Past Out to Lunch Lectures

Spring 2021 roster

March 4: M. **Mick Powell (she/her/hers); “Flesh Into Blossom”: The Queer Poetics of Radical Pleasure**

Synopsis: Over 40 years out from Audre Lorde’s formative essay “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power,” queer feminist poets of color continue to consider how we create new work about the erotic, the intimate, and the sensual; work that illuminates the beauties and complexities of loving others and ourselves in the bodies we inhabit. In this lecture, we’ll explore how contemporary queer and trans poets of color decenter white, patriarchal, heteronormative, and cisnormative narratives around the body and intimacy through gurlesque, afrofuturistic, and liberatory aesthetics. Mick will read from her chapbook chronicle the body (2019) and highlight other poets narrating from new spaces of sensuality and pleasure.

Biography: M. Mick Powell (she/her/hers) is a queer Black fat femme feminist poet based in Connecticut. She is an Assistant Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Connecticut. Mick earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing (Poetry) from Southern Connecticut State University in 2018 and her Bachelor’s in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Africana Studies from UConn in 2015. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in Frontier Poetry, Tinderbox Poetry, Columbia Journal, Apogee Journal, Winter Tangerine, and elsewhere. Her chapbook, chronicle the body, won Yemassee Journal‘s 2nd Annual Chapbook Contest and was published in March 2019. You can find her at www.mickpowellpoet.com.

March 18: **Luz N. Burgos-López (she/her/hers/ella); Anti-Blackness and the Monolith Construction of Latinidad**

Synopsis: In this lecture, Burgos-López will expand on the construction of Latinidad in higher education by offering a conceptual analysis to examine the erasure of Blackness and anti-Blackness with Latinx literature. Burgos-López will demonstrate how this literature often erases Blackness and/or does not address anti-Blackness and in so doing perpetuates anti-Black ideology. Lastly, Burgos-López will discuss how this erasure also impacts the work to support Queer, Non-Binary, and Trans Latinx students in higher education.

Biography: Luz is a Queer non-Black Puerto Rican who is passionate about anti-racism, racial justice, and equity within BIPOC communities. Luz has been working in higher education for 10+ years with a particular focus on centering the needs and experiences of historically marginalized communities. Luz has provided various workshops and professional development opportunities to faculty, administrators, and students of addressing issues of identity, equity, and the role of anti-Blackness, whiteness, white supremacy in higher education. Luz currently is a doctoral student in the Learning, Leadership, and Education Policy program at the University of Connecticut. Luz earned a Masters in Counseling Education from Central Connecticut State University and a Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies from Wesleyan University. Luz’s research focus is on anti-racist practices and curriculum development, and antiblackness within the Latinx community specifically non-Black Latinx in higher education. This past year Luz established a Facebook group called “Non-Black Latinx in Higher Ed: Addressing Antiblackness in Communidad,” a virtual space for non-Black Latinx to unpack and unlearn their anti-Blackness and to work towards accountability in dismantling anti-Black ideology within and outside our community. In addition to her work in higher education, Luz has been organizing with a group of fellow Puerto Rican educators, activist, and artist and co-founded Colectivo Bámbula (CB). CB is a collective of Puerto Ricans community builders, storytellers, artists, and anti-racist educators on the journey of rediscovery and decolonization. As parents, siblings, and community members we believe in the collective liberation of our people, specifically towards addressing the erasure of the Afro-descendant Boricuas.

March 25: **Lisa Bowleg (she/her/hers); “‘As A Black Man, I Got 99 Problems and I Sure Ain’t Thinking About HIV at the End of the Day’: Conceptualizing Stress and Resilience Intersectionally and Critically”**

Biography: Lisa Bowleg, Ph.D. is Professor of Applied Social Psychology in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at The George Washington University (GW), Director of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Core of the DC-Center for AIDS Research, and the Founding Director of the Intersectionality Training Institute at GW. She is a leading scholar of the application of intersectionality to social and behavioral science research, as well as research focused on HIV prevention and sexuality in Black communities. Her mixed methods research focuses on: (1) the effects of social-structural context, masculinity, and resilience on Black men’s sexual HIV risk and protective behaviors; and (2) intersectionality, stress, and resilience among Black lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. She has served as a principal investigator of four NIH-funded R01 studies. Her current projects include: (1) Strengths and Stressors, a NIDA-funded R01 to examine intersectional stress, substance use, co-occurring negative health outcomes, and protective factors among Black men at different intersections of sexual identity and socioeconomic position; (2) a NIDA-funded administrative supplement to Strengths and Stressors, designed to recruit and specifically focus on the experiences of Black bisexual men; and (3) PRISM, a NIMH-funded R21 to develop measures of multilevel intersectional stigma for Black gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Washington, DC and Jackson, MS; and (4) the WK Kellogg Foundation-funded Intersectionality Toolkit Project to develop an Intersectionality Checklist, case studies and implementation manual to inform U.S. maternal and child health policy. She is an associate editor of AJPH and the editor of the Perspectives from the Social Sciences section of AJPH. In 2014, the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Psychology and AIDS awarded her its Psychology and AIDS Distinguished Leadership Award.

