Belonging Beyond Code: Queer Software Engineering and Humanities Student Experiences

Queer students often encounter discrimination and a lack of belonging in their academic environments. This may be especially true in heteronormative male-dominated fields like software engineering, which already faces a diversity crisis. In contrast, disciplines like humanities have a higher proportion of queer students, suggesting a more diverse academic culture. While prior research has explored queer students' challenges in STEM fields, limited attention has been given to how experiences differ between the sociotechnical, yet highly heteronormative, field of software engineering and the socioculturally inclusive humanities. This study addresses that gap by comparing 165 queer software engineering and 119 queer humanities students experiences. Our findings reveal that queer students in software engineering are less likely to be open about their sexuality, report a significantly lower sense of belonging, and encounter more academic challenges compared to their peers in the humanities. Despite these challenges, queer software engineering students show greater determination to continue their studies. These insights suggest that software engineering could enhance inclusivity by adopting practices commonly seen in the humanities, such as integrating inclusive policies in classrooms, to create a more welcoming environment where queer students can thrive.