Broadening Gender in Computing for Transgender and Nonbinary Learners

Gender disparities in computer science education have been a key focus of efforts to Broaden Participation in Computing (BPC). While the importance of outreach to women and girls has become well established, many researchers may not be aware of the needs of students who identify across and outside the gender binary. As more teens and young adults identify as transgender and/or nonbinary, computer science researchers and practitioners will need to understand how the needs of these students align with and diverge from those of their cisgender peers. In this position paper, we discuss how current BPC efforts targeted toward women and girls may unknowingly discourage transgender and especially nonbinary learners and call for the RESPECT community to Broaden Gender in Computing through additional research and discussion.