April 1: **michael munson (he/they/any); Trans/Non-binary survivors in the whirlwind of a triple pandemic: Resistance and Resilience**

Synopsis: The existence of trans and non-binary survivors of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and stalking is not new. Cultural changes over the past several years have added layers of complication, challenge, as well as renewed commitment to shifting the gender-presumptive paradigms, reducing barriers to accessing care and services, and enhancing circles support and embodied resilience. Content will focus on:

Trans-specific statistics on victimization and harm
Trans-specific ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences)
The implications of the triple pandemic
Barriers to accessing services
Practical steps anyone can take to improve the lives of trans and non-binary survivors

Biography: michael munson is the Executive Director of FORGE, an organization focused on improving the lives of trans and non-binary individuals by building stronger connections, providing resources, and empowering growth through knowledge. FORGE is a national training and technical assistance provider funded through the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women and the Office for Victims of Crime. Munson’s educational background is in psychology, with an emphasis on trauma-informed care and non-traditional healing modalities. His work on violence against trans and non-binary individuals stresses the intersectionality between complex components of identity, experience, and societal constructs that can both spur violence, as well as catalyze healing for individuals and communities. He is passionate about engaging professionals to embrace these complexities and learn key skills to better serve their clients/constituents.

Spring 2020 roster

February 13: Justin Li (he/him/his): “Love to All Project: Queer Student-based Grassroots Philanthropy”

Synopsis: Founded in the summer of 2018, Love to All Project, Inc. is a queer-student-run clothing brand and publication dedicated in empowering LGBTQ+ youth. The project’s first collection has donated its proceeds to The Trevor Project, America’s leading non-profit organization focusing on suicide prevention efforts among queer youth. The second collection will benefit other LGBTQ+ charities. This presentation will allow attendees to learn more about this queer-student-based philanthropic endeavor from its Founder and Executive Director, Justin Li.

Biographies: Justin Li is an artist and activist from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is currently a senior at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. Justin’s art explores themes of heritage, identity, and coming-of-age. Through his paintings, he discusses issues surrounding the queer youth community like the HIV/AIDS epidemic and LGBTQ+ inclusivity. In 2018, he founded Love to All Project because he wanted to combine fashion and advocacy to support the LGBTQ+ youth community. His organization has raised $10,000 for LGBTQ+ charities and has collaborated with queer leaders like HRC President Alphonso David. You can find Justin at: jvstinli.com.

Maureena Murphy is a writer, editor and activist from Newark, NJ, as well as a current senior at Phillips Exeter Academy. Her work specializes in the process of self-love and self-actualization within intersectional queer youth. Joining the Project in 2018, she believes that The Love to All Project is an opportunity to aid in the spread of support for the LGBTQ+ community, and to encourage others to champion their identities and be proud of who they are.

February 20: **Clarissa Ceglio (she/her/hers); “Common Cause: Public History, Learning, and Service with and for LGBTQ+ Communities”**

Synopsis: Recent years have seen important developments among mainstream museums in terms of working to become more inclusive of LGBTQ+ histories, cultures, and arts. Attention is also being paid to making museums more welcoming spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals and their families. Queer professionals and activists, both within and outside the museum field, have led the way—but not without resistance. In this lecture, I will highlight some of these developments and discuss a few local public history projects, currently underway, that are dedicated to restoring LGBTQ+ persons and experiences to our understanding of the state’s and UConn’s past. The focus will be on how public history, as a practice of service and learning, can open opportunities to deepen the common cause for social justice.

Biography: Clarissa Ceglio, PhD, is associate director of research for Greenhouse Studios/Scholarly Communications Design at UConn and assistant professor of Digital Humanities in the School of Fine Art’s Digital Media & Design Department. In addition to researching how U.S. museums have participated in the production of national and other identities across the 20th century, she collaborates with communities, museums, libraries, and archives on public history projects. This work includes engaging students in service-learning collaborations with Connecticut Landmark’s Palmer-Warner House, which aspires to be the Connecticut’s first house museum dedicated to telling the state’s LGBTQ+ histories, and UConn’s Rainbow Center.

February 27: **Mick Powell (she/her/hers); “Flesh Into Blossom”: The Queer Poetics of Radical Pleasure**

Biography: Mick Powell (she/her/hers) is a queer black fat femme feminist poet based in Connecticut. She is an Assistant Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Connecticut. Mick earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing (Poetry) from Southern Connecticut State University in 2018 and her Bachelor’s in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Africana Studies from UConn in 2015. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in Frontier Poetry, Tinderbox Poetry, Columbia Journal, Apogee Journal, Winter Tangerine, and elsewhere. Her chapbook, chronicle the body, won Yemassee Journal‘s 2nd Annual Chapbook Contest and was published in March 2019. You can find her at www.mickpowellpoet.com.

