“Always having to dampen and dilute my essence in order to fit”: Intersectional Experiences of Queer Scholars of Color in STEM and STEM Education

This article examines the intersectional experiences of queer scholars of color in STEM and STEM education. Using arts-informed research methods, we conducted and analyzed five interviews and a focus group transcript that focused on the support and hurdles that five participants encountered and the strategies they utilized to navigate their work in STEM and STEM education. We identified that, against the backdrop of prevailing heteronormativity and normative whiteness in STEM, participants compartmentalized their STEM and social identities, felt compelled to negotiate the risks of coming out, and assumed the double burden and invisible work of students who were queer and/or of color. Their main strategies included engaging in service and activism, developing counterspaces, and resisting stereotypes and cultural expectations. We also include a set of recommendations to start building culturally sustaining environments where scholars do not need to compartmentalize their identities and can bring their full selves into STEM workspaces.