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DID YOU KNOW?
Transgender Academics
Academia is generally considered a professional field where issues such as gender identity are not thematized - that is, if an individual's research is of high quality, the profession generally does not care about the gender identity of the researcher or author. Having said that, there is a range of reported experiences depending on the faculty and institution of choice. The applied sciences such as chemistry, engineering or biology tend to be politically more conservative than the humanities or social sciences, especially the latter which also include sexual orientation within their specific curriculum.
Structural barriers remain for transgender academics, including access to medical care, services and insurance coverage. Many academics are unionized, and the transgender experience can vary greatly across institutions and unions. Transitioning during work presents particular challenges.
Similarly, there are extra challenges applying to job positions within the academic community for transgender individuals. Should one disclose their gender identity on the application, and if so how? Does this present a potential issue with enclosed letters of support? How does one approach the interview and campus visit and the potential of misgendering throughout the process? How does one promote previous research published under another name?
Indeed, an importatn issue for transgender academics who are in the process of transitioning or have recently transitioned is the name that they use in their research publications. It has been generally advised that an individual keep the same last name throughout their publishing career to maintain a consistent publications record, but this presents a particular challenge to a transgender individual.
As noted by many transgender academics themselves, the situation for transgender individuals in the world of academia will probably get better along with overall societal improvements with racial, educational and housing justice itself.
We have identified notable LGBTQ academics from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Great Britain, India, Nigeria, Norway, Switzerland, and the United States. Many have written about their experiences as transgender academics. To read more and see the complete list, click here
Directory of past 'Did You Know?' Articles See Here
The goal of QueerBio.com is to be the definitive online biographical reference source for the international LGBTQ community. Its database lists over 15,000 contemporary and historical figures who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, two-spirit, or gender fluid (LGBTQ) and includes artists, sports figures, politicians, entertainers, business leaders, academics, activists, and more. The database is widely international in scope and is an ideal source for research and analysis with full search and sort functionality.
The mission is to inspire, educate, and motivate all generations of LGBTQ individuals and others through a collective knowledge of this international community.
Managing Editors: Mark S. Bonham, Connie Bonello, Gordon Dunbar
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To search for an individual from the database of over 15,000 biographies, simply type the name in the Search Box located in the top right hand corner of this Home Page and click on GO. Similarly, you can search for a common characteristic such as Country, City, Nobel Prize winners, writers, and so on.
Alternatively, you can view and scroll through the entire list of biographies by viewing the All Biographies section.
Announcing Our New Documentary Project - Being Different: 101 Global LGBTQ Individuals Who Changed the World
Despite adversity and discrimination, LGBTQ individuals have excelled throughout history. Yet historians and academics have conveniently participated in the heterosexist erasure of these LGBTQ contributions by omitting the LGBTQ status of prominent historical figures from academic and historical documents. Accordingly, there are relatively few comprehensive projects which document and showcase the influence of these LGBTQ efforts.
Being Different: 101 Global LGBTQ Individuals Who Changed The World will be an original documentary outlining the contributions that members of the LGBTQ community have made, individually and collectively, to changing the world.
We are now Crowdfunding to get this project off the ground. We would love to have you as part of our team. You can help us and SUPPORT THIS PROJECT!
SEE THE TRAILER, READ MORE AND CROWDFUND HERE
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Bonham Centre Awards Gala
Annual Awards established in 2007 to recognize individuals or groups that have made a significant contribution to the advancement and education of human rights issues surrounding sexual education. Click here to find out more about the Bonham Centre Awards, past recipients, and present nominees.
Books Available From QueerBio.Com
A Path to Diversity: LGBTQ Participation in the Working World (Mark S. Bonham, 2017) investigates the current state of employment markets around the world for the LGBTQ community. Included is a discussion of equality in the workplace and why it is important to both the employer and employee, the wage gap, which professions are attractive to LGBTQ individuals and why, and the role of unions and government legislation. A survey of seventy five professions provides a status report for each, and seventy two biographies of influential LGBTQ professionals from around the world is included. 242 pages
READ MORE AND PURCHASE THE PRINT COPY HERE
READ MORE AND PURCHASE THE U.S. KINDLE COPY HERE OR THE CANADIAN KINDLE COPY HERE
Notables: 101 Global LBGTQ People Who Changed the World (Mark S. Bonham, 2015) reveals a group of select global Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) individuals whose accomplishments in their profession changed the world in some relevant way. Included are founders of various social movements, innovators in sports, leaders in business and politics, explorers and discoverers, instigators in religious movements, thinkers in philosophy, infamous villains, creators of new academic fields of study, and risk takers in the arts, culture, and entertainment worlds. 212 pages.
READ MORE AND PURCHASE THE PRINT COPY HERE
READ MORE AND PURCHASE THE U.S KINDLE COPY HERE OR THE CANADIAN KINDLE COPY HERE
Champions: Biographies of Global LGBTQ Pioneers (Mark S. Bonham, 2014) reveals a group of select artists, writers, politicians, lawyers, sports figures, activists, and religious figures from around the world who have helped shape the history of the LGBTQ community. Presented in a convenient notebook format. 114 pages.
READ MORE AND PURCHASE THE PRINT COPY HERE
Order for yourself, and the books also make an ideal gift for friends and family while supporting the development of QueerBio.Com
