Exploring Visible and Invisible Marginalized Identities in Veterinary Medicine

It is a well-documented fact that people with identities that vary from the majority have faced discrimination throughout history. Historically, the identities of these individuals have been consolidated into neat, oversimplified boxes with fanciful names that all boiled down to “other” in some fashion.

This article is brought to you in collaboration with Pawsibilities Vet Med as part of a 6-part series, Prosperity Perspectives: Building a Thriving Veterinary Community.

This phenomenon is evident in the case of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community (herein referred to as the LGBTQ+ community; see GLOSSARY)—an ever-growing acronym highlighting the complexity of the characteristics of the people gathered under its umbrella. All of the people with identities other than heterosexual and/or cisgender have been forced together into this “other” community simply because they do not check the “heterosexual” and/or “cisgender” boxes. However, the range of identities within this group is vast, complex, and far too diverse to be considered a single identity. Further contributing to marginalization is the dichotomy of visible and invisible identities.

Intersectionality Redefined in Today’s World

In the late 1980s, legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw distilled decades of critical race studies to bring to life the term “intersectionality.”¹ After several more decades of using, overusing, and restudying this term, the understanding has become that marginalized identities exist across a multidimensional plane. They can be categorized based on their observable characteristics or their more unspoken ones:

• Visible marginalized identities consist of identities that can (often) be directly These are the marginalized identities that make up the bulk of diversity-declaring reports and studies of workplace inclusivity. They usually include counts of women (usually cisgender) and the observable racial diversity in the field.
• Invisible marginalized identities, or the identities that can (to some degree) be concealed without public declaration, are less commonly addressed. Examples of these identities include members of the LGBTQ+ community, first-generation immigrant families, refugees, historically marginalized religious communities, neurodiverse individuals, and those from low-income backgrounds.²

Though well-intentioned and sometimes necessary, these descriptions still fail to deliver the complexity of real intersectionality. As Keesha Roberts describes in her review of intersectional work, it is through the thoughtful integration of all factors contributing to a complex identity (both visible and invisible) that we approach truly inclusive practices.³ The recognition of folks that are marginalized within marginalized groups calls back to the importance of intersectional thinking by shedding light on some of the most invisible identities facing discrimination within their marginalized communities. This is especially true for intersectional individuals of the LGBTQ+ community. One prominent example is Black transgender women, or transgender women of color, who often face discrimination within their racial community for their transness while concurrently receiving racist and transphobic treatment from exclusionary members of the LGBTQ+ community.³

Seeing individuals in this way is a nuanced practice that requires an open-minded approach to a multitude of perspectives. Think of it as the fish-eye lens, a way of seeing individuals in their environment with greater detail of the whole picture. When applied to veterinary medicine, this lens can be used to elevate the profession in this country to meet the standards for globalization and cooperation. There is no better time for the veterinary profession to adopt this lens than now, in the midst of a push to diversify our profession for its own adaptability and survival.

My Intersectional Identity

With over 21 years of working experience in the veterinary field, I can say with certainty that being a veterinary professional is an inextricable part of my self-identity. I can also say with certainty that it was not until the last 6 years that I truly felt at home in this profession. As a closeted Queer child growing up in a mixed-religion household, community was an exceedingly rare thing for me to experience. In the summer of 2020, during a particularly low and stressful point of my professional journey, I was on the brink of leaving veterinary medicine. That was when I found the Pride Veterinary Medical Community (PrideVMC), the LGBTQ+ veterinary medical organization. I was welcomed into the fold as an active member, quickly becoming acquainted with the growing network of identity-based communities in organized veterinary medicine. I was introduced to the Veterinary Medicine Interconnected (VMI) community, which is composed of over 16 identity-based affinity organizations as well as over 5 additional umbrella organizations including the AVMA, NAVTA, and NOMV, all working together to support the voices of the identity-based groups.

Today, I proudly serve on the board for PrideVMC as well as the facilitator of the VMI community. Advocating for professional spaces that allow individuals to be their authentic selves has become central to my role in this profession. I have both experienced and witnessed the lifesaving results of the communities formed by these affinity organizations. The importance of creating and uplifting identity-based spaces that are inclusive to all titles in the veterinary profession cannot be overstated.

Applications to Veterinary Medicine

Considerations for Organized Veterinary Medicine

In a recent TVP article, Dr. Mariana Pardo discusses the experience of foreign-trained veterinarians seeking accreditation in the United States.⁴ Her review makes it clear: We are partly standing in our own way of successfully diversifying our professional community through rigorous, expensive, and time-consuming standards that unnecessarily impede the accreditation of a large number of foreign-trained veterinarians. Addressing these and similar roadblocks would require intentional integration and diversification of oversight boards and committees at an organized level. However, it is not enough to just provide people of marginalized identities a seat at the table. These seats need to be multiple, each equipped with a megaphone and access to effecting change within an organization. It is too easy (and common) for singular voices of marginalized identities to be diluted by a larger volume of voices from an otherwise homogenous population, to be ostracized and written off as a singular perspective, or to be ignored altogether.

Recently, the Washington State VMA (WSVMA) successfully underwent an intentional diversification of its board, mindfully selecting members of marginalized identities for its open board seats. I was lucky enough to sit down with WSVMA’s Executive Director Ken Gordon (March 20, 2026), who described the work that the board put in to make this happen: Working directly with its DEIW and Leadership committees, the board identified key demographics that were not previously represented. Using these demographics, the board then established 3 new “Representation/Diversity Director” seats, each entering into the election cycle with specific qualifications. The ultimate goal is to create a board that better represents the current population of veterinary medicine as well as set it up to adapt to future changes in the

It is important to keep in mind, however, that the opposite can also happen: When a few singular individuals are appointed to speak for an entire population of people, it creates a monolithic mindset that paves the way for broad treatment of certain marginalized groups without consideration of unique experiences and subcultures. This is especially true of the LGBTQ+ community as previously discussed. Thus, a mindful approach to diversifying voices and empowering the community is necessary. One easy way to strike this balance in organized veterinary medicine is to open more lines of communication between an organization’s leadership and identity-based affinity organizations.

