Seventy Years After Turing: Advancing Sexual and Gender Minority Inclusion and Belonging in STEM

Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy (ASAP), a journal of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), invites submissions for a special issue titled "Seventy Years After Turing: Advancing Sexual and Gender Minority Inclusion and Belonging in STEM". This special edition aims to mark 70 years since the passing of Alan Turing, a significant figure in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and sexual and gender minority (SGM) history. This special issue will honor Turing’s memory by exploring the current state of inclusion and belonging for sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) in STEM fields, as well as next steps to move us toward a new level of acceptance and inclusion for people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, and beyond.

This special issue seeks to build on the legacy of Turing, by not only reflecting on the persistent historical and social contexts that continue to shape the experiences of SGM individuals in STEM, but also by highlighting contemporary challenges, achievements, and the path forward. We encourage submissions that utilize empirical research to address a range of topics related to SGM inclusion and belonging in STEM. In the spirit of ASAP, we encourage authors to emphasize the policy implications of findings, advocating for research that can inform efforts to enhance SGM inclusion in STEM fields.

Potential areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Barriers to and facilitators of SGM inclusion in STEM fields
• The impact of representation, visibility, and mentorship on SGM individuals in STEM
• Policies and practices that promote or hinder SGM inclusion in STEM environments
• The effects of discrimination, bias, and microaggressions on SGM individuals in STEM
• Intersectionality and SGM identities in STEM education and careers
• Strategies for creating inclusive and supportive STEM communities for SGM individuals
• The impact of role models and allies for boosting inclusion and belonging for SGM individuals
• The role of androcentrism, heterocentrism, or masculine-defaults in shaping inclusion and belonging for SGM individuals in STEM.
• Open science practices and their role in advancing SGM inclusion in STEM research
• Personality and social-psychological predictors of perceived fit, belonging, and/or authenticity for SGM individuals in STEM

Note: Although cisgender, heterosexual women are a gender-based minority in STEM fields and still experience significant challenges with inclusion and belonging in STEM, the purpose of this special issue is to focus specifically on other groups that experience sexual and gender- based exclusion in STEM fields. However, we hope that the insights and recommendations that come from this special issue can also be used to address barriers that are shared by this group.

Submission Guidelines: