Queer Joy in Mathematics

Professor of Pure Mathematics

Theoretical fields like mathematics are done best when one can free oneself to think deeply. Queer and trans people are often under political and personal attack both globally and locally. This talk will discuss what it would mean to experience queer joy in mathematics, what activities are being done in the research community to help grab pieces of that queer joy, and where we are going as a mathematical queer and trans community to help more experience that queer joy.

(Re)imagining the logic of monsters

Postdoc

Not long ago, I attended a talk about sex differences in mice. The speaker showed that there is a huge overlap of gene expression levels between males and females in many organs. After the talk, I asked him about intersexual mice. Do they exist, and how would he expect their gene expression to be? The answer I got was that, as a scientist, he only cares about generalities and not abnormalities. This made me think of Pere Alberch and his logic of monsters.

Alberch was interested in how new morphological variants appear during evolution. He observed that the morphological variation in non-viable embryos with serious malformations, i.e. “monsters”, follows the same internal rules as in viable variants. He proposed that these internal rules derive from development, the process that constructs morphology. In this view, monsters are not unnatural abnormalities, but examples of extreme variation that can teach us the logics followed by development to produce new morphological variants. Of course, not all new variants are viable in any given environment and, thus, selective processes like natural selection are invoked to explain which of the available directions of change is taken. Pere Alberch was one of the founders of the field of evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo).

Me being some kind of monster, I have adopted these main tenets of evo-devo to guide my transition in academia. Namely, I ask myself what are the possible and viable directions of change at every point in my career. Transitioning in the workplace during the last years of my PhD, for example, did not feel safe. However, during this period I was able to build alliances and find a new environment where being openly trans has been possible.

Changes are far from finished. From my new position, I helped organising the workshop “Women in Evolutionary Biology”. In this second edition, we explicitly invited people from all genders to join the workshop. This resulted in an increase of engagement by men, particularly from our institute. We also invited a philosopher of science, Laura Nuño de la Rosa, who gave a keynote talk about biological sex and moderated a discussion on the masculinist biases in academia. Finally, we tried to queer the academic social life through the games organised during the workshop evenings. We implemented ice-breaker games designed to foster connection between queer people and allies. We hosted a pub quiz to increase the awareness about racialised women and trans women in STEM.

Despite our general success, more work is needed to build a more inclusive academia. For instance, we found that over-crowded poster sessions can preclude the participation of people with hearing loss or high noise sensitivity. What else can be done to (re)imagine the logics that rule our existence as monsters in academia? In my case, I know that an ethics of care within research groups can be life-saving. I would not be here without the networks of queers and allies that have supported me inside and outside academia.

Meeting Asexual and Aromantic Communities where they are in Universities, Networks and Societies

Freelance STEM communicator and Trainer

From the 2018 National LGBT Survey conducted by the Government Equalities Office, it was shown that asexual people make up the LGBTQ+ group who are least likely to be out. Since then, the Ace in the UK and Asexuality in the UK reports have documented the closeted experiences of the community in work, personal life and medical settings. Aromantic communities (whilst different to the asexual community, but several members have both identities) report in community surveys similar experiences. This begs the question: how do we support our closeted and questioning asexual and aromantic people in STEM?

During my PhD at Imperial College London, I led several initiatives in the student and staff LGBTQ+ communities, as well as public outreach through the university’s newspapers and science festivals. These efforts aimed to represent, include and meet the asexual and aromantic communities, where many of them are at the fringes or outside of wider LGBTQ+ networks.

In this short talk, I will introduce the workshop audience to these “invisible” identities before sharing what I have learnt whilst taking steps towards inclusion in STEM. By the end, I will have shared practical advice on how to initiate first contact with individuals not already engaged in LGBTQ+ networks, how we may meet the needs of these diverse communities to sustain continued engagement, and raise awareness of prejudices and exclusionary practices that especially harm asexual and aromantic individuals with further intersectional identities.

Bio: I am a triple-A (asexual, aromantic and agender) activist and a freelance Maths and Science Communicator and trainer. I have represented A-identities in and outside of academia, speaking at oSTEM, organising/chairing and speaking at numerous panels and interviews, facilitating for LGBTQ+ groups specialising in community building through improv drama, and openly share my A-identities in my outreach STEM communicator work with a focus on role modelling for teenagers and young adults. Website: katherineholmespublic.wordpress.com

Beyond Belonging: The Power of Queer Student Organising in Building Leaders, Community, and Systemic Change

Interim President, oSTEM; Senior EDI Business Partner, Birmingham City University

For many LGBTQ+ students in STEM, university can be both an opportunity and a place of isolation. While diversity initiatives within institutions continue to grow, student-led organisations remain one of the most powerful—and often overlooked—drivers of belonging, leadership development, and long-term cultural change. This presentation explores the transformative role of queer student organising through the experience of Out in STEM (oSTEM), one of the world’s largest LGBTQ+ organisations focused on students and professionals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Drawing on experiences leading oSTEM internationally, the session examines how student communities create spaces that extend far beyond social support. Chapters provide opportunities for students to develop leadership skills, organise conferences and events, build professional networks, advocate for institutional change, and create environments where LGBTQ+ people can thrive authentically. These experiences equip students with practical skills in governance, project management, fundraising, community engagement, and inclusive leadership—skills that often prove just as valuable as technical education.

