Rochelle Diamond

Rochelle Diamond is a research biologist, queer activist, and chair of the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals. She works as an applications specialist and lab manager at California Institute of Technology's facility for flow cytometry and cell sorting.

Diamond grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and was a tomboy as a child. In her senior year of college, Diamond married a male friend. Her husband was aware that she was gay, but was somewhat accepting. They divorced after 10 years of marriage.

Diamond came out to her family as gay in her 20s. Diamond earned a dual bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1974.

Diamond is the applications specialist and lab manager of the flow cytometry and cell sorting facility at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California. The lab studies immature cells in the human immune system and the signals that influence what specialist roles the cells take on.

Diamond became interested in activism after experience homophobia in her personal and professional life. In 1981, she was forced out of City of Hope Research Institute where she worked because a coworker discovered she was gay and began sabotaging her lab experiments.

Diamond helped start the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP) an organization that enables young queer scientists to network with each other. She is now the chair of the organization. Diamond has devoted her work with NOGLSTP to empowering LGBTQ+ people in STEM and fighting against discrimination that LGBTQ+ individuals face in the workplace. She believes that "scientists and engineers are more productive when they can be themselves." Part of her work to increase the visibility of queer people in STEM includes keep a running list of "queer scientists of historical note" and supporting a mentoring program for young students and scientists to meet older people in their careers of choice.

Diamond married chemist Barbara Belmont after they met in the queer activist community in Los Angeles. They have been married for more than 30 years.