professor at Concordia University in Montréal, I study at-risk youth. I also belong to a research centre, <a href="https://www.saravyc.ubc.ca/">Stigma & Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre (SARAVYC)</a> at the University of British Columbia, which is connected to the <a href="https://www.mcs.bc.ca/https://www.mcs.bc.ca/">McCreary Centre Society</a>, a non-profit organization in Greater Vancouver aimed at improving the health and well-being of youth. </p>
<p>Parental support and family connectedness are key factors in supporting health and well-being in adolescents, especially sexual-minority youth. For example, LGBTQ+ youth are at greater risk than heterosexual youth of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26793284">being harassed and victimized at school</a>. In the face of such negative experiences at school, parents’ support can act as an important buffer. But what if parents are seen as being less supportive of their LGBTQ+ children? And why might this be so in the light of improved attitudes toward LGBTQ+ issues? </p>
<p>Our study looked at how adolescents’ perceptions of family connectedness and parental support (tested separately by gender) changed over a period of 15 years beginning in 1998 — among heterosexual as well as sexual-minority youth. </p>
<p>Beginning in 1998, and every five years since, the McCreary Centre has conducted a comprehensive <a href="https://www.mcs.bc.ca/ahs"><em>B.C. Adolescent Health Survey</em></a>. Almost 100,000 adolescents have participated in these surveys over a period of 15 years from high schools across British Columbia, representing 75 per cent of B.C. school districts.</p>
<p>Using four waves of the <em>B.C. Adolescent Health Survey</em> (1998, 2003, 2008, 2013), our interdisciplinary team (under the direction of Elizabeth Saewyc, Director of the UBC School of Nursing) looked at perceived family support variables (such as family connectedness, mother support and father support) in four different groups of students: heterosexual, mostly heterosexual, bisexual and lesbian/gay. Our data did not include trans, queer or other non-LGB sexual-minority youth youth. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">A trailer from <em>Kiki</em>, a 2017 documentary about queer youth ball culture, which developed out of a need for LGBTQ youth to have a safe place of their own and find families that support them.</span></figcaption>
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<p>We compared means of perceptions of family support of the LGB youth to those of the heterosexual youth, with those of the latter as the benchmark or point of comparison. We also wanted to see if prior discrepancies between the perceptions of heterosexual youth and sexual-minority youth with respect to family support persisted over time. That is, across four waves of data, did these discrepancies get bigger, smaller or stay the same? Although we found perceptions of family support improved generally, among bisexual youth, there was a decrease in perceived support from their mothers. </p>
<p>For bisexual youths, means of perceived mother support dropped significantly between 1998 and 2008 (the year of reference for that variable). A similar drop in perceived support from mothers was found for lesbian girls. For gay boys, however, there was a significant drop in perceived support from fathers. We also found that existing disparities between heterosexual and LGB youth’s perceptions of family support widened over time. That is, while heterosexual youth see their families as a source of support, LGB youth are less likely to do so. </p>
<h2>A Widening Gap In LGBTQ2S Rights</h2>
<p>Our study does not have data to address why LGB youth might see their families as less supportive than heterosexual youth do. We can, however, speculate. LGBT youth are <a href="https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/dating-sex/Pages/Four-Stages-of-Coming-Out.aspx">coming out at earlier ages now than in the past</a>. For example, parents of a tween who comes out might be more upset than if they had an adult child in their 20s or 30s who comes out.</p>
<p>Although LGBTQ+ issues are more visible in society today, that visibility could be a two-edged sword for different family members. For a young LGBTQ+ family member, greater visibility could be seen in a positive light (more role models in the media, for example). For the parents of an LGBTQ+ youth, increased visibility could be concerning as parents worry about their children and their children’s futures. </p>
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<p>Public interventions <a href="https://brettcollins.ca/files/engagingfamiliestosupport.pdf">such as parenting programs</a> like the Family Acceptance Project can help parents who initially reject their LGBTQ+ teen learn how to accept them. In addition to more basic research, we need to develop and offer programs to help parents be more supportive of all of their children.</p>
<p>Since the passing of the Civil Marriage Act in 2005 legalizing same-sex marriage in Canada, many Canadians assume that LGBTQ+ people in Canada now have equal rights. Our research, however, shows that these equal rights have not trickled down to LGBTQ+ youth, <a href="https://doi.org/10.18357/ijcyfs.saewyce.512014">whether at school</a> or within their families. </p>
<p>[ <em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/ca/newsletters?utm_source=TCCA&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/128786/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hilary Rose, CFLE receives funding from CIHR (PI Elizabeth Saewyc, 2012-2017, Reducing Stigma, Promoting Resilience: Population Health Interventions for LGBTQ Youth). </span></em></p>A study shows that when compared to lesbian, gay and bisexual youth, heterosexual youth report improved family relations over the same time period.Hilary Rose, Associate Professor of Applied Human Sciences, Concordia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1016612018-08-30T18:54:14Z2018-08-30T18:54:14ZMore than just lip service: done right, awareness-raising days can pack a punch<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/233034/original/file-20180822-149487-u5u08i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The first Sydney Mardi Gras in 1978 was a defining moment in the history of LGBTIQ rights in Australia.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Through the year there are now countless awareness-raising days for a range of causes. Whether you’re sending your child to school with a gold coin for <a href="https://rednoseday.com.au/">Red Nose Day</a> or wearing a pink ribbon on your lapel to work for <a href="https://canceraustralia.gov.au/healthy-living/campaigns-events/breast-cancer-awareness-month">Breast Cancer Awareness Month</a>, these initiatives are now common in Australian daily life. But what’s the purpose of these events and do they actually work? </p>
<p>In a time of social media “<a href="https://theconversation.com/slacktivism-that-works-small-changes-matter-69271">slacktivism</a>” from behind computer screens, there has been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/may/22/why-awareness-raising-campaigns-backfire">much criticism</a> of the practical ability of awareness-raising campaigns to bring about real social change beyond superficial <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/31/health/breast-cancer-awareness-pink.html">feel-good politics</a>. </p>
<p>There’s no hard data to suggest days such as <a href="http://wearitpurple.org/">Wear It Purple Day</a> this week actually have a long-term effect. But there is some evidence similar events provide important visibility for complex social issues and can create social change. </p>
<h2>Wear It Purple</h2>
<p>Wear It Purple Day is celebrated on the last Friday in August each year. It’s an annual event to raise awareness about same-sex attracted and gender diverse young people’s experiences of bullying and harassment, particularly at school. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/making-schools-safer-and-more-welcoming-for-lgbtqi-students-39858">Making schools safer and more welcoming for LGBTQI students</a>
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<p>Wear It Purple was founded in 2010 in response to high rates of young people taking their lives as a result of homophobic bullying. This event is now an international movement. Many Australian workplaces and schools will host bake sales and encourage staff and students to wear purple clothes to support their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) peers. </p>
<p>The Queensland Police Service have even issued officers and staff with <a href="https://www.qnews.com.au/queensland-police-officers-to-lace-up-for-wear-it-purple-day-2018/">purple bootlaces</a> to wear on the day. </p>
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<p>But while these celebrations of diversity and inclusion send an important message, it’s unlikely they’ll have any real effect if they don’t give people practical things they can do to help the cause, or if they don’t engage the broader community in a meaningful way.</p>
<h2>R U OK? Day</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.ruok.org.au/">R U OK?</a> Day, held annually in September, is dedicated to reminding people to ask others “are you OK?”, in terms of their mental health. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14623730.2016.1209423">Researchers from across Australia</a> used a population survey to find out what impact this event was having in the community. They found people who were aware of R U OK? Day were more willing to talk with others about their troubles and to hear the troubles of others. </p>
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<p>Melbourne-based researchers reviewed suicide prevention media campaigns more broadly and found they create positive impacts in the community, including <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29190128">boosting help-seeking behaviours</a> and improvements in attitudes about suicide. </p>
<h2>White Ribbon Day</h2>
<p>White Ribbon Day has become a global movement to end violence against women. Its <a href="https://www.whiteribbon.org.au/about/our-history/">history in Australia</a> is one example of how an awareness-raising day can be the platform for building a broader movement. Starting as an annual White Ribbon Day on November 25, the organisation now delivers education programs and bystander initiatives. </p>
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<p>Although it continues to attract <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com.ezproxy.utas.edu.au/doi/10.1177/0004865817722187">critics</a>, White Ribbon Day demonstrates the potential for one-off awareness-raising days to have a broader social impact when expanded into an ongoing movement, organisation, or initiative.</p>
<h2>Mardi Gras</h2>
<p>This year marked the 40th anniversary of the first <a href="http://www.mardigras.org.au/history">Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras</a> march in Sydney. It began in 1978 as a protest against police brutality of gay men. The 1978 Sydney Mardi Gras became a defining moment in the history of LGBTIQ rights in Australia and remains symbolic for the LGBTIQ community. The Sydney Mardi Gras marches put <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14616680902827092">Sydney on the map</a> as an <a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/glq/article/8/1-2/81/69408/MARDI-GRAS-TOURISM-AND-THE-CONSTRUCTION-OF-SYDNEY">international gay and lesbian city</a>. </p>
