Because gender stereotypes have portrayed certain STEMM fields as masculine, leading to fewer women studying and working in STEMM, these fields tend to sustain exclusionary, male-dominated cultures that are not supportive of or attractive to women and other underrepresented groups. It is a perpetual cycle that we need to break.

How might the challenges of belonging faced by queer scientists shape their unique contributions? Why do we continue to erase their histories from the narrative of scientific discovery? Uncovering hidden figures combats the ongoing lie that only a narrow few can do great science. They offer a powerful counter-narrative to the myth that science is the domain of straight, cis, white men.