Gabriela Basel
Gabriela is a second year PhD student in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University. She is the FY21 Affinity Group Liaison on the GradSWE Diversity and Inclusion Team
I would highly recommend the following resources as quick prerequisites if:
I write this blog as someone who has struggled with my own gender identity, but this in no way makes me an expert on the non-binary experience, gender-fluid experience, or that of any other person who identifies outside the gender binary (or inside the gender binary, for that matter). I began thinking about this subject when I became involved in SWE during college and observed the strong female solidarity and pride expressed by members. Though inspired by the strength of women-centered community in male-dominated fields, I felt uncomfortable having to firmly identify myself as a woman to be included. In this post, I detail thoughts I’ve had, my friends have shared, and public figures/organizations have posted on how organizations can be more inclusive of people who identify as trans and/or outside the gender binary. While I don’t claim to be an expert on this topic, I hope this blog encourages others to critically examine the inclusivity of their SWE chapters and feminist spaces and to be more deliberate in this inclusivity.
Language
Being deliberate in the language one uses is an important first step in being more inclusive of all gender identities. Including gender pronouns in surveys, email signatures and zoom names have become much more common, but inclusivity doesn’t stop here. Especially in spaces like SWE where many assume everyone identifies as female, it can be incredibly intimidating for people new to the group to out themselves by identifying themselves with ungendered or male pronouns. I personally change between using she/her and she/they (signalling that people can address me with either female-identifying or ungendered pronouns) depending on how comfortable I feel in a space. Becoming more comfortable with using ungendered pronouns (such as they/them) with people you don’t know is an important part of making spaces more inclusive (and try your best to use inclusive group identifiers such as “everyone” as opposed to “ladies and gentlemen”). I personally am of the opinion that all organizations should encourage members to post their preferred pronouns, but don’t push people who hesitate to do so.
Language, of course, doesn’t stop at pronouns. How you refer collectively to a group of people is another intentional inclusivity decision. You may have noticed that I used the phrase “gender binary-nonconformists” in the title of my blog. This is a phrase I personally find inclusive because it includes people like me who may be unsure of where they fall on the gender spectrum. Some people use the term “non-binary” to refer to those who don’t identify as male or female, but not everyone falls into one of these 3 categories (male, female, or non-binary). Some people who identify as gender-fluid, for example, don’t identify as non-binary. “Gender minorities” is another common inclusive phrase - I’ve seen this used to include cis-women in addition to gender binary -nonconformists in spaces where women are also a minority (such as in engineering). But none of these terms are perfect to describe all communities.
For a place like SWE, where community is explicitly women-centered, we need to be even more intentional with the language we use. One of my friends in STEM who uses they/them pronouns was generous enough to share with me their own thoughts on this. Some quick abbreviation definitions:
“I don’t like [the phrase] ‘women and nbs’ - it heavily implies that a group is only interested in afab nbs, which makes me feel like I’m just being seen as a woman with an extra step not to offend me. But worse than that, amab trans ppl don’t feel welcome. Instead of ‘women and nbs,’ I’ve seen ‘gender minorities’ being used as a phrase (women + trans [people]). I think this is better, because a properly inclusive gender minority affinity space will be open to trans men and amab trans people. Inclusion of trans people in these sorts of [organizations] is great! But what I would like to see in addition is the creation of a trans-only space for people in field ‘X’ because I know that if I walk into a ‘women and nbs!’ or even ‘gender minorities’ space I will be seen as a woman. The trans experience is incredibly diverse, and trans [people] experience the struggles associated with their agab in different ways to each other and to cis people. Like, I do share sources of disadvantage with women, but talked about incorrectly this can make me feel super uncomfy.” - from @BorpDap on Twitter
My friend captured many of the intricacies of inclusive language here and so eloquently makes clear why language can only go so far. So, what can be done beyond language?
Intentional Spaces
What is clear from most trans and other gender binary-nonconforming folx (a term used to signify explicit inclusion of queer groups) you may interact with, is, although many gender minorities share experiences with women (being talked over in meetings and passed over for promotions, for example), these people also have experiences unique to themselves as communities and as individuals. Even with the best of intentions and most inclusive of language, many gender binary-nonconforming people would never feel comfortable in a space centered around building community for women (most trans men, for example). So, what can SWE do, then?
What is of the utmost importance is to be deliberate in your inclusion. I’ve heard truly tragic stories of people who identified as women but were not female-presenting (as in, their appearance did not resemble that of a cis woman) being rejected from SWE events. SWE preaches inclusion, and assuming someone’s gender or denying someone access to our spaces is not inclusive. A SWE chapter that claims to build an inclusive community cannot exclude people from that community. However, as my friend above mentioned, even people who do not identify as women need solidarity and community with others, in the same way that women - as gender minorities in engineering - do. Some of the spaces that I have personally found to be particularly welcoming are “partnership” events with groups that already seek to form community with queer folx. Recognizing that a) SWE is not a space everyone will feel comfortable and b) SWE has resources that those who don’t identify as women could benefit from, leads to the conclusion that an effective method to procure a more inclusive space is to partner with other organizations to create a broader Venn diagram of all gender minorities.
