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Jessica Mink writes astronomical
software at the Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory |
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It's getting harder to decide whether to commit to conferences, what with the Texas Senate having passed SB6,
the discriminatory bill about which I wrote in January. The possibility that the Speaker of the Texas House might be unable to stop its momentum delayed my registration for Women in Astronomy IV in Austin for a while, but I'll be there on a panel discussing our
Inclusive Astronomy Recommendations. As a
member of a class which seems to be under siege in much of the United(?) States, I have found that the best way to gain allies is to be an ally to as many groups as I can. Making astronomy more diverse and inclusive has become a major goal of my professional life.
In the other long-term activist part of my life, I have learned that if you want to make progress, there are three levels of work: 1) as an individual, 2) as part of a group with agreed-upon goals, and 3) inside the system. I don't mind meetings, so I tend to try to do all three. In addition to simply being my intersectional self, I've been working both within the American Astronomical
Society as a member of both the Committee on the Status of Women (
CSWA) and the Committee for Sexual orientation and Gender identity Minorities in Astronomy
(SGMA),
and outside, on the organizing committee for Inclusive Astronomy
(IA).
A
few months ago, I gave a presentation connecting our activities as a profession to better include LGBTQ+ astronomers to the
National Organization of Lesbian and Gay Scientists and Technical
Professionals (
NOGLSTP) at their
"Out to Innovate" conference, which this year was held conveniently near my home base of Boston. At that meeting, I learned that astronomy is ahead of other STEM
disciplines in that we're trying to include not just one group excluded
by gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or
disability, but to look at barriers which can affect any of them.