March 5: Steven Feldman (he/him/his); “Das ist queer! – Interpretive Ambiguity of Gender & Sexual Orientation in Schubert’s Erlkönig”

Synopsis: In the 1990s, several prominent music historians took an interest in studying music with consideration to gender & sexuality. One famous example is that of musicologist Christopher Gibbs’ argument that composer Franz Schubert’s 1816 song Erlkönig is a reference to homosexuality. Though there is a great deal of evidence that supports this claim, my research offers a new interpretation of the piece – one that considers 19th-century gender roles instead of sexuality. This lecture will demonstrate that the problematic conflation of gender and sexuality is not a new phenomenon and in fact permeates the arts across time. Together, we will listen to the song, discuss both interpretations, and the audience will be able to decide for themselves which interpretation they believe to be true.

Biography: Steven Feldman holds a B.A. in Music and Gender & Sexuality Studies from Muhlenberg College, an M.A. in Music History & Theory from Stony Brook University, and is currently pursuing his second M.A. in Higher Education & Student Affairs at the University of Connecticut. Steven’s musical research interests primarily include examining gender and sexuality in German art songs and English ayres. Since beginning his studies in higher education at UConn, Steven has explored research projects including the use of language in gender-inclusive housing practices and college aspirations among LGBTQIA+ youth. While at UConn, he has the privilege of serving as the Graduate Assistant for the UConn Rainbow Center, where he coordinates the FAMILEE Mentoring Program, plans programs for the Rainbow Grads & Young Professionals Group, and works with some of the best students and professional staff on campus.

Fall 2019 roster

September 5: lecture today is an educative module open only for those enrolled in the course associated with the lecture series.

**September 12: Britta Shute (she/her/hers); “Transgender Affirming Healthcare”**

Synopsis: This lecture will focus on Transgender Health and the disparities that exist within the community. It will have a historical perspective and include a timeline of transgender care, analysis of the current best practices within the field and progress for future improvements.

Biography: Britta Shute, Family Nurse Practitioner, 10+ years of experience in primary care first at Fenway Health in Boston and 3 years ago joining UConn Health. She has special interests in HIV, LGBTQI+ health care and medical education, and sees patients of all ages for primary care as well as prescription of hormone therapy, STI screening and diagnosis and Pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent risk of HIV transmission.

September 19: lecture today is an educative module open for those enrolled in the course associated with the lecture series.

September 26: lecture today is an educative module open for those enrolled in the course associated with the lecture series

**October 3 (new date!): Joseph Goulet (he/him/his); “Understanding Suicide Risks Among LGBT Veterans in VA Care”**

This lecture is also part of the Suicide Prevention Week programming, http://www.suicideprevention.uconn.edu.

Synopsis: Little research has examined LGBT Veterans risk for suicide. We hypothesize that LGBT status is a pre-disposing factor that increases risk due to minority status, the stress of prior and ongoing discrimination, including military sexual trauma, that may be increased due to proximal factors such as mental health and medical conditions, homelessness, a lack of engagement in care, system and providers lack of awareness of needs, among other factors. However, the engagement of LGBT Veterans in VA is difficult to estimate: sexual orientation and gender identity (SO/GI) data is not (yet) collected in a structured manner. We will use VA EHR data to identify LGBT Veterans to ascertain suicidal behavior(s) and assess risk and protective factors among LGBT Veterans in all gender, age, and racial and ethnic groups.

Biography: Joseph Goulet, PhD, is an epidemiologist and statistician by training, currently the Director of the Methodology and Biostatistics core of the Pain Research, Informatics, Multi-morbidities, and Education (PRIME) Center at the Veterans Administration, and an associate professor of medicine at Yale. His research focuses on the impact of mental health conditions on the course of care and outcomes for Veterans with comorbid medical conditions. He has been involved in the design and conduct of large cohort studies using VA EHR data sources supplemented by patient surveys on topics including HIV, women Veteran’s health, and musculoskeletal disorders. He serves as a Principle Investigator on the current study for which he is presenting today, and works closely with his co-PI Dr. Qing Zeng on the informatics Aims.

October 10: Steven Feldman (he/him/his); “Das ist queer! – Interpretive Ambiguity of Gender & Sexual Orientation in Schubert’s Erlkönig”

October 17: **Elliot Ruggles (he/him/his or they/them/theirs); “Intimate Partner Violence”**

Synopsis: Gender, sexual and relationship violence have a history deeply tied to patriarchy and other forms of systemic violence and oppression. We will explore how these types of violence relate to an inequitable gender system. In the contemporary world, instances of gender and sexual violence function as microcosms of these inequities, as anyone interested in gaining power and control over others can quickly exploit vulnerabilities caused by systemic oppression. We will end by looking at how intimate partner violence interacts with other forms of oppression (classism, racism, etc.) and what steps minoritized communities have taken to lead the way around pursuing accountability and justice.

