Part 5: Inclusion Statement and Reflection Exercise
One way to be a visible ally is to post an inclusion statement on your lab website, social media, and/or the wall in your lab. If you are teaching, send an inclusion statement and request for gender pronouns to your class.
Example Inclusion Statement:
It is our intention that people from all backgrounds and perspectives are respected in this community. We welcome individuals of all ethnicities, religious affiliations, backgrounds, beliefs, gender identities and expressions, national origins, sexual orientations, socioeconomic backgrounds, family education level, and abilities. The diversity that each person brings to this lab is an asset.
All members of this community are expected to contribute to an inclusive environment. Creating and sustaining a community requires trust, and we acknowledge that trust building is a never-ending process. We also acknowledge that learning involves taking risks, but that we need to feel safe and that we belong to do so. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. For those that wish to be addressed by an alternate name or gender pronoun, please let others know of your name/pronouns so that we can make appropriate changes.
Try writing an inclusion statement of your own, but feel free to use this statement verbatim.
Please cite the “RockEDU BIOME Guide to LGBTQIA+ Allyship for Mentors.”
Need help writing your own inclusion statement? Start by asking yourself the following questions:
- What is my definition of “diversity”?
- What different identities do I hold? How do these identities impact my role as a scientist?
- How can I learn more about diversity from my colleagues?
- What are my assumptions/perceptions of students from diverse groups?
- How do I respond to my students/staff based on these perceptions?
All content in the Guide to LGBTQIA+ Allyship for Mentors is shared under Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0. The whole guide is available for download as a PDF from the Save & Share menu.