An LGBTQI+ journey as a rocket scientist
iLAuNCH CTO Dr Joni Sytsma takes on The World Science Festival in Brisbane 🏳️⚧️
In this podcast recorded at The World Science Festival in Brisbane, Joni shares her journey as an aerospace engineer who began her career at the United States Air Force Research Laboratory before moving to Australia in 2016 to join the Hypersonic International Flight Research Experiment program with the Defence Science and Technology group.
During the secondment to manufacture and launch a hypersonic rocket, Joni discreetly started her gender transition, complete with hormones and mood changes.
From Day 1 of her rocket launch project, Joni was gender transitioning. Australia was so much safer and easier. She worked with a team of brilliant rocket scientists on a rapid flight test demonstration program. The end of her secondment meant she should have gone back to the US, but she was desperate to find a way to stay. She needed to take control of her own destiny and landed a job, finally able to be herself at Gilmour Space, launching more rockets and blooming in safety. Australia is lucky to have Joni and her expertise, and she has since become an Australian citizen and this is her forever home.
This week is Transgender Awareness Week, 🏳️⚧️ November 13 – 19. People and organisations around the world participate to help increase understanding about transgender people and the issues members of the community face. This podcast shares one woman’s story, highlighting the possibilities, and that rocket scientists are not one size fits all.
What is Transgender Awareness Week?
Trans Awareness Week is a chance to celebrate the wonderful trans and gender-diverse community. And it’s also the perfect, ideal time to educate ourselves and those around us about gender diversity, and the importance of being a trans ally.
Education is key to understanding who transgender people are, sharing stories and experiences, and advancing advocacy around issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affect the transgender community.
Listen to Joni’s story here
Queerstories Season 3, Ep. 100 341 Joni Sytsma – Rocket Proctology
