Fieldwork and LGBTQ+ Identities: Queering the Outdoors

Abstract

Fieldwork is considered an integral component of research within conservation biology and ecology. Oftentimes, institutions and researchers share resources on general safety when collecting data in field settings. Despite an increasing awareness, there has been a lack of transparency and communication in terms of the hazards associated with fieldwork. These include but are not limited to an increased risk of sexual harassment and assault. These risks are compounded particularly for those from marginalized racial, sexual, and gender identities. In addition to this lack of acknowledgment, the added risks to those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (trans), and/or queer or members of other marginalized sexualities and gender identities (to reflect the "+" in LGBTQ+) are often overlooked. We have found that there is not only a lack of data on sexual orientation and gender identities of researchers and the barriers they may face as field-based scientists, but also a lack of awareness of how we can support those from these marginalized groups within our disciplines. Creating a SAFE and INCLUSIVE community for those with marginalized identities is key to sustaining the diversity within our discipline. Here, we outline a series of recommendations that can be utilized to address the harassment, homophobia, and transphobia that our LGBTQ+ colleagues face. These recommendations range from what can be applied at the local level (within a lab group), at the department level, at the institutional level as well at specific field sites.

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