Examining the STEM Climate for Queer Students with Disabilities

Increasing participation and success in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields continues to be a national imperative, with particular attention paid to eliminating barriers for women and under-represented students of color. Some attention has been paid to the underrepresentation of students with disabilities in STEM fields, while few researchers have focused on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students in STEM. Literature about both students with disabilities and LGBTQ students suggest challenges and barriers that may prevent these groups from successfully persisting in STEM majors. This qualitative study examined the campus experiences of five queer students with disabilities in STEM fields at a predominantly white research university. Findings reveal that participants encountered male-centered, heteronormative STEM spaces, physical and social inaccessibility on campus, a lack of intersectional resources, and marginalization in and out of the classroom. We offer a holistic portrayal of students' higher education experiences and of their multiple identities, as students elaborated on their experiences and marginalization related not only to disability and LGBTQ identities, but also to gender, race, and ethnicity. The study offers one contribution to further exploration of the higher education experiences of students with multiple marginalized identities and presents ways that faculty and staff may seek to improve the classroom and overall campus environment for students.