This topic stems from iNaturalist Pride Month 2021 blog post, and is a place for LGBTQIA+ members of the iNaturalist community and their allies to share and discuss their experiences on iNat or in the broader naturalist/STEM community.
It can be difficult to share these stories, positive or negative. And in some places, it is not safe to share this part of your identity, so nobody should feel any pressure to share if they do not want to. Please don’t try to guess peoples’ identities, intentionally misgender anyone, or “out” those who may be out in other fora; coming out is an extremely personal choice for the individual. In all cases, be respectful to every person here, whether LGBTQIA+, or ally.
I have to say that I am as Cis as they come, and I really do not care what anyone’s gender is. @natashataylor basically summed it up for me. People are people.
It was LGBT back when I came out in 1984. They keep adding letters. I hope the “I” stands for Invertebrates! All good iNatters are honorary queers with me, even the straight ones. Happy pride all.
I hope all of you are very well despite Covid-19 pandemic crisis around the world. My opinion: this kind of stuff, matters and whatever topic not related to naturalism, only results in unnecesary divisions between us like in political, economic, religion, sport and others point of view.
I think the best way to stay together in enviroments like this (with people from all around the world) is only talking about nature and related topics: not gender, religion, economic, politic, sport, sexual orientation… It’s an error in my opinion. There are other places to do that: talk of those matters. Here is not the correct place in my criteria.
I respectfully disagree. Because others make the issue a problem and discriminate against me, it affects my ability to study nature. It is no less relevant a topic of discussion than one about the cost of camera equipment, and much more important than that.
It reaches into every aspect of my life, including places it should not belong. Believe me, I wish nobody except my romantic partners took the least notice of my sexual identity.
For now, though, as long as the scientific world as a whole discriminates against queer people, I will stand up and speak out.
And somebody told me certain fungi have like thousands of genders?
Anyone who says “it’s not natural” in relation to any aspect of sexuality or gender expression in Homo sapiens has clearly not spent a lot of time studying actual nature.
given that most biology textbooks deliberately gloss over the diversity of sex and gender in nature, even up to the college level, not really a surprise. It takes initiative or higher learning to discover the truth in many cases…
Many species of Isopods actually swap their sexes! The Fishlice (Cymothoidae) even whenever possible, with the males acting more as a life stage than a seperate sex since they eventually turn into females when they find an unoccupied host
As someone slowly getting more involved in both the STEM and LGBTQIA+ worlds, I can confirm that topics and initiatives like this help. They help motivate me to be who I am and pursue what truly matters to me. !!
heyo
!!