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<p>A <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/089124101030004003">study</a> found Pride marches such as Mardi Gras are important for raising awareness of social injustice for event participants. They also enhance participants’ sense of identity in everyday life through collective experiences of resistance and the shared identity. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-histories-of-mardi-gras-and-gay-tourism-in-australia-are-intertwined-92733">How the histories of Mardi Gras and gay tourism in Australia are intertwined</a>
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<h2>More than just lip service</h2>
<p>Taken together, these examples show how raising awareness is only the first step in creating social change. The impact of awareness-raising days is in their power to start conversations about important issues and provide visibility to causes that might otherwise be absent in the public sphere. </p>
<p>While there is a real danger of equity and diversity days reducing the issue to a local or individual concern, there’s also the potential for such events to create dramatic change in policy if communities get behind the cause. </p>
<p>Practical strategies that help give awareness-raising days momentum include having a clear call for action, such as R U OK? Day, which aims to promote conversation between individuals and raise awareness of mental health. Or by leveraging the passionate people invested in the cause, similar to Mardi Gras. Or to work strategically with key stakeholders to build longer term awareness-raising programs into organisations, such is the work of White Ribbon.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/101661/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ruby Grant receives funding from the University of Tasmania's Institute for the Study of Social Change.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kim Beasy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research shows awareness-raising days can have long-term impact if they have a clear call to action, leverage the passion of those involved, or target policy-makers.Kim Beasy, Lecturer in Curriculum and Pedagogy (Equity and Diversity), University of TasmaniaRuby Grant, PhD Candidate in Sociology, University of TasmaniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/951342018-05-10T20:30:31Z2018-05-10T20:30:31ZSchool uniforms: what Australian schools can do to promote acceptance of gender diversity<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/217003/original/file-20180501-135814-q8tc60.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Changes to stringent school uniform rules may help schools on the pathway to acceptance of sexuality and gender fluidity.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/group-diverse-kindergarten-students-standing-together-695521882?src=4Fdq8lv0cvg85NdGLM83vw-1-37">Rawpixel/shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Earlier in the year, the principal of a private girls’ school in Sydney’s west was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/20/allowing-shorts-at-a-catholic-girls-school-is-sensible-and-without-hidden-intent">criticised by some media</a> for promoting “gender fluidity” and “boasting” that a change in the school’s uniform was enabling a “variety of gender expression”. The school had <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/power-move-why-this-sydney-private-school-is-suiting-up-its-girls-20180308-p4z3ep.html">given students the option</a> of wearing shorts and long pants. </p>
<p>This criticism was ill informed and potentially harmful to gender diverse young people. Leaders, such as the school’s principal should be supported not pilloried.</p>
<h2>Concerns about the fragility of gender identity</h2>
<p>Underpinning criticisms of changes in the school’s uniform policy is the assumption clothing is an essential element of gender identity. For people who hold this view, the uniform worn by girls should be distinctly different from that worn by boys in order to prevent individual and collective notions of gender from being undermined, lest children lose their sense of gender all together. </p>
<p>Claims that our identity as male or female is biologically determined and fixed were expressed forcefully in the lead up to the same-sex marriage survey in 2017. Some people opposed to marriage equality attempted to <a href="http://transgendermarriagevote.com.au/">shift the terms of reference</a> of the public debate by suggesting legalising same-sex marriage would also result in acceptance of gender fluidity and diversity in sport, employment, welfare and violence prevention initiatives. </p>
<p>In essence, changing the marriage laws presented a danger to the stability of gender as a binary concept, and this <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/ssm-has-led-exactly-where-we-were-warned-it-would/news-story/98a188fc644581dcadf9bcdc0b288e13">danger was an increasing acceptance</a> of gender fluidity or variance in Australian society. </p>
<p>At the heart of these concerns is a rejection of gender diversity as a legitimate, lived reality. Instead, sex and gender are conflated and viewed as biologically determined. Research conducted at the <a href="http://genderedinnovations.stanford.edu/">Gendered Innovations</a> centre for medical research at Stanford University, shows when the difference between sex and gender is ignored the results of research can be incorrect and possibly dangerous. </p>
<p>While <a href="http://genderedinnovations.stanford.edu/terms/sex.html">sex</a> is biologically determined, <a href="http://genderedinnovations.stanford.edu/terms/gender.html">gender</a> is a social and cultural construct that shifts and changes across time and place. </p>