Concrete Examples and Resources
oSTEM (out in STEM) is an organization with chapters at many universities, and SWE chapters could partner with them to effectively build community between women and gender minorities in STEM. Resources like 500 Queer Scientists can be shared with chapter members to signal inclusivity and concretely aid and advocate for queer community members. Some universities and workplaces have no groups dedicated to gender minorities or queer people in STEM. What could your SWE chapter do to bolster these communities? How could SWE resources be used to build or advocate for these types of organizations or communities?
Most importantly, the best thing we can do is constantly educate ourselves. We can’t ever assume to know what is best for others, especially those with identities different from our own. Although I have worked hard to educate myself on this topic, I by no means know everything, and I still will sometimes make mistakes. If you have close friends who enjoy sharing their experiences (like my friend quoted above), then accept them as a resource for expanding your knowledge of this subject, while keeping in mind that no one person can ever be an expert on everyone’s perspectives. Be sure not to bother people - even your friends - who aren’t clearly soliciting students for identity education. Many public figures and organizations have educational resources. The American Society for Engineering Education has a list of peer-reviewed articles on being LGBT+ in STEM. Jenna Weiner is a transgender woman who gave a TEDx talk about her experiences as a trans college athlete, touching on some broader experiences of trans women and nonbinary people. And Stonewall published a short article with easy steps to be a better ally for non-binary people.
I cannot stress enough that this blog is not a comprehensive review of gender inclusivity in SWE, nor am I the authority on this topic - some who identify as trans, nonbinary, or genderfluid may read this and disagree with some points I’ve made. I also didn’t even touch on the intersectionality of being a gender binary-nonconformist in addition to being a racial minority or someone with a disability, for example - identities which are not inherently welcomed in all spaces for gender minorities. I write this blog to bring to the attention of people in SWE that we need to always be thinking about how we can be more inclusive and welcoming to our SWE sisters - be they cis or trans - and to those who don’t identify as our sisters, but are valued community members all the same. I hope this inspires readers to use these thoughts and resources as a starting point to bring better inclusion practices to your own chapters and communities.
I write this blog as someone who has struggled with my own gender identity, but this in no way makes me an expert on the non-binary experience, gender-fluid experience, or that of any other person who identifies outside the gender binary (or inside the gender binary, for that matter). I began thinking about this subject when I became involved in SWE during college and observed the strong female solidarity and pride expressed by members. Though inspired by the strength of women-centered community in male-dominated fields, I felt uncomfortable having to firmly identify myself as a woman to be included. In this post, I detail thoughts I’ve had, my friends have shared, and public figures/organizations have posted on how organizations can be more inclusive of people who identify as trans and/or outside the gender binary. While I don’t claim to be an expert on this topic, I hope this blog encourages others to critically examine the inclusivity of their SWE chapters and feminist spaces and to be more deliberate in this inclusivity.
Language
Being deliberate in the language one uses is an important first step in being more inclusive of all gender identities. Including gender pronouns in surveys, email signatures and zoom names have become much more common, but inclusivity doesn’t stop here. Especially in spaces like SWE where many assume everyone identifies as female, it can be incredibly intimidating for people new to the group to out themselves by identifying themselves with ungendered or male pronouns. I personally change between using she/her and she/they (signalling that people can address me with either female-identifying or ungendered pronouns) depending on how comfortable I feel in a space. Becoming more comfortable with using ungendered pronouns (such as they/them) with people you don’t know is an important part of making spaces more inclusive (and try your best to use inclusive group identifiers such as “everyone” as opposed to “ladies and gentlemen”). I personally am of the opinion that all organizations should encourage members to post their preferred pronouns, but don’t push people who hesitate to do so.
Language, of course, doesn’t stop at pronouns. How you refer collectively to a group of people is another intentional inclusivity decision. You may have noticed that I used the phrase “gender binary-nonconformists” in the title of my blog. This is a phrase I personally find inclusive because it includes people like me who may be unsure of where they fall on the gender spectrum. Some people use the term “non-binary” to refer to those who don’t identify as male or female, but not everyone falls into one of these 3 categories (male, female, or non-binary). Some people who identify as gender-fluid, for example, don’t identify as non-binary. “Gender minorities” is another common inclusive phrase - I’ve seen this used to include cis-women in addition to gender binary -nonconformists in spaces where women are also a minority (such as in engineering). But none of these terms are perfect to describe all communities.
