Shared Traits: Entomologists and LGBTQ+ Folks

Abstract

Like many of you, I was the kid on the playground who was a little too into bugs, which quickly awarded me the label of “weird.” I could say it didn’t bother me, but I’d be lying. It’s hard to be cast out of the community or seen as strange, unapproachable, or misunderstood. As I grew older and learned that entomology was not only a hobby, but a potential career, I was blown away and knew this was my path. But an even bigger surprise came once I started my graduate program in entomology and learned that there were many entomologists who, like me, identified as LGBTQ+ … like, a lot. Finding this very specific subcommunity of queer entomologists seemed like an impossible dream, but upon reflection, I realize that there is a lot of overlap in experience between LGBTQ+ folks and entomologists. Some of us know early in...