<p>Importantly, neither sex nor gender are binary but instead operate along a continuum. People who are transgender or gender diverse are people who don’t identify with the sex or gender norms assigned to them due to their physiology. People can experience this in many different ways. While it may sometimes include transitioning by taking medication, hormones or undergoing surgery, this is not always the case. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/crossroads-program-should-we-teach-children-that-gender-identity-is-fluid-heres-what-the-research-says-65223">Crossroads program: should we teach children that gender identity is fluid? Here's what the research says</a>
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<h2>Why the distinction between sex and gender is important</h2>
<p>Let’s be clear, distinguishing between gender and sex is not a radical gender theory. Those researching and investigating gender across a range of disciplines have recognised <a href="https://nyupress.org/books/9781479809349/">for decades</a> gender and sex are separate and different constructs, and that they’re not always fixed. </p>
<p>The American Psychological Association also provides <a href="http://www.apa.org/topics/lgbt/transgender.aspx">resources and advice</a> about the difference between sex and gender, as well as the reality of multiple identities across the transgender spectrum. In line with these, the Australian Psychological Association recently produced <a href="https://www.psychology.org.au/getmedia/01982012-7605-4cbc-a14d-0cac47c2484b/Information-sheet-transgender-affirmation.pdf">guidelines</a> to recognise the benefits of affirming transgender identities in mental health settings. This can help to relieve distress and reduce suicidal ideation. </p>
<p>These guidelines would also benefit trans and gender diverse young people within schools and align with the recommendations of a recent <a href="https://www.telethonkids.org.au/globalassets/media/documents/brain--behaviour/trans-pathwayreport-web.pdf">study of trans young people and their parents and carers</a>. </p>
<p>These include recommendations to affirm a person’s gender, challenge negative attitudes toward gender diversity, and advocate for the support needs of transgender people. </p>
<h2>Despite yes vote, LGBTQI people still face adversity</h2>
<p>Despite the 7.8 million <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/15/australia-says-yes-to-same-sex-marriage-in-historic-postal-survey">yes-voting</a> Australians, ongoing and vicious attacks on trans and gender diverse young people (and those who advocate for them) have <a href="https://global-factiva-com.ezproxy1.library.usyd.edu.au/redir/default.aspx?P=sa&an=DAITEL0020180318ee3i0007b&cat=a&ep=ASE">escalated</a> in the <a href="https://global-factiva-com.ezproxy1.library.usyd.edu.au/ha/default.aspx#./!?&_suid=152514926281005890876743970579">media</a>. These attacks suggest to school leaders any attempt to support this group of young people may be heavily and publicly scrutinised. </p>
<p>Even more concerning, these attacks convey to young people (and adults) there is something undesirable or dangerous about gender diversity. This is damaging not only to those who are trans and gender diverse but also those around them. It suggests there’s only one correct way to be male or female, and that way is strictly and linearly aligned with fixed ideas of masculinity or femininity.</p>
<h2>Australian school environments are not supportive</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/UnderstandingBullying/Documents/review-of-literature2010-2014.pdf">review</a> of Australian and international literature on bullying shows many school environments are unsupportive, if not prejudicial, towards students from minority groups in Australia. This is particularly the case for those students who identify or are perceived as being from sexuality or gender minorities. They often experience higher rates of violence, and subsequent emotional, social and physical health <a href="https://www.acon.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Writing-Themselves-In-3-2010.pdf">inequalities</a>. </p>
<p>A recent <a href="http://www.uws.edu.au/__data/assets/file/0004/1016284/FreetoBV2FINAL.pdf">study</a> of over 700 sexuality and gender diverse young people found 94% of participants heard homophobic language at school. Some 54% of this happened daily. Almost half of the participants had witnessed school-based physical harassment of classmates that were perceived to be sexuality or gender diverse. </p>
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<span class="caption">In a recent study of over 700 sexuality and gender diverse young people, 54% of them heard homophobic language daily.</span>
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<p>School climates can make a big difference to these young peoples’ lives. But escalating policing of gender expression is likely to prevent or limit school leaders from taking action. </p>
<h2>What can we do to make schools supportive?</h2>
<p>Our society needs leaders who will support and defend the right of young people to express their gender as they wish - whether gender diverse or not. The principal at the centre of this recent “crisis” demonstrated this kind of leadership. </p>
<p>The success of the marriage equality survey reminds us we <em>can</em> be a tolerant, accepting, and safe place for all Australians. But it takes constant work. </p>
