LGBTQIA+ experiences in conservation survey data

We anonymously surveyed members and non-members of the LGBTQIA+ community of conservation students and professionals in North America to explore participants’ lived experiences in conservation regarding safety, belonging, and inclusion. Our 737 responses included 10% that identified as genderqueer, gender nonconforming, questioning, nonspecific, genderfluid, transgender woman, agender, transgender man, two spirit Indigenous, or intersex (hereafter gender expansive), and 29% bisexual, queer, lesbian, gay, asexual, pansexual, omnisexual, questioning, or non-heterosexual (hereafter queer+). Data also include results of a non-response survey of 157 individuals who chose not to complete our the full survey, but answered basic demographic questions to determine non-response bias.

Methods
Responses were solicited from an email list that included natural resource, conservation, ecology, wildlife, and fisheries departments from public and private universities; 4-year colleges; 2-year colleges; professional schools; technical, vocational, or trade schools; Hispanic-serving institutions; historically Black colleges and universities; tribal colleges, and women’s colleges. To include perspectives from non-academic settings and to target LGBTIQA+ individuals, we included listserv members of the “Out in the Field'' LGBTQIA+ and ally working group of the Wildlife Society as part of our survey population. We distributed a Qualtrics suvey and consent letter to ask respondents about their feelings and experiences of safety, belonging, and inclusion working in the field of conservation.