Gender and sexual minority PhD students experience epistemic exclusion in STEM

Abstract People with gender minority (e.g., transgender, agender, nonbinary) and sexual minority (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, queer) identities are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In the current research, we examine whether gender and sexual minorities report greater epistemic exclusion (i.e., institutional devaluation of their contributions) and worse academic outcomes compared to their cisgender and heterosexual peers. In a survey of 329 PhD students, we find that students who identified as gender and/or sexual minorities were more likely to experience epistemic exclusion, report greater stress in graduate school, and intend to leave their PhD programs (relative to their cisgender and heterosexual counterparts). Importantly, we found this pattern both within and outside of STEM. This research highlights how epistemic exclusion can serve as a barrier to gender and sexual minorities’ success, not only in STEM, but in academia more broadly.