Amanda Malloy, ASA Director of Development
“Pride Month is a time for everyone to not only imagine what a world without shame and LGBTQ+ discrimination would look like, but to build that world.”
This was Deirdre Middleton’s response to my question about why it is important to celebrate Pride Month. Middleton is chair of the LGBTQ+ Advocacy Committee and a survey research scientist at RTI. She went on to explain, “It is important to celebrate Pride Month because the LGBTQ+ community deserves joy. A major component of discrimination against LGBTQ+ people is the idea of shame—shame about identity, behaviors, and relationships. Pride is the opposite. It is an essential form of resistance, rebellion, and reimagining of what the world could look like without the burdens of discrimination.”
Middleton took on the role of committee chair in January and has been working with a group of committee members to make the statistical community an inclusive environment and find ways to support LGBTQ+ data scientists and statisticians.
“We all do our best work when we have a sense of belonging within our professional worlds, and the committee hopes to foster that sense of belonging throughout the profession,” says Middleton.
Committed to maintaining and building on what previous chairs Jack Miller and Jaishen You have accomplished, Middleton is grateful for the opportunity to help move the work of the committee forward.
“The committee’s work is important because injustice and discrimination will not just disappear on their own; we must actually put in the effort to create an inclusive profession. This is not just important for LGBTQ+ persons, but for everyone who loves statistics and wants to see innovative thinking and progress in the field. This profession is harmed when discrimination drives away talent and passion, and our committee wants to do the opposite. We want to swing the doors open and say, ‘Hey, if you love statistics, you belong here! This is a space where you can thrive!’ ”
Show Your Pride
Middleton says celebrating pride is for everyone who wants to participate, regardless of personal identity, and celebrating can take many forms:
- Honor, support, and bring joy to the LGBTQ+ people in your family or community (or yourself)
- Learn about the history of LGBTQ+ contributions to history
- Advocate for laws that protect LGBTQ+ rights, etc.
- Donate to the Pride Scholarship
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