ASCB recognizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in fostering innovation and collaboration. Through our LGBTQ+ Committee, we strive to create an environment where every member can thrive authentically. This blog post highlights the voices and insights of several dedicated members of the ASCB LGBTQ+ Committee, sharing their perspectives on the significance of having a dedicated LGBTQ+ Committee within a scientific society.
This Pride month, ASCB is highlighting several members of our ASCB LGBTQ+ Committee and their thoughts on the importance of scientific communities having LGBTQ representation.
Imge Ozugergin, Postdoc in the Gerhold Lab at McGill University (Canada), and Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Committee
What is the importance of having a LGBTQ Committee in a scientific society like ASCB?
Representation, representation, representation! Committees that serve and represent historically excluded groups are necessary to push for a level playing field in and outside of the lab.
Bruno Da Rocha-Azevedo, Senior Manager of Cell Culture Operations at Eikon Therapeutics (Hayward, CA), and Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Committee
What is the importance of having a LGBTQ Committee in a scientific society like ASCB?
I believe it increases representation and visibility of LGBTQ folks as well as creates a space for sharing experiences, and community building. A committee is also a very important structure to guarantee our voices are heard in decision making processes inside the society.
Alice Accorsi, Assistant Professor in the MCB Department at UC Davis, CA
What is the importance of having a LGBTQ Committee in a scientific society like ASCB?
Having a LGBTQ committee made me feel seen and safe and provided me with networking opportunities and events to “find my people”. A committee has the power to remind everybody that we exist, that we are here, that we matter and that we want things to change.
Joseph Campanale, Project Scientist in the Montell Lab at The University of California Santa Barbara
What is the importance of having a LGBTQ Committee in a scientific society like ASCB?
I believe that a committee, like our LGBTQ+ Committee at ASCB, is a powerful platform to build community belonging, to welcome all that want to share in that community, to provide resources to LGBTQ individuals on their path, and to encourage new allies to learn and support all ASCB members, including their queer colleagues.
Katelyn Cooper, Assistant Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University
What is the importance of having a LGBTQ Committee in a scientific society like ASCB?
Getting to see other LGBTQ+ people in science is really important for my professional development. This was especially true when I was a grad student, but is still relevant to me today. It demonstrates that there was a place for LGBTQ+ people in science and that I am part of a community (ASCB) that is supportive and inclusive of my identity.
Austen Graham, Postdoctoral Fellow, UCSF & Chan Zuckerberg Biohub
What is the importance of having a LGBTQ Committee in a scientific society like ASCB?
Being queer comes with a unique lived experience that can be difficult for many. However, stepping into your queerness is empowering and should bring joy. To do that requires community. We should live as our authentic selves in our personal and professional lives – that’s what makes professional societies like ours so important.
Claire Thomas, Associate Professor of Biology and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Penn State University
What is the importance of having a LGBTQ Committee in a scientific society like ASCB?
Visibility is important so we provide representation OF the LGBTQ+ community in Cell Biology. Advocacy is necessary and so we also provide representation FOR the LGBTQ+ community in Cell Biology. We ensure our voice is heard.
Jerry Chipuk, Professor of Oncological Science and Dermatology; Associate Director of the Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York City, NY)
What is the importance of having a LGBTQ Committee in a scientific society like ASCB?
The importance of the ASCB LGBTQ Committee centers on having access to individuals with shared perspectives and experiences. Discussions related to individual professional development, steering national society efforts to enhance visibility and retention of LGBTQ scientists, and building community are cornerstones of our success.
Wendi Williams, Biological Sciences PhD student at Virginia Tech
What is the importance of having a LGBTQ Committee in a scientific society like ASCB?
An LGBTQ+ committee in a society like ASCB creates an inclusive and supportive environment, and ensures the representation and amplification of LGBTQ+ voices. The work of our committee also helps to address some of the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ scientists, which I believe can only serve to strengthen the scientific community as a whole.
Zac Park, Postdoctoral Fellow at NIH/NCI (Bethesda, MD)
What is the importance of having a LGBTQ Committee in a scientific society like ASCB?
Having an LGBTQ+ committee as part of a scientific society like ASCB helps give visibility to a very intersectional group of people that are still not considered as an excluded group by many organizations. It also gives us a platform to drive change on that front.
About the Author:
This post was collaboratively written by several ASCB staff members.
