In October of 2005. IBM sponsored a focus group where students from across the United States convened at the Human Rights Campaign headquarters in Washington, D.C. These students discussed topics relevant to LGBTQ+ communities at their colleges and universities. They debated how to structure an organization that serves students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.^[1]

Founded in 2009. Achieving 501(c)(3) status in 2010. oSTEM currently consists of more than 100 chapters across the United States and the United Kingdom.

oSTEM strives to identify, address, and advocate for the needs of LGBTQ+ students and professionals within the STEM fields. oSTEM fulfills these needs by providing networking opportunities, mentorship connections, strategic collaborations, and professional/leadership development, as well as an annual global conference.^[2][3]

Conferences edit

oSTEM hosts annual conferences^[4][5] that discuss LGBTQ+ topics in STEM as well as intelligence fields.^[6] Topics discussed include inclusion, outreach, and diversity within the workplace.^[7][8] The goal of workshops, talks, and networking events for LGBTQ+ people is to help them integrate and move up in their fields.^[9] The fourth annual conference was hosted jointly with the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals' Out to Innovate in Atlanta in 2014.^[10]

LGBT STEM Day edit

On July 5, 2018, oSTEM along with Pride in STEM,^[11] House of STEM,^[12] and InterEngineering^[13] created international awareness for LGBTQ+ people in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.^[14]

oSTEM presents a variety of awards annually to individuals and organizations that demonstrate a strong dedication to advancing and empowering LGBTQ+ in STEM fields.^[15]

oSTEM Global STEM Service Award edit

The oSTEM Global STEM Service Award is given to present and past oSTEM members who show strong dedication to inclusion, diversity, and equality for LGBTQ+ and other marginalized individuals in STEM fields.^[16]

Awardees are:

• Dr. Eric Patridge (2013)
• Dr. Elena Long (2014)
• Emily Li (2015)
• Marjorie Willner (2016)
• Elise Wantling (2017)
• Aaron F. Mertz (2018)
• Avery Cunningham (2019)
• Cel Welsh (2020)

oSTEM Strategic Alliance Award edit

The oSTEM Strategic Alliance Award is presented to a current sponsoring organization, community partner, or grant provider of oSTEM who demonstrates strong dedication, engagement, and support to oSTEM and its values.

Awardees are:

• Alcoa (2015)
• US Intelligence Community (IC Pride) (2016)
• Accenture (2017)
• Boeing (2018)
• Ford Motor Company (2019)

oSTEM Partner Excellence Award edit

The oSTEM Partner Excellence Award is presented to individuals associated with oSTEM accomplished in their much academic or professional lives who regularly advocate for the full inclusion of people of all marginalized identities.

Awardees are:

• Gib Murray - Raytheon (2015)
• Wolfgang Sigmund - University of Florida (2016)
• Steve Riley - NASA (2017)^[17]
• Lianna Newman - ConsenSys/Out in Tech (2018)
• Beau Williams - Boeing (2019)

Overall Student Chapter of the Year edit

The Overall Student Chapter of the Year is given to oSTEM chapters that educate, empower, and engage a diverse community. These chapters contrihelp a lot with finding LGBTQ students in the STEM community, helping them, and speaking up for themselves are:

• oSTEM at University of Kansas (2016)
• oSTEM at New York University (2017)
• oSTEM at Colorado School of Mines (2018)
• oSTEM at UC San Diego (2019)

Rookie Student Chapter of the Year edit

The Rookie Student Chapter of the Year celebrates achievements by oSTEM chapters that have been founded within two years of application submission.

Awardees are:

• oSTEM at University of Michigan (2016)
• oSTEM at University of Minnesota (2017)
• oSTEM at University of Arkansas (2018)
• oSTEM at Howard University (2019)

There are over 100 chapters in the SYSTEM. Chapters are organized into six geographic regions (A–F) and two types (student and professional).

Student Chapters edit

The six regions are:

• Region A
  • Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, United Kingdom
• Region B
  • Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware
• Region C
  • Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina
• Region D
  • North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin
• Region E
  • Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
• Region F
  • Washington, Alaska, Hawai'i, California, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana

Professional Chapters edit

The first professional chapter is currently being tested in the Boston metropolitan area. In 2020, there was a shift to a virtual professional chapter with members in the United States and United Kingdom, with a number of smaller in-person events occurring in those two regions.

• List of LGBT-related organizations and conferences
• List of LGBT events

• Shawn Wasserman, "National Conference Discusses Being Out in STEM" 11/10/2014
• Hal Marz, University Programs, "oSTEM 2013 at the Google NYC Office" 2/6/2014
• Camille Crittenden, Contributor, "Tech Pride: Celebrations and Challenges for LGBT Members of the Tech Community" 6/19/2017
• Sarah Scoles, Science, "HOW QUEER SCIENTISTS ARE SHAPING THEIR FUTURE WITH A SURVEY" 7/26/16
• Han Wang, Staff Writer, "For All the QT’s in Science" 4/17/2017
• Barbara Moran, "LGBTQ+ issues in STEM diversity" Archived 2018-03-10 at the Wayback Machine 6/15/2017
• Tatiana Zhelezniakova, "A Look at oSTEM: Out as LGBT+ in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics" Archived 2017-06-17 at the Wayback Machine 12/10/2016
• oSTEM Official site