The presentation also considers the unique strengths of peer-led organising. Student leaders are often able to identify emerging issues, respond rapidly to community needs, and foster trust in ways that larger institutions may struggle to achieve. Through local chapters, national conferences, mentoring programmes, and volunteer-led initiatives, queer student organisations create networks that persist long after graduation, supporting individuals throughout their careers while strengthening the wider STEM community.

Alongside celebrating these successes, the session reflects on the realities of sustaining volunteer-led movements. Student organisations frequently navigate financial uncertainty, volunteer turnover, changing political climates, and increasing pressures on diversity, equity and inclusion work. Despite these challenges, queer student organising continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience, adapting to changing environments while maintaining spaces where students can find community and purpose.

The session argues that universities, employers, and professional bodies should view LGBTQ+ student organisations not as peripheral extracurricular activities but as strategic partners in widening participation, improving retention, developing future leaders, and strengthening inclusive cultures. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how queer student organising shapes individual lives and institutional cultures, alongside practical reflections on how institutions can better collaborate with, resource, and empower student-led communities.

Engaging Queer Youth with STEM

Freelance science communicator

There is a lack of visibility of queer scientists and perspectives in the science classroom. This impacts queer youth’s sense of belonging in science, and them pursuing science-related careers. LGBTQ+ people are an underserved audience in science communication in general, and there are very few initiatives which engage LGBTQ+ youth with science.

In this talk, Sarah Cosgriff will share best practice from a programme they co-created, ‘STEM for Queer Youth’, which facilitates visits from LGBTQ+ scientists to a queer youth group in Wiltshire, and develops the science communication skills of the scientists involved. They will also highlight how they have supported teachers to diversify the school curriculum, drawn from their experience of working for Schools OUT, the founders of LGBT+ History Month in the UK.

Sarah has brought a queer lens to their science communication work in other ways, such as using science demonstrations as part of storytelling in asexual advocacy work, and have delivered hands-on science activities in local queer spaces.

Intersectionality and representation in higher education: early perspectives from an interdisciplinary course about social responsibility from a STEM perspective

Lecturer in Molecular Biosciences, University of Glasgow

Queer representation in higher education has changed markedly over the past decade. Reflecting on my career as a molecular biologist who is now an education-focused academic at the same institution where I studied, I have witnessed both symbolic and cultural shifts in academia. While these developments have increased visibility and fostered a greater sense of belonging, embedding inclusion in teaching still remains a challenge, particularly within STEM disciplines.

In response to these challenges, we have sought to incorporate intersectional representation into various taught components, including the development of a new interdisciplinary, credit-bearing undergraduate course. The course explores themes of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), social responsibility, and the decolonisation of knowledge through a STEM-informed perspective. Students are encouraged to critically engage with questions of identity, power, representation and belonging, while examining how scientific and medical knowledge intersect with broader social, cultural and historical contexts. Drawing on examples from science, healthcare and global research, the course encourages students to examine how identities, systems of power and historical inequalities shape both the production of knowledge and experiences within education and society.

Here we share the rationale, pedagogical design principles and early development of the course, with particular focus on how intersectional perspectives are embedded throughout the curriculum rather than treated as standalone topics. We explore the opportunities and challenges of developing a course that is accessible and meaningful to students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, while addressing potentially sensitive issues. In doing so, we consider how educators can move beyond representation alone to foster critical reflection on identity, power and knowledge production.

Facilitating change in the workplace: the creation of RAL Pride

Industrial Placement Software Engineer, ISIS, STFC

Purpose: Creating a workplace where people feel safe and supported helps employees manage stress more effectively, encourages open communication and collaboration which builds trust, and helps people feel comfortable sharing ideas and asking for help without fear of judgement. Considering the political climate of today, it becomes essential for workplaces to ensure that their queer workers can find community within the organisation. Upon joining STFC in September 2025, it became clear that no such community or network existed. RAL Pride was designed so that colleagues could have a safe space to unwind and be themselves without fear of judgement, and so that allies could have a safe space to ask questions and have open discussions regarding topics they may previously have been too embarrassed to ask about.

Methods: Initially formed by two industrial placement students and a graduate student, the leadership of RAL Pride is formed entirely of early careers staff. With a leadership team five strong, the early days of RAL Pride involved navigating the complicated world of event planning, internal communications, room bookings and funding. We assigned general roles like chair and secretary to various members of the team which ensured a fair distribution of work around the group. Starting in March 2026, we held monthly coffee meets which provided staff with a welcoming environment and a break in their workday. For Pride month, we held weekly social events, ranging from a wellbeing walk around campus to a pronoun badge making stall in the cafeteria! We collaborated with Daresbury Lab for their annual pride event, with a member of the RAL Pride leadership presenting a talk on transgender inclusivity in the workplace.

Results: We have received feedback from our coffee meets that is indicative of positive change in the organisation and are told frequently that our events make people feel welcome. We sometimes struggled with attendance due to advertising difficulties but as we gain visibility across site, we feel that participation will only grow. We have been contacted by several groups across the company for our input; we were asked to help procure a list of LGBTQ+ book recommendations for the on-site library. We received help from various members of staff, including the EDI manager for UKRI who helped us navigate the initial setup of the group and funding issues.

Conclusions: Feedback suggests a positive effect on the mental health of LGBTQ+ staff. As a transgender software engineer it has been beneficial for me to surround myself with likeminded individuals once a month and not feel like my work life and identity must be separate. Visibility is very important; being aware that there are others like you at your organisation can have a big impact on your wellbeing, and hence your productivity.