Leveraging queer epistemic subjectivity to advance justice through physics teaching

Abstract

In this paper, we advocate for inclusion of queer and trans* (QT) students in physics by promoting epistemic diversity. We draw on literature documenting racial epistemic oppression and research exploring the experiences of QT students of color in STEM to build theory around intersectional, coalition-building epistemic justice for queer inclusion. We highlight the affordances of physics teaching that embraces queer epistemic subjectivity (ways of thinking shaped by the lived experience of transgressing regulatory categories of sexuality and gender), and offer implications for instructors that cultivate appreciation for diverse approaches to physics learning in the classroom.