Biography: Elliot Ruggles holds a PhD in Human Sexuality Studies and a Master’s in Social Work from Widener University and is currently serving in the role of Sexual Harassment and Assault Resources and Education (SHARE) Advocate at Brown University. They have been organizing, teaching, running therapeutic groups, and conducting research in the fields of social work and sexuality for over ten years. Most recently he served as the Director of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center at SUNY Oneonta. Before then, while living in Philadelphia, they gained clinical experience using trauma-informed and feminist modalities working with racially and socioeconmically diverse LGBTQ communities, adolescent parents, people in recovery from addiction, and children survivors of sexual abuse. Elliot is a fierce advocate for queer and trans people, strives for anti-racist practice and believes that liberation from oppression is the key to ending violence.

October 24: **Sam Brinton (they/them/theirs); “You Can’t Change What We Never Chose: The Fight To Protect LGBTQ Youth From Conversion Therapy”**

This presentation is co-sponsored by the UConn Chapter of the GenUN United Nations Association of the USA and UConn’s Student Health and Wellness

Synopsis: Research has proven that conversion therapy significantly endangers the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ youth. Despite these risks, conversion therapy is still practiced by licensed mental health professionals across the country. This conversation will educate about the movement to protect LGBTQ youth from the harms of conversion therapy as well as the ways in which everyone can help lead the charge for anti-conversion therapy protections in their workplaces and cities. This session will present an overview of anti-conversion therapy laws and policies, the coalitions working to enact protections, and the best practices for affirming LGBTQ youth as they are.

Biography: Sam is one of the world’s leading advocates for LGBTQ youth. They currently serve as the Head of Advocacy and Government Affairs for The Trevor Project, the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth. They are the founder of the 50 Bill 50 States campaign at The Trevor Project to end the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy, first in the United States and then around the globe. As a survivor of conversion therapy, Sam has spearheaded efforts to submit legislation and promote public education in the hopes of protecting youth from its harms. They were the founding Co-Chair of the National Center for Lesbian Rights #BornPerfect Advisory Committee on conversion therapy and have spoken before the United Nations and Congress as well as testified on legislation from coast to coast. They have been featured in numerous media including a widely shared New York Times op-ed as well as The Washington Post, The LA Times, The Advocate, CNN, TIME, MSNBC, PBS Newshour, Huffington Post, and CTV in Canada. Sam uses they, them, or theirs as their pronouns as a genderfluid person.

**October 31: Arien Wilkerson/ TNMOT AZTRO (they/them/theirs); “Looking within the spaces in-between – Queer Eroticisim as power, Blackness, Queer Abstractions, Body, Performance and Phenomenon”**

Synopsis: Wilkerson is particularly interested in how eroticisim, and blackness exist in spaces, time, places and institutions. Their practice currently is interested in performances that use queer abstraction as a way to dissect complete and very incomplete queer experiences, reforming those experiences into items, view points, objects, relationships and explosive boundaries. Looking within the spaces in-between is about how they’ve lived and created within the side eye, living in spaces with no corners. The goal is to staturate the audience with queerness so that it begins to humanize queer idealogy, langauage, sex, ownership, secerts and worship. TNMOT AZTRO thematic concepts include gendered labor\roles, race, cultural misrepresentation, cultural competence, possession, viewer responsibility, sensory overload, critical thought, media-created leadership, rhetoric, technology, control, sexual energy, dogma, climate change, territory, zoning, and queerness. Wilkerson aims to situate phenomenon and embodiment inside performances that then attaches itself to those thematic concepts with a hope of a chemical reaction. We will look at examples of their work, moving images, text, and even move our body around the space. As an entity TNMOT AZTRO strives to connect fine art with marginalized or displaced communities and communities that do not have direct access to fine art making nor the language that fine art produces which is largely non intersectional or inclusive.

Biography: Arien Wilkerson is a queer, black, HIV Poz, choreographer, dancer, film maker, director, producer, installation artist and the Founder and Artistic Director of TNMOT AZTRO PERFORMANCE ART AND DANCE INSTALLATION LLC. Tnmot Aztro conspires against fine art by asking what is it? Who has access to it? How does art become fine art? And what systems were put in place to keep people of color, specifically queer people of color out. Tnmot Aztro a collaborative multidisciplinary company features six to ten artists at any given time, sculpture, spatial design, lighting design, installation, photography, sound design, and at times seven or more movement artists including Wilkerson. Wilkerson was awarded 2019 Connecticut Dance Alliance Jump Start Award, The Greater New Haven Arts Council & Connecticut office of the arts – Artist Workforce Initiative Sponsorship (2019), The Connecticut office of the arts Artist Fellow (2019). The Connecticut office of the arts project grant (2018), two New England Dance Fund Grants (2017) (2018), The spirit of Juneteenth award from the Amistad Center for Art and Culture(2017), The National Endowment for the Arts “Big Read” Grant (2018), The Director’s Discretionary Fund Award from the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund (2018) and was selected as NEFA’S 2018 Rebecca Blunk Fund Awardee.

