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Celebrating Pride: LGBTQIA+ scientists who inspire us

To celebrate Pride, our team of LGBTQIA+ Champions have pulled together a list of incredible scientists whose work and lives continue to inspire us.

 

Published: 11/07/2025

We believe that science is for everyone. 

We celebrate diversity in all its forms and are committed to creating a space where everyone feels safe, respected, and can be themselves. We’re proud to stand for inclusion because science thrives when everyone is included. 

To celebrate Pride, our team of LGBTQIA+ Champions have pulled together a list of incredible scientists whose work and lives continue to inspire us.

These trailblazers have made groundbreaking contributions to science while also paving the way for greater visibility and inclusion in STEM. 

Here’s just a few of the people who remind us why representation matters:
 

  • Alan L. Hart (1890-1962) - A pioneering doctor and novelist who helped revolutionise the use of X-rays to diagnose tuberculosis. He was also the first documented transgender man to undergo gender-affirming surgery.
     
  • Alan Turing (1912-1954) - Mathematician, philosopher and the father of modern computing. Turing’s work helped end WWII, but he was later persecuted for being gay. Today, he’s rightly celebrated as one of the greatest minds in science.
     
  • Audrey Tang (1981-) – A non-binary, transgender computer scientist based in Taiwan. During the COVID Pandemic, Tang programmed and pioneered a digital “Mask Map” for Taiwan, providing minute-by-minute information directing those in need to the shops with supplies in stock. Tang’s work focuses around the idea of using digital technology for good. 
     
  • Ben Barres (1954-2017) – A neurobiologist, and the first openly transgender scientist in the National Academy of Science, chair of the Neurobiology Department at Stanford University. Pioneer in the field of neuron and glial cell interactions and active advocate for gender and sexuality minorities in academic spaces.
     
  • Chanda Prescod-Weinstein (1982 –) – A theoretical cosmologist and particle physicist, whose research focuses on cosmology, neutron stars, and dark matter. Prescod-Weinstein advocates for increasing the recognition of Black Women+ in physics and astronomy. 
     
  • Daniel Pfau - A queer, intersex, and non-binary neuroscientist specializing in sex differences and endocrinology. Pfau champions diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM and academia.
     
  • Magnus Hirschfeld (1868 – 1935) – A sexologist and openly gay man who founded the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee and World League for Sexual Reform. Hirschfeld also founded the Institute for Sexual Science in Berlin, before being exiled by Nazi Germany, who destroyed the institute and its work.
     
  • Nergis Mavalvala (1968-) – An astrophysicist who helped detect gravitational waves from colliding black holes. Mavalvala proudly describes herself as “an out, queer person of colour”, is a role model for many in STEM and two-time MacArthur award winner.
     
  • Ruth Gates (1962- 2018) - A marine biologist who led pioneering research into coral reefs and their ability to survive rising sea temperatures caused by climate change. Gates married her wife in 2018, shortly before her passing, and left behind a legacy of hope.
     
  • Sally Ride (1951–2012) – A physicist and the first American woman in space. Ride inspired a generation of children and young girls to get involved with STEM, through her educational children’s books and wider work. 
     
  • Tiara Moore - A marine biologist who focuses on biodiversity. Moore founded Black in Marine Science (BIMS) to elevate the voices of Black marine scientists and promote intersectional environmentalism.


     

Useful resources:


https://500queerscientists.com/

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