What You Need to Know About the First LGBTSTEM Day

Pride month may be over, but the celebration of acceptance and diversity of sexuality continues today with the first international LGBTSTEM Day.

Organized through a coalition between Pride in STEM, House of STEM, InterEngineering and Out in STEM, LGBTSTEM Day aims to recognize and unite LGBTQ+ people in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

While nearly half of LGBTQ+ people working in STEM careers report being fully out in the workplace, more than 40% are still either only out to a few people at work or remain closeted, according to a 2013 Routledge study.

LGBTSTEM Day functions as a day to bring awareness to such disparities in the workplace, as well as to pioneering members of the community including computer scientist Alan Turing and astronaut Sally Ride. The day also serves to bring exposure to LGBTQ+ individuals in STEM today.

The event falls on July 5 or 5 July depending on regional date formats. When written, these dates-705 or 507-reflect the wavelength, in nanometers, of the colors red and green on the rainbow flag. They also represent the themes of nature and life, respectively.

To celebrate, Out has chosen a few Instagram posts that advocate and highlight some of the many beautiful queer people in STEM. Spread the love by also sharing the #LGBTSTEMDay hashtag on social media.