Stereotypically, society expects gay men to be experts in musical theatre and lesbian women to be political radicals with degrees in Women’s Studies from Wellesley College.
These stereotypes are slowly changing, but it is still difficult for men and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related fields to be open about who they are without eliciting unnecessary attention and negative feedback. Consequently, older LGBTQ members involved in more technical career paths have been joining forces with college-age students to create an open dialogue about what it means to be gay in a STEM field.
Answering questions and offering advice, these older mentors are not only excellent workplace connections, but they are also a valuable resource for LGBTQ youth struggling to identify themselves as a multi-faceted person in a society that struggles with seeming contradictions between personality, sexuality, gay chat and ambition.