**November 7: Tina Maschi (she/her/hers); “Unconditionally LGBTQIA+: Moving from Victimization and Criminalization to Liberation”**

Synopsis: This presentation explores the Dr. Maschi’s research experiences of LGBT people with trauma histories prior to, during, and after release from prison. A core theme of self and the social mirror emerged from the collective studies and referred to participants description of their ongoing ‘coming-out’ process of unearthing their “true selves” despite managing multiple stigmatized identities or social locations, such as sexual orientation, age, race, class, trauma, health, disability, or immigration status (e.g., HIV positive), and formerly incarcerated. The internal presence of self-love and acceptance increased formerly incarcerated LGBT adults to reject societal projections of their worthiness and turn their lives around and integrate their multiple stigmatized included. The presentation concludes with recommendations and strategies on how individuals or groups can incorporate these strategies in their own liberation towards becoming Unconditionally LGBTQIA+.

Biography: Tina Maschi, PhD, LCSW, ACSW, is a professor at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service in New York City. Her research is at the integrates intersectionality, trauma mental health/mental health, and justice. Her most recent work explores the experiences of trauma and criminal justice involvement among LGBTQIA+ individuals. She has over 100 peer reviewed publications and book chapters and author and/or editor of four books, including Forensic Social Work: Psychosocial and Legal Issues Across Diverse Populations and Settings and A Rights Research Manifesto. She is also a licensed clinical social worker with extensive practice experience (including the use of arts and other alternative modalities) in correctional, school, and community mental health settings. She has produced two short documentaries, ‘Coming Out of Prison’ (parts 1 and 2) and photographic exhibit that explores the faces and experiences LGBT people from diverse backgrounds before, during, and after prison. For more information, please contact tmaschi@fordham.edu

**November 14: Cassandra Martineau (she/her/hers); “Transparent: An Open Discussion of One Trans-woman’s Journey Through Parenthood”**

Synopsis: Trans activist Cassandra Martineau (she/her/hers) talks about her journey as a parent for 26 years, including several years before, during and post-transition. Cassandra will offer a personal perspective, peppered with facts and links to professional studies on the subject, in order to open thinking to the subject in general. When a family member transitions, the whole family transitions, too. We will explore and discuss gender roles, specifically at home.

Biography: Cassandra has been an out and proud transwoman for over five years now, as a leader in the Connecticut Woman’s March on Washington, a Stonewall Speaker, a volunteer at PFLAG, as well as numerous personal panels, speeches, and talks. She graduated from UCONN with a degree in English, and from ECSU with a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. She continues to work with and advocate for, the LGB and especially T+ community. She transitioned while working at an elementary school, and notes that the children, at least, had very little issue with her transition.

**November 21: Misty Ginicola (she/her/hers); “Two Spirit Identities: What Indigenous Culture Teaches Us About All Queer & Trans People”**

Synopsis: Indigenous culture not only accepted Queer and Trans persons, it celebrated them. They were seen and respected as gifts to their culture, blessed with leadership, wisdom, spirituality, and empathy. This presentation will discuss indigenous culture, as well as the lived experience of being a two-spirit person, of being a parent to a two-spirit child.

Biography: Dr. Misty Ginicola, LPC, CA-RYT-200 is a Counselor Educator at Southern CT State University and Counselor in Private Practice, as well as the Current President of the Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues in Counseling. Dr. Ginicola specializes in research and clinical practice with Queer & Trans clients. Her book Affirmative Counseling with LGBTQI+ People was published by American Counseling Association in 2017 and is a quintessential source for developing multicultural competence with LGBTGEQIAP+ people. She identifies as Two-Spirit and Bisexual and is blessed to be the mother of a Trans daughter.

November 28: There is no lecture today due to Fall Break.

**December 5: Tiffany Thompson (she/her/hers); “Queerness, Race, and Toxic Masculinity”**

Synopsis: As a masculine of center, queer identified black woman Thompson has personally observed how toxic masculinity in the queer and trans community is sometimes overshadowed by the desire for visibility and acceptances. Through open discussion and personal reflection, attendees will explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of masculinity while pointing out how racism and colonization is used to reinforce these toxic behaviors to further oppress communities of color.

Biographies: Tiffany Thompson, the Associate Director of Gender and Sexuality Initiates at Swarthmore College, always brings her passion for presenting and critiquing the intersection of identities. As a queer person of color with over 15 years of experience in sexuality, race, gender justice, trauma and restorative practices, youth and young adults, and LGBTQ+ advocacy, she works to bridges theory and reality. Tiffany attended Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and later earned a MS in Strategic Communications from Temple University. She has traveled nationally as a member of the Brown Boi Project facilitating conversation on race, gender, and sexuality through the lens of masculinity. Currently, she serves as the city liaison for the Philly Dyke March and a grantee selection member for the Jonathan Lax Scholarship Fund.