For a place like SWE, where community is explicitly women-centered, we need to be even more intentional with the language we use. One of my friends in STEM who uses they/them pronouns was generous enough to share with me their own thoughts on this. Some quick abbreviation definitions:
- nb = nonbinary, nbs = nonbinary people
- agab = assigned gender at birth (amab is assigned male and afab is assigned female), which refers to the gender that is written on someone’s birth certificate at birth (the gender on your birth certificate can be changed after birth) and may be different from the gender identity someone uses later in their life. Generally, “amab trans people” refer to trans women and “afab trans people” refer to trans men, but this is not always the case (non-binary people, for example, are also either amab or afab).
“I don’t like [the phrase] ‘women and nbs’ - it heavily implies that a group is only interested in afab nbs, which makes me feel like I’m just being seen as a woman with an extra step not to offend me. But worse than that, amab trans ppl don’t feel welcome. Instead of ‘women and nbs,’ I’ve seen ‘gender minorities’ being used as a phrase (women + trans [people]). I think this is better, because a properly inclusive gender minority affinity space will be open to trans men and amab trans people. Inclusion of trans people in these sorts of [organizations] is great! But what I would like to see in addition is the creation of a trans-only space for people in field ‘X’ because I know that if I walk into a ‘women and nbs!’ or even ‘gender minorities’ space I will be seen as a woman. The trans experience is incredibly diverse, and trans [people] experience the struggles associated with their agab in different ways to each other and to cis people. Like, I do share sources of disadvantage with women, but talked about incorrectly this can make me feel super uncomfy.” - from @BorpDap on Twitter
My friend captured many of the intricacies of inclusive language here and so eloquently makes clear why language can only go so far. So, what can be done beyond language?
Intentional Spaces
What is clear from most trans and other gender binary-nonconforming folx (a term used to signify explicit inclusion of queer groups) you may interact with, is, although many gender minorities share experiences with women (being talked over in meetings and passed over for promotions, for example), these people also have experiences unique to themselves as communities and as individuals. Even with the best of intentions and most inclusive of language, many gender binary-nonconforming people would never feel comfortable in a space centered around building community for women (most trans men, for example). So, what can SWE do, then?
What is of the utmost importance is to be deliberate in your inclusion. I’ve heard truly tragic stories of people who identified as women but were not female-presenting (as in, their appearance did not resemble that of a cis woman) being rejected from SWE events. SWE preaches inclusion, and assuming someone’s gender or denying someone access to our spaces is not inclusive. A SWE chapter that claims to build an inclusive community cannot exclude people from that community. However, as my friend above mentioned, even people who do not identify as women need solidarity and community with others, in the same way that women - as gender minorities in engineering - do. Some of the spaces that I have personally found to be particularly welcoming are “partnership” events with groups that already seek to form community with queer folx. Recognizing that a) SWE is not a space everyone will feel comfortable and b) SWE has resources that those who don’t identify as women could benefit from, leads to the conclusion that an effective method to procure a more inclusive space is to partner with other organizations to create a broader Venn diagram of all gender minorities.
Concrete Examples and Resources
oSTEM (out in STEM) is an organization with chapters at many universities, and SWE chapters could partner with them to effectively build community between women and gender minorities in STEM. Resources like 500 Queer Scientists can be shared with chapter members to signal inclusivity and concretely aid and advocate for queer community members. Some universities and workplaces have no groups dedicated to gender minorities or queer people in STEM. What could your SWE chapter do to bolster these communities? How could SWE resources be used to build or advocate for these types of organizations or communities?
Most importantly, the best thing we can do is constantly educate ourselves. We can’t ever assume to know what is best for others, especially those with identities different from our own. Although I have worked hard to educate myself on this topic, I by no means know everything, and I still will sometimes make mistakes. If you have close friends who enjoy sharing their experiences (like my friend quoted above), then accept them as a resource for expanding your knowledge of this subject, while keeping in mind that no one person can ever be an expert on everyone’s perspectives. Be sure not to bother people - even your friends - who aren’t clearly soliciting students for identity education. Many public figures and organizations have educational resources. The American Society for Engineering Education has a list of peer-reviewed articles on being LGBT+ in STEM. Jenna Weiner is a transgender woman who gave a TEDx talk about her experiences as a trans college athlete, touching on some broader experiences of trans women and nonbinary people. And Stonewall published a short article with easy steps to be a better ally for non-binary people.
I cannot stress enough that this blog is not a comprehensive review of gender inclusivity in SWE, nor am I the authority on this topic - some who identify as trans, nonbinary, or genderfluid may read this and disagree with some points I’ve made. I also didn’t even touch on the intersectionality of being a gender binary-nonconformist in addition to being a racial minority or someone with a disability, for example - identities which are not inherently welcomed in all spaces for gender minorities. I write this blog to bring to the attention of people in SWE that we need to always be thinking about how we can be more inclusive and welcoming to our SWE sisters - be they cis or trans - and to those who don’t identify as our sisters, but are valued community members all the same. I hope this inspires readers to use these thoughts and resources as a starting point to bring better inclusion practices to your own chapters and communities.
