An Exploration of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Students’ Experiences of Stigma within Introductory Chemistry Courses

Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) students face unique forms of marginalization in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), yet their experiences are often obscured by aggregating LGBTQIA+ populations into a single category. This qualitative study examines how TGNC students experience stigma and navigate belonging within introductory chemistry courses, which is a context where disciplinary norms often reflect cisnormative and exclusionary values. Guided by Goffman’s Stigma Theory and Handley’s Situated Learning Theory, we analyzed two case studies informed by semistructured interviews and supporting survey data. Findings reveal that both students perceived chemistry as a space where their identities were devalued or incompatible with dominant norms, resulting in identity misalignment and constrained participation. Despite these challenges, neither participant fully disidentified from STEM, suggesting that the exclusion they experienced was specific to the culture of chemistry rather than science more broadly. These cases illustrate how stigma and disciplinary culture intersect to shape TGNC students’ sense of legitimacy, belonging, and self-concept in the sciences. We argue that chemistry education must move beyond presumed neutrality to critically engage with the sociopolitical dimensions of the field. Creating inclusive chemistry learning environments will require confronting the structural and cultural norms that render TGNC students invisible or unsafe.