Gay Scientists Improve Workplace Conditions Through Visibility And More Communication

Science is a search for the objective truth. Its practitioners are, nonetheless, a microcosm of society, also bringing the myriad subjective experiences of their childhood and their cultural upbringing to bear on their lives. Education helps to broaden our perspectives, yet we have hopes and fears just like everybody else. And through the years the scientific community has run the gamut of feelings and behaviors toward gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. The McCarthy hearings of the 1950s brought gay scientists into the spotlight by sanctioning overt discrimination in the workplace: Many lost their security clearances, some their professions and livelihoods. Since then, gay, lesbian, and bisexual scientists have been fearful of being themselves around their colleagues and employees. The gay liberation of the 1970s inspired some gay scientists to form their own groups, so that gays who shared the scientific bent could meet each other, network, and support each other through their experiences. At the January 1980 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a special session was held to discuss problems arising from homophobia in the scientific workplace. From that session emerged the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP). Over the past 14 years, NOGLSTP has monitored the changing landscape of homophobia and discrimination through the eyes of its membership. Some things change and some things stay the same. It is important to understand that, although about half of the states in America still have sodomy laws on their books and several states still enforce them, academic and corporate institutions have one by one been including sexual orientation in their equal-opportunity employment policies. More than 100 universities and colleges have now adopted such policies, which call for fair and equal treatment for all students and employees. Domestic partnership benefits for these people are not far behind. Harvard University, Stanford University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are among some 60 colleges and universities that have modified their policies to recognize same- sex domestic partnerships. High-tech firms such as Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple Computer Inc. and Genentech Inc. of South San Francisco, Calif., are leading the way with these changes, while other corporations implement diversity training programs inclusive of sexual orientation for employees and management. But nowadays, much discrimination in the workplace takes the form of acts of omission rather than overt homophobia. Several of NOGLSTP's members have had the experience of losing their partners to AIDS without the benefit of family medical or bereavement leave. In academia, gays in tenure-track positions internalize their own homophobia, which results in heading back to the closet or remaining in the closet. Incidents of outright discrimination are actually rare, but those that do occur reinforce fear and can curtail academic and scientific freedom. Concerns of gay people in the workplace revolve around coworker and administrative attitudes as well as corporate policies. Many students and postdocs now look to see if their potential employer is gay-friendly by investigating personnel policies and using Internet connections to talk to gay people at the prospective site. But even a gay-friendly workplace is subject to change. For example, last year's takeover of ASK Group Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., by Islandia, N.Y.-based Computer Associates International Inc. resulted in a mass exodus of about 100 employees, many of them gay, when domestic partnership benefits were discontinued (L.M. Fisher, New York Times, July 1, 1994, page D3). Furthermore, companies can transfer employees to nonfriendly job sites. Gay scientists have to decide whether to be "out" or "closeted" to their coworkers, since activism seems to generate more bias. Many people, including "closeted" coworkers, prefer the "don't ask, don't tell" policy when it comes to sexual orientation. The future offers continued progress. Visibility has its benefits, such as dispelling misinformation and stereotypes, improving the working conditions for closeted as well as openly gay employees, and providing positive role models. Last February, AAAS accepted NOGLSTP as an affiliate organization. No longer a stepchild, NOGLSTP can now hold meetings at the AAAS annual meeting, have dialogue with other affiliates and sections about issues and concerns of consequence to gay people, and discuss research relating to the lesbian and gay population. It is through such dialogue and communication that fears and phobias can be addressed, communities can learn about each other, and many obstacles that stand in the way of opportunities and scientific freedom can be overcome. Research biologist Rochelle A. Diamond is a member of the professional staff at the California Institute of Technology and chairperson of the Pasadena, Calif.-based National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals.

Gay Scientists Improve Workplace Conditions Through Visibility And More Communication

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