Written by Jeff Lauder and Mali Valerio

At Sierra Streams Institute, we like to say (and in fact this was a tagline on our old website) that “Science is for everyone”. We acknowledge that often, token statements from organizations about values or inclusion can do more harm than good if no action actually accompanies those words. We wanted to take a moment to reflect on efforts around increasing representation in the sciences. 

Science is (as you may have heard us say many times before…to the point of becoming a broken record) simply a process. This means it is for and by everyone and anyone. However, the history of science as a practice and as an institution is one of exclusion, often driven by people with the means, comforts, and societal acceptance to focus on deep scientific research questions rather than the trials of daily life. This is especially true when it comes to gender norms, sexual preference, and sexual identity.

Currently, some statistics argue that members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and other (LGBTQ+) community are about 20% less represented in the science community than expected. However, what is really coming out of recent and current reflections on these questions is the knowledge that we simply lack the data to even know what kind of representation exists. Not only are data on sexual identity simply lacking in formal surveys of student bodies or career representatives, but in fact the way in which we collect data on these identities may be inherently biased/hiding true community diversity, with many people not disclosing identity out of fear or other impacts to personal security. 

So why does this matter to SSI and what we do? Well, Science is for everyone! In order for truly unbiased, robust science and application of that science to the natural world to be realized, every person working in the field—from field technicians to interns to analysts to report writers—needs to feel a base level of personal comfort and security. In the face of increasing polarization among the public and even in our own communities, we at SSI have strived to increase inclusivity in science not as part of some agenda or always putting it under some particular label, but simply because its the right thing to do. Simple logic points to kindness being an inherent virtue, and kindness means welcoming all people and ensuring that just because you feel comfortable, doesn’t mean everyone else does, and we should constantly be self-reflecting and striving to increase that comfort and involvement in all things in our community. This is especially true of community science. 

Here we want to take a moment to reflect on some of the things we’ve done at SSI over the years, and where we still see needs to improve. These are not meant to be bragging rights or pats on the back; as mentioned above, we are painfully aware of tokenism, and know that many of these things may even not be what we think they are in terms of increasing representation. But we are trying, and wanted to share some stories, observations, and tales of our attempts to create a truly inclusive community from the moment you walk through the door at SSI. 

Experiences

One project that we are proud of is our rainbow prayer flags! For this project, SSI bought two long rainbow prayer flag buntings and asked volunteers, interns, and staff to take some time to draw SSI-related images or create a lino cut and stamp on images. Pictures on the prayer flags include a plethora of benthic macroinvertebrates, diatoms, flora, and cartoons. It was super fun, many people contributed and now we have these rainbow flags in our BMI lab and classroom, two spaces that receive a lot of footfall from non-SSI staff. The presence of these flags show a clear indication that we support the LGBTQ+ community and are an inclusive work space and community, and involving members of this community in the creation of artwork that connects people and science can be truly healing and comforting.

Another tangible action that SSI does is providing pronoun pins at our front desk. These pins can be taken freely by anyone, and have a cute floral design that makes them very on theme for our work! Staff and volunteers alike have used these to display their preferred pronouns in the SSI work environment, and also outside of SSI!

For staff, we have required onboarding readings around equity, diversity, and inclusivity, which includes a 6 page article on using correct pronouns and how to correct yourself and others when you get it wrong. This sends a very clear message to the staff that SSI takes being inclusive very seriously and that we are expected to reciprocate that inclusivity to those we work and interact with. We also come back to the subject of pronouns and how to create an inclusive space for the LGBTQ+ community in our staff meetings periodically. We hold discussions and workshop ideas, and ultimately temperature check ourselves.

Thoughts

Unconscious biases and microaggressions are real; they don’t mean if you commit them you are a bad person, they are simply things we all need to be aware of and every now and then check in with ourselves about. Creating a safe space even with mistakes can be one of the hardest things. No one enjoys being on the receiving end of a mistake like a misgendering or a comment that accidentally caused some offence. And no one enjoys getting it wrong either. At SSI, we welcome people from all walks of life, which means all experiences and upbringings. Our community is respectful and intentional with their LGBTQ+ support, and they also get things wrong. We work to create a space that everyone feels safe to come back into. By cultivating a space where mistakes are met with compassion and a gentle correction, and ensuring that the recipient of the mistake and following up if appropriate, people from all walks of life come back time and again. Ultimately it is about ensuring that LGBTQ+ members are seen and accepted for who they are, and that all SSI community members are able to use the correct language when referring to them.

As Mali Valerio, BMI Lab Manager points out, words have power: “as a manager, my words will be picked up by people, subconsciously perhaps, and thus it is very important how I talk to and talk about people. This is most obvious in using correct pronouns for everyone I work with, and if I am not sure then I use they/them. I like to introduce myself with my pronouns so there is clarity for those talking to and about me, and it can provide a natural way for someone to also introduce their pronouns too. The power of words also includes the more subtle conversations around how people express and identify, and ensuring that my language aligns with their language, including when they are not in the room. I want to be someone who is obvious in their support for LBGTQ+ people, and making sure my words align with each individual’s identity is crucial. This also means that my corrections – self correcting or correcting others – also hold power. By setting an example of correcting myself and correcting others, I am continuing to show that this space is welcoming of all and everyone can grow and get better at inclusivity.”

An individual’s identity is not a barrier for them to volunteer and work with SSI, and staff do their best to provide equal opportunity to all.

SSI seeks to be constantly improving and bettering itself, and this conversation around LGBTQ+ inclusivity is always an area that individuals and organizations can seek continuous improvement. One example of this is that previously, we didn’t have formal communications around inclusivity with our volunteers and interns. We are changing that and creating a welcome packet for old and new volunteers alike, which will include guidance around using inclusive language. By providing this, we are continuing to build expectations and a norm of inclusivity and appropriate language into our community.

You can keep up with SSI’s Equity Diversity and Inclusion reading HERE.