Paige Warren

She/Her

I am a lesbian and I am an urban ecologist and wildlife biologist. //

I grew up in a rural area in the Southeastern US. I didn’t know I was a lesbian (I came out at age 25), but I knew I was different from most of the people around me. I experienced some depression in graduate school during the tumultuous coming out process. After a few false starts, I met my partner. We spent four years post-PhD trying to solve the “two body problem” and eventually we did obtain two tenure track positions at the same university. I feel fortunate that I have never experienced overt homophobia in the work place. However, being lesbian definitely impacted our decisions about jobs—where we looked, access to health insurance, and options for having children and being legally recognized parents. Before settling in the welcoming community where we live now, we spent some time in places where we did not feel comfortable holding hands on the street. I feel very lucky to have a fulfilling job where I can be myself, in a town where I am comfortable raising my two children.