Spring 2019 roster

**January 31: Ryan Watson (he/him/his); “Results from the 2017 LGBTQ+ Youth National Survey: Intersectionality, Schools, and Health”**

Synopsis: In 2017, the Human Rights Campaign, Dr. Ryan Watson, and Dr. Rebecca Puhl surveyed over 17,000 LGBTQ+ youth aged 13-17 across the United States. Youth responded about their sexual and gender identities, health, school experiences, transgender-specific issues, and much more. This presentation will reveal the findings from the 2017 survey and discuss the future of health, research, and priorities for best serving the LGBTQ+ youth population in the United States.

**February 7: Micki McEyla (she/her/hers); “Nice for What? The Historical Limits of Respectability Politics, 1969-2019”**

Synopsis: Micki McElya will discuss the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising as an opportunity for considering the limitations of LGBT politics of equality and liberal inclusion and the unfinished work of queer liberation.

Biography: Micki McElya is Professor of History and Director of the Provost’s Initiative for Gender Diversity in Academic Leadership at UConn. She specializes in the histories of women, gender, race, and sexuality in the U.S. from the Civil War to the present, with emphasis on political culture and memory. Her book, The Politics of Mourning: Death and Honor in Arlington National Cemetery (Harvard, 2016) was a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction, a Choice Outstanding Academic Title, and winner of a 2018 John Brinckerhoff Jackson Book Prize and the 2017 Sharon Harris Book Award. She is also author of Clinging to Mammy: The Faithful Slave in Twentieth-Century America (Harvard, 2007) and at work on a new book entitled Liberating Beauty: Feminism, the Civil Rights Movement, and Miss America.

**February 14: Colleen Richard (she/her/hers); “LGBT Elders in an Ever Changing World: Connecticut LGBT Aging Advocacy”**

Synopsis: LGBT Aging Advocacy an initiative founded in 2013 to create an open and affirming aging services environment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) elders. The presentation will explore lessons learned in organization and provide cultural competency case studies of older LGBT adults, and discuss implications for practice and policy in Connecticut.

Biography: Colleen Richard, Ph.D. is the Program Coordinator of Human Services at Tunxis Community College. Colleen is a founding member of Connecticut LGBT Aging Advocacy, begun in 2013, is comprised of community members, providers and policy makers. We work together to raise awareness about the unique concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT). Dr. Richard is a 2005 graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Social Work and The University of Connecticut School of Human Development and Family Studies. Her dissertation is entitled Dissertation title: Older Lesbians in Connecticut: Attitudes and Experiences Toward the Social Service Delivery System.

**February 21: Mimi Snyder (she/her/hers); “Identifying Beliefs, Behaviors, and Experiences of APRNs with Lesbian and Gay Patients: A Mixed Methods Perspective”**

Synopsis: This presentation will present findings of a mixed methods study about the beliefs, behaviors, and experiences of advanced practice nurses (APRNs) caring for lesbian and gay patients. APRNs provide care to persons of diverse sexual identities who often encounter barriers when seeking health care. Nursing education programs seldom include content to educate nurses to provide affirming care for these patient populations. This study included a sample of 678 APRNs’ who completed a Gay Affirmative Practice Scale about their beliefs and behaviors including a narrative statement describing their experiences caring for lesbian and gay patients. Eight themes about APRN experiences emerged: affirming, more education needed, witnessed discrimination, limited experience with lesbian/gay patients, sexual orientation only asked if relevant, treat all the same, non-affirming, and sexual orientation not focus of practice.

Biography: Dr. Marianne (Mimi) Snyder is a full-time faculty and Director of the pre-licensure nursing program at UConn School of Nursing since 2017. She had been a registered nurse for over 35 years and more than 20 year experience teaching nursing students in traditional, accelerated and RN – BSN nursing programs. She earned her BS in Nursing from the University of Central Florida, MS in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner from West Virginia University and her PhD in nursing from UConn. Her research focuses on healthcare experiences of LGBT persons, the education and experiences of health care providers caring for this population and culturally affirming care practices to help meet the health care needs of this population.

February 28: Five recipients of the UConn IDEA Grant; “By Us, For Us: Creating Media Within the LGBTQ+ Community”

Synopsis: This presentation will feature five UConn undergraduates who are working on creative projects in various mediums which broadly address issues of representation, often specifically as this problem relates to the LGBTQ+ community. The students will share examples of their work in such mediums as young adult novels, puppets, and children’s literature, all while highlighting the importance of creating diverse media which reflects authentic experiences.

