ABOVE: © ISTOCK.COM,
MEDITERRANEAN
Research has long shown the existence of persistent gender and racial gaps—women and non-whites tend to be underrepresented—for achievements in STEM. While anecdotal evidence and some studies have shown a similar pattern with regard to the LGBQ community, few studies have directly compared STEM outcomes by people in the LGBQ community to those of heterosexual individuals because of a lack of detailed data about sexual orientation.
A report published today (November 18) in PLOS ONE studied US census data of 142,641 individuals in same-sex couples to quantify their representation in STEM and found a large difference between the proportion of men in same-sex couples and men in heterosexual couples who have STEM degrees or occupations. The data show that men in same-sex couples are 12 percentage points less likely to have completed a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field compared to men partnered with women.
The researchers ...
