Queer in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: Following the Intersections of Queerness, Transness and Science Identities

ABSTRACT This multiple case study explores the intersections of queerness/transness and science education through a combined framework of queer theory, intersectionality, the construct of figured worlds and science identity. The study uses a life‐history approach to characterize the trajectories of three purposefully selected queer individuals who are currently working in a European or US‐based higher education institution. We collected data through multiple in‐depth, semistructured and unstructured interviews, and artefacts, for the purpose of exploring shifts on the participants' science identities throughout their lives, as they moved towards or away from science. The findings illustrate how exclusionary cultural models in STEM—shaped by cisheteronormativity, whiteness, patriarchy, ableism, and neoliberal values—promote science as hypercompetitive, individualistic, and emotionally detached. These models marginalize queer identities, stigmatize mental health, and depoliticize science by erasing sociopolitical concerns and limiting who is recognized as a legitimate science person. As such, they contribute to ongoing efforts to queer science education by illuminating how systemic norms shape identity trajectories. We conclude by sharing implications for research, theory, and practice in pursuit of more inclusive and liberatory visions of science education.