What is your job like?

I like staying busy, so I am juggling three jobs (school director, professor, and associate dean). So my job is very diverse and no day is the same. The role of being a director is a lot like being the conductor of an orchestra, coordinating the talented people and teams in the school to be able to teach all the students, create new curricula, advance research, and promote people’s careers. The most satisfying aspect of the director’s job is being able to help faculty, staff, and graduate students get recognized or awarded for their accomplishments and to help them reach their goals. The greatest challenge of being director is to help solve tricky problems that require calm and steady leadership, which is particularly difficult in the midst of a global pandemic, financial crisis, and societal outrage over ongoing racial injustice. In my professor job, I help direct research projects aimed at helping to save endangered species and using the tools of genetics and cutting edge technology. I enjoy teaching my own classes and seeing the reactions first-hand and and serving my community through efforts such as being a faculty advisor to a LGBTQ+ student organization and a mentoring program. As associate dean, I get to work to set up new projects with government agencies, other universities, and non-profit organizations both regionally and around the world.

Are there many LGBTQ+ Asians in the industry?

There has been strong representation of Asians in the sciences, including when I started as a graduate student. However, when I entered graduate school in 1990, I had no examples of an out LGBTQ+ scientist—just historical figures such as Alan Turing, who were treated very poorly. And of course no Asian LGBTQ+ scientists. The USA at that time was markedly different time than in 2020. Even being in a consenting relationship with technically illegal in most states. I still remember the bitterness that my friends and I felt at the US Supreme Court ruling Bowers vs. Hardwick in 1986 that upheld anti-gay laws. It was only in 2003 that the US Supreme Court overturned these statutes. Although the progress has not always been fast or even, I have watched the steady advancement in the struggle for LGBTQ+ equity. However, there is also backsliding, as you can see in increasing anti-Asian racism during this global pandemic. While there are more Asian LGBTQ+ now, it is still not a large group, and there are challenges that come with being a minority within each community.

Did you feel discouraged to enter your industry because of your sexual orientation? Were you afraid to come out in this industry?  

Ever since I came out in 1986, I have felt that it is important to be open about my sexual orientation to increase LGBTQ+ visibility in the community and change how others view us. During college, I was active in our LGBT student group and in AIDS prevention efforts, and during applications for medical/graduate training, I described this as a motivation to work on HIV research to help find a cure for this horrible disease affecting the community. STEM fields were not highly welcoming of LGBTQ+ or other minorities at that time, and we are still working on making the sciences more inclusive. For me in the end, it has worked out well, although there were clearly times where I felt unwelcome or there was a lack of understanding about the challenges that LGBTQ+ people faced.

Have you ever felt like you were treated differently because of your sexual orientation?

Most people that I work with know that I am a member of the LGBTQ+ community. I am always aware that this is part of how people relate to me. Within the university, I have been fortunate in not being treated differently in any overt fashion, but it is harder to know what people are thinking. In the past, I am used to being one of the only ones to bring a same-sex partner/spouse to events, and fortunately this becoming much more common in the past 5- 10 years.

In what ways has your identity served as a strength?

I have always felt that being of Asian heritage and LGBTQ+ person has made me more sympathetic and understanding than I might otherwise have been. When you face racism directly, you can begin to understand what others have to contend with. Being LGBTQ+ makes me appreciate that whatever rights that we have require constant and regular advocacy and can never be taken for granted. Being both Asian and LGBTQ+ means being a minority in both communities and communicating what that experience means to the majority of the group.

What steps do you think your industry could take to be more inclusive?

• LGBTQ+ presence on university social media, web sites, recruitment materials.

• LGBTQ+ community official events, such as convocations, welcoming ceremonies, participation in pride events

• Having out faculty and staff, who are available to share their experiences and help mentor students

• LGBTQ+ focused scholarships

• Internship opportunities with LGBTQ+ mentors

Do you see a lack of support/opportunity for members of the LGBTQ+ community in educational institutions? If yes, have you done something about it as a professor, associate dean, and school director? In your opinion, what most hinders aforementioned support and opportunities?

Educational institutions are working to be more welcoming environments for members of the LGBTQ+ community. I have focused most of my efforts on improving the student experience. When our university formed a LGBTQ+ mentoring program, I was eager to volunteer. Through those interactions, I am both able to share relevant experiences, provide contacts, and also learn about LGBTQ+ issues that are less familiar to me, e.g., issues for trans students now. I also helped to create a LGBT leadership graduate award in our college, to help support the innovative work of our graduate students. I believe that these efforts would be advanced by having more LGBTQ+ faculty and staff who could lead projects for inclusion.

Have you ever had students discriminate against you?

Like many people in our communities, I have faced microaggressions or other discrimination in the broader community, but fortunately never from students. I hope that is a good sign of where our society is heading.

Finally, what advice do you have for LGBTQ+ Asian youth who are looking to enter your industry? What advice do you have in general, for their journey as an LGBTQ+ person?

It is such a rewarding experience to work in science. You can use your energy and training to help on a number of societally relevant topics, ranging from helping to find solutions to the coronavirus pandemic to working to meet the challenge of global climate change. While students of Asian heritage are not underrepresented in the sciences, you may feel that there are not a lot of LGBTQ+ colleagues. Even if your experiences are different, it can be very helpful to:

• Find LGBTQ+ mentors and other people who are willing to listen and provide helpful feedback

• Find allies who will help advance your career

• Seek out advice from a multitude of people, but stay true to what you think is the right path for you

Thank you so much Dr. Kenro Kusumi for your wise words; we are sure many Asian LGBTQ+ scientists and educators will appreciate the representation you bring them!