November 18^th is the International Day of LGBTQ+ People in STEM. We acknowledged this day at the observatory on November 21^st 2022 by screening the movie The Imitation Game, which shows the life of the well-known scientist Alan Turing. 

On 29^th September 2022 we screened the documentary film Nostalgia de la Luz, by Patricio Guzmán. This documentary focuses on the Atacama Desert, in Chile, and covers its history from the perspective of astronomers, archaeologists, and those affected by Pinochet's dictatorship.

After the screening, we shared some pizza together. 

On 9^th June 2022, Prof. Karl Blanchet and Lou Pisani (UniGE) presented the InZone program of the University of Geneva. InZone is focused on higher education in communities affected by conflict and humanitarian crises with special attention to refugees/asylum seekers stranded in fragile states. More information and how you can get involved here: https://www.unige.ch/inzone/

On 16^th May 2022, we had a workshop by Dr. Paola Pinilla from the Max Planck Institute of Astrophysics (MPIA) on imposter syndrome, which is a condition characterized by the persistent belief that one is not good enough for the role they have, only ended up there by luck or deception, and that it is only a matter of time before they are discovered to be a fraud. This is a fairly pervasive issue in academia. Yet, despite its prevalence and the growing conversation about it, there is still a significant lack of awareness. When it is described to them, many people are surprised by how closely it represents their own experience and surprised to learn that it is a recognized and well-studied condition that affects other people as well. This workshop aimed to combat this lack of awareness.

For the Christmas party in 2021, we proposed the intersectionality flowers. The aim was for people to create a flower that reflects the intersections within their own identity to celebrate the diversity in the Observatory community. 

On 18^th Novembre 2021, we held informal after-work drinks for the Observatory community. This provided a friendly and relaxed environment for LGBTQIA+ department members and those who wish to support them to interact, develop a sense of community, and discuss the unique challenges of being LGBTQIA+ in STEM.