Science educators and researchers must uphold the human rights of trans, nonbinary, and intersex persons

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Sedlacek, Quentin C. and Aramati Casper, A. M. and Doerr, Katherine and Jeong, Sophia and Marosi, Nelly K. M. and Mendoza, K. Rende and Reggiani, Marco and Tumber‐Dávila, Shersingh Joseph and Adams, Jennifer D. and Anderson, Andrew P. and Avraamidou, Lucy and Blake, Charlie K. and Cheuk, Tina and Dozier, Sara J. and Eddy, Sarah L. and Eden, Alexander and Fingalsson, Rebecka and Friend, Michelle and Fuentes, Agustín and Haeger, Heather and Kirchgasler, Kathryn L. and Krishnamoorthy, Rishi and Lemmi, Catherine and Maloy, Jeffrey and Ovid, Dax and Ribay, Kathryn and Rock, Ronan O. and Russo‐Tait, Tatiane and Tolbert, Sara and Tripp, Brie and Varelas, Maria (2026) Science educators and researchers must uphold the human rights of trans, nonbinary, and intersex persons. Science Education. ISSN 0036-8326 (https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.70069)

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Abstract

Trans, nonbinary, and intersex persons are—and have always been—an integral part of humankind. However, these communities are under attack. We live in a time of growing state repression and the normalization of political violence against trans, nonbinary, and intersex persons throughout much of the world, and we have a responsibility to understand these conditions and consider their implications for science education. In this commentary, we briefly outline the growing state repression of trans, nonbinary, and intersex persons, illustrating this repression with examples primarily drawn from the U.S. context, while acknowledging similar forms of repression happening in many countries. We discuss the ways that scientific discourses and ideologies are being co‐opted to rationalize these attacks, explain the responsibility this creates for science educators, and examine the important work that has already been done to understand and dismantle oppression and to celebrate the lives and accomplishments of these communities within and beyond science education. Finally, we offer recommendations for specific actions that science educators and researchers can take to uphold the human rights of trans, nonbinary, and intersex persons and communities.

ORCID iDs

Sedlacek, Quentin C., Aramati Casper, A. M., Doerr, Katherine, Jeong, Sophia, Marosi, Nelly K. M., Mendoza, K. Rende, Reggiani, Marco ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6158-2302, Tumber‐Dávila, Shersingh Joseph, Adams, Jennifer D., Anderson, Andrew P., Avraamidou, Lucy, Blake, Charlie K., Cheuk, Tina, Dozier, Sara J., Eddy, Sarah L., Eden, Alexander, Fingalsson, Rebecka, Friend, Michelle, Fuentes, Agustín, Haeger, Heather, Kirchgasler, Kathryn L., Krishnamoorthy, Rishi, Lemmi, Catherine, Maloy, Jeffrey, Ovid, Dax, Ribay, Kathryn, Rock, Ronan O., Russo‐Tait, Tatiane, Tolbert, Sara, Tripp, Brie and Varelas, Maria;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)