AOML Communications Specialist Speaks at a Panel for Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Non-Conforming Folks at the 103rd Annual AMS Meeting

Thia Griffin-Elliott (they/she), a Communications Specialist at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and contractor at Groundswell, spoke at the American Meteorological Society’s (AMS) first panel for transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming folks, and their allies in the geosciences during the 103rd annual AMS meeting last month. The panelists discussed the joys, challenges, and examples of allyship.

One of the first topics Thia shared was the compounding challenge of finding marine science employment in places that are both physically and legally safe, and provide appropriate healthcare support. Remote work can mitigate this challenge for organizations in an unwelcoming region who want to work with a gender queer individual. Another panelist brought up how this safety factor applies not only to our places of residence, but also regions where scientists may deploy for field research. There are parts of the country and world where simply existing as a gender queer individual can be dangerous.

As gender identity collides with biases, headaches also often arise for lead scientists organizing accommodations for their teams. While ideally the solution is more single occupancy accommodations on research ships, space is limited. Open communication and discussion seem to be the most effective way forward, with expectations voiced up front.

The panel organizer, Dr. Callie McNicholas (she/her), also broached the difficulty of propagating name changes across their publications. Authorship matters in science, and receiving proper credit can make the difference in whether one’s career stagnates or flourishes. Sometimes a publisher will find it easy to change online references, but resist changing PDFs and hard copies. It is important to note that this challenge doesn’t just apply to those who identify as transgender, but also to cisgender researchers who change their name upon marriage.

[Note: Thia began their scientific career studying ecosystems, and chemical oceanography.  She feels it would be remiss to not point out that the terms “cis-“ and “trans-” are the same Latin prefixes used to describe conformational isomers meaning, “on the same side as” and “on the opposite side of” respectively. So a trans-person is one who feels their gender identity does not align with what they were assigned at birth, whereas a cis-person does feel their gender assignment corresponds appropriately to their birth certificate.]

Color photograph of Thia Griffin-Elliott, a caucasian trans femme/nonbinary individual, holding a black and white 3-month old puppy.
Thia and the newest puppy in their life, Miss Tallie Butterfin.

During the panel, Thia shared an example of peer support where early in their transition, a friend from their research program accompanied them to Sephora to learn some basic eye makeup. When they got there, Thia was so nervous they couldn’t speak. Their friend requested an eye makeup consultation for them, and the experience of seeing their face in a more feminine mode felt so empowering they immediately learned how to blot tears with a tissue. An audience member in the panel discussion shared how peer support in their research lab led to substantial changes in the culture of their workplace. Humans are social animals and often just seeing an example of what is polite and respectful from other members of the community can  do more to bring about a cultural change than any number of rules or regulations.

This is not to say that peer support is the only way to provide allyship. Thia also shared a key example of top-down leadership; when Groundswell Consulting hired Thia to be a Communications Specialist, AOML Director, Dr. John Cortinas, Deputy Director, Dr. Molly Baringer, and Communications lead, Laura Chaibongsai collectively voiced unequivocal support for Thia being out and treated respectfully. They expressed their prioritization of a diverse work space, and their desire to provide a safe respectful place of employment for all kinds of people.

Flyer promoting the Transgender, Non-binary, Gender Non-Conforming, and Ally Event at the 2023 American Meteorological Society annual meeting.

During the open question & answer session following the panel discussion, Dr. Brad Colman, 2022 AMS President, took the podium and voiced his enthusiastic support for scientists on the gender diversity spectrum. An audience member shared how their supervisor ensured the presence of a unisex restroom on their floor before they arrived. Top-down support serves a crucial role in setting the tenor for an organization.

Due to speaking remotely at the event, Thia was not able to participate in the meet and greet session that followed. However, participants expressed that the panel and subsequent discussion made them feel heard in both the successes and the challenges of creating equity for people on the gender diversity spectrum. AMS’ pride organization, Coriolis, intends to host more discussions on these kinds of topics in the hope that increased visibility and education will create a more welcoming environment in the geosciences.