Biographies: The five presenters are all current UConn undergraduates who have received UConn IDEA Grants to support independent creative projects.

Amelia Bowman (she/her/hers) – Cohort 10 of the UConn IDEA Grant – is a junior individualized major focused on young adult fiction, identity and diversity. She is completing a young adult post-apocalyptic novel that defies the standard narrative and explores issues such as social paranoia.

Kat Folker (she/her/hers) – Cohort 10 of the UConn IDEA Grant – is a senior puppet arts major completing a short film that explores the genre of horror and how it reflects social topics, specifically issues of identity and prejudice.

Kenny Glazer (he/him/his) – Cohort 11 of the UConn IDEA Grant – is a senior studio art major with a concentration in illustration and animation. Kenny is writing and illustrating an LGBT children’s book that contributes to the dialog on families within the LGBT community.

Taylore Grunert (he/him/his) – Cohort 10 of the UConn IDEA Grant – is a senior double majoring in English and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Taylore is writing and illustrating a series of vignettes that explore the experience of LGBT adolescence.

Blue Wallick (they/them/theirs)- Cohort 11 of the UConn IDEA Grant – is a senior studio art major with a concentration in printmaking. Blue is creating a series of paintings that draw from the experiences and lives of transgender people to shed light on the misconceptions of transness.

March 7: **Twiggy Pucci Garçon (she/her/hers or they/them/theirs); “True Colors: LGBTQ Youth Homelessness in America”**

Synopsis: According to the True Colors Fund’s (New York City) report Serving Our Youth, service providers from around the country reported that 40% of youth experiencing homelessness identify as LGBT, and one of the most frequently cited reasons for their housing status is identity based family rejection. The service structure in our country has historically been reactive – meaning that it meets the needs of youth once they are already on the street. While this is a critical part of keeping youth safe, so is a preventative approach. The True Colors Fund seeks to address LGBT youth homelessness holistically, and is committed to working within communities to help build their capacity to keep LGBT young people safe and housed.

Biography: As an activist, advocate, and healer, Twiggy has collaborated with artists, filmmakers, academics and policymakers to increase visibility of both creative and sociopolitical agendas. Twiggy served at FACES NY, Inc. as a Recruitment Specialist, Senior Community Health Specialist, and more recently a Program Development Specialist and Community Organizer. With over 9 years of experience in the field of general and specialized health education and direct services, she has extensive knowledge of the needs of the LGBTQ youth population and how to foster relationships with organizations that offer effective quality services.

In their current role as Program Director at the True Colors Fund, Twiggy leads their Youth Collaboration programs, aimed at not only elevating youth voices but also creating space for partnerships with young adults to lead the movement to end youth homelessness.

In addition to her activism and advocacy work, Twiggy has worked as a model & runway trainer, performance artist, and special events & talent management coordinator. She and her work have been featured in major media publications and media outlets such as OUT Magazine, PAPER Magazine, NY Mag, The Huffington Post, The METRO Weekly, and The Advocate among others. Twiggy was also a featured subject in Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’ and HBO’s documentary feature film, The OUT List and is the co-writer and one of seven subjects in the Sundance-selected, award-winning documentary, KIKI. They also sit on the Board of Directors for Doc Society and serves as a consultant and choreographer on Ryan Murphy’s hit FX series, POSE. She is also a consulting programmer for Outfest, Newfest, and Outfest Fusion and the Overall Overseer for the Legendary International House of Comme Des Garçon. Twiggy’s continued mission is to elevate the authentic representation of the House|Ballroom Community worldwide.

March 14: **Stephen Russell (he/him/his); “LGBTQ Youth Today: (Why) Aren’t Things Better?”**

This lecture presentation is sponsored by InCHIP and will be held in the Konover Auditorium of the Dodd Center.

Synopsis: Few societal attitudes and opinions have changed as quickly as those regarding sexual minority people and rights. In the context of dramatic social change in the space of a single generation, there have been multiple policy changes toward social inclusion and rights for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people. As a result, there is a common belief that the sociocultural context for LGB people – perhaps particularly for youth – has improved. That is: Aren’t things better? Yet recent evidence from the developmental sciences points to paradoxical findings: in many cases, health disparities are getting worse. But why? In light of swift sociocultural changes, combined with emergent findings regarding the health and wellbeing of sexual minority youth, we suggest that there is a developmental collision between normative adolescent developmental processes and sexual minority youth identities and visibility. The result is a new reality for sexual minority youth, health, and disparities.

Biography: Stephen Russell is Priscilla Pond Flawn Regents Professor in Child Development and Chair of the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. He is an expert in adolescent and young adult health, with a focus on sexual orientation and gender identity. He is on the Board of Directors of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), a fellow and former Board member of the National Council on Family Relations, an elected member of the International Academy of Sexuality Research, and was President of the Society for Research on Adolescence.

March 21: There is no lecture presentation due to Spring Break.

