All through june this year, Physics Capsule will exhibit symbols of our support for LGBT+ identities across fields, across the world, and especially so in science. The so-called LGBT+ ‘pride month’ is celebrated in June in the US but similar pride months and days are celebrated at various times through the year in various countries. At Physics Capsule, we chose June for two reasons: first, this June marks the seventh anniversary of the founding of Physics Capsule which makes for the perfect time to reiterate our fundamental beliefs; and second, the 23rd of June is the birth anniversary of one of the most brilliant mathematicians in modern history, Alan Turing, who himself identified as gay.
LGBT+ people in physics
Turing was class apart when it came to formalising algorithms and computation techniques that form the backbone of modern-day computing and artificial intelligence, both of which are the foundations of several branches of physics today. Despite his pivotal contributions in using computation to crack German code and save millions of lives during the Second World War, Turing’s life was full of disturbance afforded by his homosexuality: he was ultimately defined as a ‘security risk’ and harassed by police surveillance till death.
There have been several other figures in physics too who identified as LGBT+. Most notably there was Leonardo da Vinci who likely never bothered to hide the fact despite the hostility of society back then; possibly Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington; the physicist and astronaut Sally Ride; in all likelihood Sir Isaac Newton too.
More recently, in 2016 the American Physical Society published a report on LGBT physicists which showed that while physicists in general were quite accepting of various gender and sexual identities, which is certainly something we are proud of, not all workplaces were created equal. Discomfort, a push towards closeted behaviour, isolation and exclusion and discrimination, and the unability to seek out allies all contributed towards making the world of physics less than ideal for physicists identifying as LGBT+. The APS suggested inclusive workshops and mentoring programmes, changes in publication records, greater advocacy efforts and the establishment of a fora to birth a more inclusive community. Needless to say these suggestions have the full support of the physics community and we are no exception to the fact.
While LGBT+ people in physics, like in the world in general, are only a minority, we do not believe this justifies maintaining the status quo. We are primarily driven by a simple fact: the gender identity of a person has no bearing on the science they do, be it in physics or other fields, so nobody should be chosen or rejected, welcomed or shunned, berated or let off on that basis. It is important that we remain accepting of all identities so that everyone feels comfortable enough to be and do their best, which would rightly return the focus to something we all have in common: the love of physics.
The importance of taking a stance
It is widely believed that organisations, including the likes of Physics Capsule, in taking a stand make little difference to the LGBT+ community. While it is true that we are not directly changing people’s minds about gender and sexual identities or directly affecting policy changes in workplaces across the world—neither of which are in our control—we nevertheless believe that the fact that we are taking an open and strong stance in support of the acceptance of a spectrum of identities has a few repercussions.
First, we are on record, which means our actions, decisions and future statements are all open to public scrutiny for hypocrisy if nothing else. We are putting ourselves on the line because we have faith in our beliefs and would like to affirm our intent to work in a certain manner.
Second, we believe that when individuals or companies or organisations take a stance openly they make a little more of our world a welcoming and safe space for people. Be it for our readers, subscribers or contributors, we want to ensure that Physics Capsule is an open and welcoming space where the only requirement is an open mind and a desire to learn.
Third, symbols can be powerful in nudging people towards specific thoughts and actions. The use of a special logo for Physics Capsule in the colours of the LGBT+ spectrum or the prominent display of these colours as a banner across our website are more than just a symbol of our support. Far from being blank gestures, our use of symbolism is designed to spark a certain curiosity in those who are not aware of these issues while emboldening those who are.
Our actions may not change the world in the short term, or change the world visibly all by themselves at any point, but they do contribute to a steady evolution of society in the long term, through creating spaces and reassuring people that support even exists.
We believe that alone is worth it.
