Hello STEM For All! We are a team of researchers in the Research for Inclusive STEM Education Center at Arizona State University examining how to create more inclusive science learning environments. This project, funded by an NSF IUSE grant, explores the impact of LGBTQ+ science instructors revealing their identity to undergraduates. We are preparing to scale up our preliminary project by conducting a nationwide study; if you're an LGBTQ+ science instructor and interested in participating let us know by following this link here.

Given all that is happening around LGBTQ+ (esp T) in the states, was there any negative feedback (ie did any students complain to the admin? was the admin supportive? was the teacher safe) ?

This is so great that the instructor coming out had a such a positive impact on the students and that the institution was supportive of this study.  Curious of the results you will get in other parts of the country and if you will get any LGBTQ+ instructors volunteering in schools that they knew are not supportive of teachers coming out.

This is an interesting study, and I, too, will be interested in comparative data.  

      I have to say that when I was in college (now a rather long time ago), no instructor gave us any information about themselves, unless they ended up being a mentor/advisor.  So a professor coming in and doing a thumbnail intro of themselves would have been memorable, even if no data about their sexual orientation had been mentioned. Students are usually positively affected, I think, when the instructor personallizes themselves. 

    So:  Did you compare reactions to a control group in which the instructor gives a similar self-intro, but does not mention relationship status or similar? 

This is an interesting study.  What were the demographics of the students?  I am curious about intersectionality and how it may impact the study.

Although unrelated, I am curious about how this type self-disclose might impact the instructor's teaching evaluations. 

Thank you for your contributions to the video showcase. I resonate with many of the statements above. I share similar curiosities as those described and I'm eager to learn more. Thanks, again!

Major kudos for 1) positioning doctoral students to be showcased in this presentation, 2) focusing on LGBTQIA+ identity, and 3) amplifying the voices of students. I think it is great that you are already considering the expansion of this work. Does this study explore LGBTQIA+ identity formation and how the socialization process might impact perspectives of STEM? This could add a rich discussion to an already wonderful project.

So grateful for this presentation!  I'm gathering from your video that the framing of this instructor sharing their LGBTQ+ identity was part of getting to know them -- shared amongst a variety of information about them.  Would love to know more about the context, whether this identity and how it's shaped the instructor's experience in the discipline was explored more, etc.  I love when instructors bring in their positionalities and so am curious about different ways this happens in practice.