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In many countries, there are fewer legal protections for LGBTQIA+ people than in the UK. The specific challenges, perceptions, and experiences of LGBTQIA+ scientists at undertaking international working are poorly understood.
Dr Christina Atchison and colleagues conducted a survey and interviews with LGBTQIA+ staff and postgraduate research students across Imperial College London. Respondents reported that potential safety issues in relation to sexuality and gender identity were rarely discussed as part of travel risk assessments. About half of respondents had ever felt uncomfortable or unsafe based on their sexual orientation or gender identity whilst undertaking overseas work-related travel. A quarter of respondents reported harassment or discrimination. Finally, almost all respondents considered overseas international working to be important for career progression, yet 40% had, at some point, chosen not to do overseas work-related travel because they felt it might be unsafe based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Programme (times in CEST)
15:00-15:10 Introduction (Sarah Barber)
15:10-15:25 Presentation “Being OUT in the field: Challenges of work-related travel and fieldwork for LGBTQ+ scientists“
Christina Atchison, Imperial College
15:25-15:50 Questions and discussion
15:50-16:00 Summary of discussion and closing (Sarah Barber)
Key-note speaker Christina Atchison
Dr Christina Atchison is a Principal Clinical Academic Fellow at Imperial College London. After qualifying in Medicine from Cambridge University in 2002, she worked for several years rotating through clinical specialties including general medicine, paediatric surgery, emergency medicine, anaesthetics and clinical microbiology. Subsequently, she completed the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and obtained her PhD in Infectious Disease Epidemiology from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2011. Her research interests include the evaluation of child and adolescent public health programmes.