<p>The safety and well-being of young people should not be compromised. Responsible adults, especially leaders in our community such as principals and politicians, must have the courage to challenge negative attitudes toward gender diversity and support the needs of trans and gender diverse people. Relaxing the rules on school uniforms is a small but positive step in this direction.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/95134/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Despite the “Yes” vote, Australia has a long way to go in accepting sexuality and gender fluidity, especially in schools. Changing strict uniform rules is a small step in the right direction.Victoria Rawlings, Lecturer in Education, Pedagogy and Sexuality, University of SydneyDebra Hayes, Professor of Education and Equity, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/872342017-11-12T23:05:35Z2017-11-12T23:05:35ZGender parity and queer awareness needed in mathematics<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194046/original/file-20171109-13351-1xy0l29.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Hidden Figures, the movie, showcased the importance of Black women in mathematics.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Twentieth Century Fox)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Equity, diversity and inclusion — EDI — is a trending concept these days. Many institutions now have policies, initiatives and even vice-presidents devoted to EDI — including my own institution, Ryerson University. There is much discussion about how EDI affects productivity and innovation. </p>
<p>Recently, EDI in mathematics was brought to the public discourse. Last month I sat on a panel for EDI in Mathematics at the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences. Also, Ryerson Science and the Canadian Science Policy Centre recently released the report: <em><a href="http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/edistem/resources/edi_report_ryersonFOS.pdf">Forging Paths to Enhanced Innovation</a></em> which I highly recommend you read. </p>
<p>We, unfortunately, have an EDI crisis within mathematics. For example, the average Canadian mathematics department has on average fewer than one-fifth female professors. There are only a handful of gay, bisexual or lesbian mathematics professors in Canada that I know. My own department has only three women faculty out of 21 tenured or tenure-track professors: Our percentage of women math faculty members is only 14 per cent.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194035/original/file-20171109-13292-1s3xtu9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194035/original/file-20171109-13292-1s3xtu9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=287&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194035/original/file-20171109-13292-1s3xtu9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=287&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194035/original/file-20171109-13292-1s3xtu9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=287&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194035/original/file-20171109-13292-1s3xtu9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194035/original/file-20171109-13292-1s3xtu9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194035/original/file-20171109-13292-1s3xtu9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A visualization created by the 10 and 3 on mathematics departments in Canada’s universities (2015).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">http://www.the10and3.com/where-are-the-women-professors-in-canadas-math-and-science-departments/</span></span>
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<p>I’m a gay mathematician. I’ve faced challenges in my journey to full professor of mathematics and I talk about these challenges when I can. I am hoping to inspire others to do the same.</p>
<p>Up until now, I’ve found the silence on EDI in mathematics, especially on lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans issues, deafening. I had no role models or advocates as I progressed in my academic career. No one talked about EDI in mathematics departments and few professors or students were public about their identities. There are, however, a few <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1072230979913">vocal advocates for EDI right now, like Dean Imogen Coe at Ryerson</a>. That makes me think we are on the right track.</p>
<h2>The landscape in context</h2>
<p>To better understand why there are so few LGBTQI2S voices in mathematics, I gathered together some statistics that might shed light. First, to make a broader point, I start with some shocking statistics related to gay youth.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://egale.ca/backgrounder-lgbtq-youth-suicide/">Egale, a LGBTQI2S advocacy non-profit</a>, about one-third of LGBTQI2S teens have attempted suicide, compared to seven per cent of youth in the general population. About half of LGBTQI2S teens have considered suicide, and 19 per cent of trans youth had attempted suicide in the previous year. Almost 70 per cent of trans youth reported verbal harassment over their gender identity, and about half of LGBTQI2S teens were harassed over their sexual orientation. One in five LGBTQI2S adolescents were physically assaulted.</p>
<p>Out of 195 countries in the world, homosexuality is criminalized in 72 of them. That’s 38 per cent. Same-sex marriage is a good indicator of a positive environment for LGBTQI2S folks, but only 23 countries (that’s seven per cent) have legalized same-sex marriage. We are all waiting to see the results of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-doesnt-need-a-plebiscite-on-same-sex-marriage-irelands-experience-shows-why-61499">Australian same-sex marriage referendum</a> this week.</p>
<p>One of my undergraduate professors said that mathematics is a byproduct of luxury in a society. People will not do mathematics if they are struggling with other more basic issues like personal safety or acceptance.</p>
