What is Allyship in Motion?

Who should attend?

Everyone is welcome! But we highly encourage individuals who potentially employ, recruit, and/or manage underserved LGBTQ+ individuals in STEM. Please note, this is an in depth training and fully participatory. For that reason, spots are limited and pre-registration is required. You will find the pre-registration option when registering for the conference.

Snacks will be provided.

Why Allyship in Motion?

Allyship is an action verb, rather than a state of being. Becoming a successful ally requires understanding and addressing personal biases, a commitment to hearing the experiences of others and addressing sources of exclusion, and the ability to empower underserved individuals while also stepping aside to elevate their visibility and their voices. Your allyship is always evolving and we want to partner with you on this journey.

What can I expect?

Attendees will gain the following from this in depth training as we separate from corporate atmospheres and get real about improving inclusion for underserved LGBTQ+ individuals in STEM:

• Improved awareness of the perspectives of LGBTQ+ individuals with intersectional identities,
• Skills to address personal and professional biases and become a catalyst for inclusion in the workplace and in recruitment,
• Tools for communicating with ease around identity-based topics that arise in the workplace, and
• Recognition as a Diversity-Knowledgeable employer / recruiter. oSTEM members who visit the Career Expo will identify you by the badge that you receive upon completing this training.

Training Modules

Friday Morning Modules (Required for Expo Badge):

An Honest Conversation about Race and Ethnicity in STEM

Despite a number of pipeline programs for minorities in STEM, the National Science Foundation still reports that 67% of all scientists are white, while 49% are white men. Only 3% of scientists are African American and 4% are Hispanic. These numbers only decrease for Hispanic and African American individuals who also identify as LGBTQ+. This module will review and discuss several scenarios of workplace microaggressions specifically around race/ethnicity. These scenarios will be taken from real life workplace accounts from various POCs working across different industries. The object of the module will be to identify these microaggressions, discuss why they are classified as microaggressions, and how to address them and work towards eliminating them from workplace settings.

LGBTQ+ STEM Challenges

Imagine this: You’re sitting down to apply to a number of jobs or internships in your field and you keep pausing every time you see the 3.5+ GPA requirement. You’re good at what you do, you’re going to make an amazing scientist, engineer, mathematician, technologist, but you’re not sure if you should apply to a role where you don’t meet the minimum GPA requirement . Perhaps you’ve already experienced rejection because of your GPA and lack of experience in your field. This is the reality for a fair number of LGBTQ+ students and professionals in the STEM fields. Aside from the expected challenges of pursuing a STEM degree, students who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community may also be dealing with coming out, mental health needs, homelessness / being cut off from family members, working multiple jobs to survive, and many other challenges that come with being “othered” in a society that doesn’t often value differences. Whether you are an employer, recruiter, or a potential mentor, learning to reframe the metrics by which a prospective employee is judged could mean the difference between an applicant’s entry into STEM or dropout and redirection.

Exploring Gender Beyond the Binary

According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, ¼ of all transgender people have lost a job due to bias, while ¾ have experienced some form of workplace discrimination. Often transgender people will leave STEM workplaces where they experience hostility, lowering their retention when compared to the retention of employees with other intersecting identities. As employers and professionals who are committed to equality in the workplace, recruitment and retention means becoming inclusive of transgender and nonbinary employees or coworkers. One way to combat negative biases is through education and improved awareness, while optimizing those skills necessary for creating gender-inclusive workplaces. This module will explore gender, gender expression, and gender identity specifically focussing on those who are transgender and/or nonbinary. Participants will increase awareness of their personal biases, discover how to create or review existing gender inclusive policies in their workplaces, and improve personal interactions with gender diverse employees or co-workers. Dialogue throughout this training will center on real scenarios, allowing participants to actively improve experiences within the safety of facilitated discussions.

Optional Module (Included in the conference workshop blocks)

LGBTQ+ ERGs (Why we need them)

Does your company have an Employee Resource Group for LGBTQ+ Employees? If not, have you or someone you know considered starting one? What are ERGs, what is their purpose, and how can they change a company's culture? ERGs are one way that a company diversifies recruitment by signaling its inclusivity toward diverse communities. Past getting new employees in the door, ERGs often aid in retention by reinforcing the company’s wholesome support of the employee’s identity and personal experience. This workshop will help employers and professionals specifically understand how their LGBTQ+ ERG or lack of one affects their company’s culture and recruitment efforts. Writing activities will target proposing an LGBTQ+ ERG to an employer or developing a plan for improving upon an existing one. Attendees can expect to walk away understanding how to leverage their LGBTQ+ ERGs to dynamically improve their company culture.