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Committees
Committee for Sexual-Orientation & Gender Minorities in Astronomy (SGMA)
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News from SGMA
April 2025: SGMA now offers a digital Queer Speaker List (found on our Resources page) where you can search for astronomers to fill out your institution's talk schedule.
May 2023: The AAS Board of Trustees has voted to accept a new Society Resolution in support of LGBTQIA+ astronomers! Click here to read the full resolution.
SGMA interviews: Jane Rigby
Dr Jane Rigby is a civil servant Astrophysicist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She investigates how galaxies and black holes evolve, and currently serves as the Deputy Project Scientist for Operations for the James Webb Space Telescope. A member of our community, Dr Rigby kindly gave this interview to SGMA this week.
WGLE interviews: Jessica Mink
Jessica Mink, at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, works as Astronomical Software Developer, Data Archivist, and Positional Astronomer. A member of our community, Jessica kindly gave this interview to WGLE.
WGLE interviews: Prof Omer Blaes
Professor Omer Blaes, from the University of California at Santa Barbara, works on theoretical astrophysics, with emphasis on compact objects. A member of our community, Dr Blaes maintains the outlist of LGBT astronomers. He kindly gave this interview to WGLE.
SGMA Archives
- Letter from the AAS president to the president of the Indian Astronomical Society, announcing its support for "The Indian LGBTIQ community, especially those pursuing astronomical research", and decrying the recent Indian Supreme Court decision that re-criminalized homosexuality.
- Our poster (many thanks to Jane Rigby!), presented at the 223rd AAS meeting, on "How the Supreme Court ruling on DOMA affected astronomers".
- Notes from WGLE Town Hall Meeting, June 2012, Anchorage AAS meeting
- Jane Rigby's presentation on Frank Kameny (March 2012, YouTube, 25m)
- Recruitment and Retention of LGBTIQ Astronomers, presentation at January 2012 AAS meeting (PDF)
- January 2012: AAS honors Frank Kameny, astronomer and gay rights pioneer
- Obituary for Frank Kameny (1925-2011), astronomer and gay rights pioneer