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  • 1.  Follow up from webinar: How to be an Ally to LGBTQ+ Colleagues

    Posted 12-20-2022 15:31
    We had a great conversation today on the webinar, How to be an Ally to LGBTQ+ Colleagues, presented by @Gee Abraham.

    Gee talked about what it means to be inclusive, what allyship is, potential barriers to being an ally and how to overcome them, and how to show support. She talked about how to respond to derogatory remarks, and gave everyone a call to action to get involved.

    My biggest takeaway for being an ally is being willing to learn; having a growth mindset for ideas and people that might be different from your own background.

    One of the easiest and quickest ways to take an action and show support is to add your pronouns to email signatures, LinkedIn profiles, and in online meeting spaces such as Zoom. Several people took this action while we were on the webinar!

    Another way to get involved is through groups such as ASM's LGBTQ+ subcommittee, part of the ASM IDEA Committee. The LGBTQ+ subcommittee is hosting a book club in February 2023. Please join us as we discuss "The Lavender Scare" by David. K. Johnson. Watch ASM Connect for more details.

    If you are interested in joining the LGBTQ+ subcommittee, contact me at vicki.burt@asminternational.org. Allies are definitely welcome!

    I'll post a link to the recording when it is available.​​​

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    Vicki Burt
    Managing Editor
    ASM International
    Materials Park OH
    (440) 338-5467
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    IMAT Conference & Expo


  • 2.  RE: Follow up from webinar: How to be an Ally to LGBTQ+ Colleagues

    Posted 12-20-2022 18:17
    Thank you, Vicki and the rest of ASM! I had a great time today. If anyone would like to learn more, feel free to ask here!

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    Gee Abraham

    STEM Writer/Editor
    www.GeeAbrahamEdits.com
    Gee@GeeAbrahamEdits.com

    IMS Board of Directors
    MMA Editorial Board
    IDEA Committee
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    Original Message
    IMAT Conference & Expo


  • 3.  RE: Follow up from webinar: How to be an Ally to LGBTQ+ Colleagues

    Posted 12-21-2022 10:21

    Hi Gee,

    I enjoyed the webinar and thought you did a great job laying out the issues as well as real life situations we should all be thinking about and ways to put positivity into action. 


    One question I had was about the term GSR. Is this a thing? Because it appears to me to ignore how the underrepresented group refers to themselves and replaces it with a generic phrase that obfuscates and erases the identity of said group. I'd be interested in more discussion, if there's more to learn. 


    Thanks,
    Toni




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    Toni Marechaux
    Washington DC
    tonimarechaux@gmail.com
    (202) 607-5000
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    Original Message
    IMAT Conference & Expo


  • 4.  RE: Follow up from webinar: How to be an Ally to LGBTQ+ Colleagues

    Posted 12-21-2022 12:22

    Hi Toni,

    Thank you for your question! You are right that one of the downsides to using GSR is that the individual identities are not as clear, causing some people to feel erased.

    When a term like LGBTQ+ is used, it emphasizes some identities while ignoring others. For example, where do non-binary folks and intersex people fit? Somewhere in the plus. When a fuller term like LGBTQIAAAP2S+ is used, more identities are seen upfront, but a plus is still used and the whole term becomes a bit more clunky to use, especially when speaking out loud.

    Another term often used to represent this community is "queer". While it is clear and inclusive, the term's derogatory history can be an issue for some people.

    And then there is "GSR minorities" as a term, where "GSR" stands for Gender, Sexual, and Relationship (or sometimes Romance - I think I said "romantic" during my talk). This is an acronym that is not as known, mostly because it is relatively new. It is inclusive, and because it relies on categories instead of individual identities, it doesn't need to have more letters added in the future. The downside is that the individual identities aren't as clear, and may lead to people feeling left out.

    These are all good and useable options in my opinion, and a quick online search tells me that the queer community has embraced all of them, with a preference toward LGBTQ+ and LGBTQ. GSR shows up often on queer community and resource pages, but LGBTQ+ is by far the most popular.

    There are valid reasons to prefer one term versus the others, and I support everyone deciding how they want to identify themselves within the queer community and society as a whole. If GSR bothers you, then that is okay! Don't use it, but also respect when others want to use it. If you are in a group that uses it and it bothers you, then absolutely bring it up to them in a discussion. Maybe they hadn't thought of the downsides as much!

    Best,

    Gee



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    Gee Abraham

    STEM Writer/Editor
    www.GeeAbrahamEdits.com
    Gee@GeeAbrahamEdits.com

    IMS Board of Directors
    MMA Editorial Board
    IDEA Committee
    ------------------------------

    Original Message
    IMAT Conference & Expo


  • 5.  RE: Follow up from webinar: How to be an Ally to LGBTQ+ Colleagues

    Posted 12-21-2022 23:23

    Thanks for your thoughtful response!

    I've seen "gender and sexual minorities" used in research papers but it doesn't - in my mind - represent a community of people. If anything, it's used to delineate certain sectors rather than to be inclusive.

    I know that acronyms are always problematic, but I find they are most useful when they stop being the individual words and evolve into their own unique concept. This is what LGBTQ+ has become. 

    (Similar to how ICME incorporates ML today even though it didn't when first proposed as an acronym. Or CMOS. Or even MSE, really :)

    I encourage you to think about what LGBTQ means in this larger sense to those who use it. And I hope it continues to have meaning and evolve in useful ways! 



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    Toni Marechaux
    Washington DC
    tonimarechaux@gmail.com
    (202) 607-5000
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    Original Message
    IMAT Conference & Expo