BOX 1 includes examples of veterinary medicine–specific groups aimed at providing community and support to those of marginalized identities. Working directly with these organizations and increasing their visibility is one route to empowering the nuanced lens. The AVMA has begun to lean on some of these organizations through their B&E CIRCLE (Belonging and Engagement Cultivating Inclusive Relationships and Community Links Everywhere), having recently hosted a round-table where leaders of several identities-based affinity organizations presented the efforts, concerns, and perspectives of their community members.⁵

Considerations for Higher Education

In a study seeking to investigate the impact of declared invisible marginalized identities in higher education, Busch et al sought to illuminate the possible correlations between disclosed invisible marginalized identities (referred to as concealable stigmatized identities [CSIs]) amongst academic professionals and the success of students with the same or similar CSIs in a scientific undergraduate setting.⁶ The study found that not only did attrition drop greatly amongst the students who found at least 1 CSI in common with an instructor, but the overall quality of life of the instructors who were able to disclose their CSIs was greatly improved.⁶

While this study was limited to the undergraduate setting, it is likely congruent with the veterinary school environment. If our educators are not empowered to share their invisible identities, then we are missing a great opportunity to support the diversification of our profession, including empowering allies to critically review their surroundings and advocate for more inclusive practices. Student chapters of identity-based affinity organizations are vital for creating supportive communities and should be relied on as a source of a collaborative, intersectional review of the school’s environment.

Since January 2025, expression of these invisible marginalized identities is becoming increasingly more difficult with restrictions around DEIB in higher education (see a CASE EXAMPLE below). Additionally, the safety of those with both visible and invisible identities is at a greater risk. Now, perhaps more than ever in our lifetimes, is the time to find ways to uplift marginalized identities and create safe spaces for the most invisible groups.

Considerations for the Practice

Building an inclusive workplace, be it in clinical practice, industry, higher education, or any other setting, requires the implication of multiple strategies. A 2024 cross-sectional study by Mor et al investigated 2 workplace inclusivity models and their effectiveness in promoting identity safety in the workplace: identity-blind versus identity-conscious practices.⁷ Identity-blind practices seek to create a neutral environment in the workplace whereas identity-conscious practices seek to celebrate the diversity present. Though both are beneficial in their own ways, it is likely a blend of both methods that is most effective.

BOX 2 provides a short list of self-reflection questions to jumpstart an inclusive practice audit. Additionally, PrideVMC offers several free resources and guides to address many of these questions. Most relevantly, organizations and individuals can sign the Gender Identity Bill of Rights, which is a pledge to uphold inclusive practices and eliminate biases in the workplace, specifically supporting the transgender and nonbinary communities in veterinary medicine.

The AVMA has partnered with several identity-based organizations and leaders in organized veterinary medicine to create Journey for Teams, an interactive team-building experience that leads groups through thoughtful modules that are designed to help integrate identity-conscious practices into a productive working environment. They have also partnered with PrideVMC to create the Brave Spaces Certificate Program, which explores beneficial environmental practices to support the LGBTQ+ community in veterinary practice.

See ADDITIONAL RESOURCES for links to these and other relevant materials.

In Conclusion: A Call for Community, Allyship, and Advocacy

The feeling of “otherness” is a pervasive experience for all those whose identities are marginalized. It is the one thing that unifies people of marginalized identities across our multitudes of perspectives and life experiences. As someone with invisible marginalized identities, I have learned to seek out cues that quietly signal a mindful and inclusive space: a visibly diverse staff; signs in languages other than English; pride flags; pronouns on name tags; and all-gender, accessible restrooms and locker-room facilities, just to name a few. As an ally and advocate, I am always learning how to be more mindfully present in intersectional spaces, listening to individuals for their unique perspectives.

Not one of us can ever act in isolation and be an effective ally. Being an ally to any community involves, above all else, active listening with a nonjudgmental ear to learn the needs of the specific individuals that are speaking. Listening can be an uncomfortable experience and many leaders in DEIB spaces teach us that sitting with this discomfort is important. By acknowledging the discomfort while continuing to listen, we are able to decenter ourselves from another person’s story, giving them space to express their needs. Keeping in mind that no single individual is a full representation of their identity/identities, each opportunity to listen as an ally presents new levels of engagement, thus deepening our bonds with the individuals around us.⁸

Where allyship is an evergreen mindset focused on inclusion and learning, advocacy is more of a situational response that can be extremely impactful. Being an ally can look like identifying pronouns in introductions and being mindful to use someone’s pronouns correctly. Being an advocate can look like politely correcting another person who accidentally misgendered someone in conversation or directly calling out a disparaging comment when witnessed. Actively uplifting spaces of intersectional collaboration such as the VMI community is doing the work of both ally and advocate.

Veterinary medicine is, by definition, an intersectional profession with individuals of all backgrounds and identities converging at every level to support One Health—including animal, human, and environmental health. Every person should feel empowered to be their authentic selves at work without fear of hate or harm, feeling included and celebrated as long as they are aligned with the ethos of that organization. It is the responsibility of each one of us to create safe and inclusive environments for our peers, starting with the most invisible, marginalized, and at-risk individuals. As it stands today, the transgender, nonbinary, immigrant, and refugee communities are in dire need of allyship on all fronts. Engaging with these individuals to understand their needs as well as creating systems and workflows to ensure their safety are essential steps in building a successful, diverse profession.