LGBTQIA+ (In)Visibility in Computer Science and Software Engineering Education

Abstract: Modern society is diverse, multicultural, and multifaceted. Because of these characteristics, we are currently observing an increase in the debates about equity, diversity, and inclusion in different areas, especially because several groups of individuals are underrepresented in many environments. In computer science and software engineering, it seems counter-intuitive that these areas, which are responsible for creating technological solutions and systems for billions of users around the world, do not reflect the diversity of the society to which it serves. In trying to solve this diversity crisis in the software industry, researchers started to investigate strategies that can be applied to increase diversity and improve inclusion in academia and the software industry. However, the lack of diversity in computer science and related courses, including software engineering, is still a problem, in particular when some specific groups are considered. LGBTQIA+ students, for instance, face several challenges to fit into technology courses, even though most students in universities right now belong to Generation Z, which is described as open-minded to aspects of gender and sexuality. In this study, we aimed to discuss the state-of-art of publications about the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ students in computer science education. Using a mapping study, we identified eight studies published in the past six years that focused on this public. We present strategies developed to adapt curricula and lectures to be more inclusive to LGBTQIA+ students and discuss challenges and opportunities for future research