<p>It’s tough to encourage youth to study calculus when they are getting beat up for being who they really are. When your government criminalizes your identity, it makes it that much harder to think about number theory.</p>
<p>There are no surveys that I am aware of specifically regarding LGBTQI2S folk in mathematics. None, and it’s 2017. There is only one relevant survey: <a href="http://www.queerstem.org/">Queer in STEM</a>, which was a U.S. national survey, published last year in the <em>Journal of Homosexuality</em> and written about last year in <a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/07/queer-stem-anybody/">Wired magazine</a>. </p>
<p>The survey had 1,400 responses to a 58-page questionnaire and we may glean some interesting things from it. A majority of participants (57 per cent) were out to their colleagues, which is slightly higher than the U.S. workforce at 47 per cent. That’s positive news. </p>
<p>Also, when there was better gender parity in an academic department, participants reported a higher degree of openness. So better EDI in your STEM workplace makes LGBTQI2S folks more open. When there was a higher degree of openness, participants reported a safer and more welcoming environment.</p>
<h2>Changing the culture</h2>
<p>There are a number of measures we can take to support EDI. </p>
<p>We need an articulated strategy to achieve gender parity in mathematics departments in the not-so-distant future. To do this, we need to pay special attention to academic hiring, which has a lasting impact on departments owing to the long-term nature of tenure. The process — the way in which we do this outreach and hiring - is incredibly important, as are the outcomes for greater diversity.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194047/original/file-20171109-13296-8m3ioi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194047/original/file-20171109-13296-8m3ioi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194047/original/file-20171109-13296-8m3ioi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194047/original/file-20171109-13296-8m3ioi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194047/original/file-20171109-13296-8m3ioi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194047/original/file-20171109-13296-8m3ioi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194047/original/file-20171109-13296-8m3ioi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>There must be greater attention to EDI in senior roles such as mathematics department chairs. I did a stint as department chair and encourage my colleagues, especially my women colleagues, to do the same. We also need to see greater diversity in all levels of university administration and in the leadership in professional societies.</p>
<p>There should greater emphasis on EDI in endowed research chairs. Given the poor track record of universities nominating women for Canada Research Chairs, <a href="http://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/media-medias/releases-communiques/2017/equity-equite-eng.aspx">the Government of Canada introduced new measures for greater EDI in these positions</a>. I hope one day there will be endowed chairs in mathematics specifically aimed at LGBTQI2S people. An <a href="https://www.biography.com/people/alan-turing-9512017">Alan Turing</a> Chair has a nice ring to it. The same holds for student scholarships both within and outside the university.</p>
<p>We need to work to make sure our LGBTQI2S know they are not alone. They need to know they are just as capable of progressing successfully in mathematics as their heterosexual or cisgendered counterparts.</p>
<p>Mathematics is a difficult subject regardless the context you are working in and we need as many minds as possible to advance the subject. A proof of the Riemann hypothesis is possibly sitting in some transgendered teens brain as I write this. What an incredible tragedy if that proof never comes to fruition.</p>
<p>There are a small set of groups devoted to queers in STEM. <a href="http://www.lgbtmath.org/">Spectra</a> is one group I know of supporting LGBTQI2S folk in mathematics. Other organizations focus more broadly in STEM, such as <a href="https://lgbtstem.wordpress.com/">LGBT STEM</a>, <a href="http://www.noglstp.org/">National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals</a> and <a href="https://www.ostem.org/">Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics</a>.</p>
<p>Implementing the ideas described in the recent <em>Forging Paths</em> report by Ryerson Science and the Canadian Science Policy Centre, such as changing perceptions and challenging stereotypes within STEM-based professions, would send us in a positive direction.</p>
<p>We have a long way to go, but I am convinced that with collective effort, EDI in mathematics is achievable. We can no longer hide behind claims that mathematics is genderless, racially neutral and independent of LGBTQI2S issues. Mathematics is studied by people, and its application affects people. </p>
<p>Mathematicians need to embrace our diversity as a strength, not as a burden or weakness.</p>
<p>Diversity gives new perspectives and challenges the status quo. Isn’t that what mathematicians actually do for a living? We can and we must do this.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/87234/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anthony Bonato does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Mathematics departments in Canada have a poor record on equity, diversity and inclusivity says a gay mathematics professor. Here he speaks about the hopeful changes he sees coming.Anthony Bonato, Professor of Mathematics, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.