**March 28: Joe A. Baez (he/him/his); “In My Dreams I Am Being Held: Queer, Fat Bodies of Color and the Politics of Desirability”**

Synopsis: How are our sexual, romantic, and platonic desires political? What is at stake when our bodies dictate who we choose to love? What do we do when we are told our bodies are not good enough? Derived from my lived experiences as a gay, fat, femme, latinx person, and data collected from literature and six semi-structured interviews, this talk revolves around queer, fat people of color and their experiences on online dating applications. A discussion of these experiences will allow us to explore the social construction of (sexual) desire, how these desires are communicated interpersonally, and how they affect our emotions and our identities. Ultimately, this talk will provide us with ways to navigate, subvert and reimagine the politics of desirability.

Biography: Joe Baez is a recent graduate from CUNY Brooklyn College. He received his BA in Political Science and Women’s & Gender Studies. He is a Mellon Mays Undergraduate fellow, a former CUNY Pipeline fellow, and an alumnus of the Institution for the Recruitment of Teachers’ summer internship program. His research is centered around queer, fat people of color and their experiences on online dating applications. He is currently applying to doctoral programs in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality studies. As a scholar, he dreams of radically transforming the ways we love ourselves, our bodies, and each other.

April 4: Diana Lombardi, MSW; “Transgender Activist History: From World War II to the Present”

Synopsis: The workshop will look at transgender activist from World War II until the present. It will cover the history of the movement and notable transgender activists such as Sylvia Rivera, Dallas Denny, Virginia Prince and Christine Jorgensen. In addition, the workshop will look at the Stonewall Uprising from a trans-perspective and will cover legislative victories, defeats and betrayals, both locally and nationally.

Biography: Diana is a graduate from the UConn School of Social Work with a concentration in Community Organizing. She volunteers as a transgender advocate at the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective, and is the Executive Director of the Connecticut Trans-Advocacy Coalition. She has worked to help pass the gender inclusive Anti-Discrimination law in Connecticut in 2011, and the 2015 legislation that allows Connecticut birth certificates gender markers to be changed without surgery, and the 2017 law banning Conversion therapy for minors. She was also one of the Project Coordinators for the Transgender Regional Area Network Survey (T.R.A.N.S.), a pilot research project that studied the Greater Hartford area’s transgender population for AIDS/HIV, and was funded by Yale’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS. She is also a member the LGBT Aging Advocacy, a committee that works with senior centers and non-profit agencies to create an open and affirming aging services environment for LGBT elders in Connecticut. Lastly, she is a member of the State Unit On Aging: Long Term Care Ombudsman Program’s Inclusive Community Workgroup.

Her past works include workshops on cultural competency for homeless shelters with CT Coalition to End Homelessness, CT Fair Housing Center, AIDS CT, and HUD, presentations at the UConn School of Social Work for field instructors and for the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Connecticut and Massachusetts chapters conferences, and as aguest lecturer at UConn, Albertus Magnus, and Quinnipiac University. She has also giving speeches for the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the City of Norwalk for their Human Rights Day, Western New England University School of Law and the UConn School of Law.

Diana is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).

**April 11: Peter Scaramuzzo (he/him/his); “LGBTQI Identit/ies as Educative Pedagogies within Conservative Spaces”**

Synopsis: Navigation of LGBTQI identit/ies within both personal and social contexts is often complexly nuanced, individualized, and difficult for LGBTQI folx. Intersectional studies, feminist standpoint epistemologies, critical race theory, and post-colonial studies surface notions which necessarily complicate this navigation through the recognition, historicization, problematization, juxtaposition and realization of multiple identity lenses against Whiteness paradigms. Particularly, this navigation seems to be made further difficult within conservative spaces, unsafe spaces, and within politically charged, divisive, and tumultuous climates. Considering this, can our LGBTQI identit/ies be pedagogical implements themselves toward the advancement of cultural knowledge, the cultivation of diversity awareness, and serve as advocacy against inequities and social injustices? If so, what can such pedagogy look like? Is it even LGBTQI folx’ responsibilities to educate on LGTBQI identit/ies and issues? Grounded in the work of feminist scholar, Michalinos Zembylas, and drawing upon the insights of qualitative researcher, Sara Raven, this presentation both troubles and explores the sociopolitical implications of LGBTQI identity disclosure, outness and ownership of one’s identit/ies as pedagogies within such spaces through various and contextualized autoethnographic accounts and scholarly considerations by the speaker.

Biography: A native New Yorker, Peter Scaramuzzo is an alumnus of the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education and former Rainbow Center employee. Currently, Peter is pursuing his Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. Peter has taught K12 and higher education courses in London, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts and he continues to present and address LGBTQI issues in his research. He currently teaches a multicultural literacy course to undergraduate preservice teachers at Texas A&M University.

**April 18: Timothy Bussey (he/him/his); “Financial Aid Reform and LGBTQ Students: How Recent Proposals to Alter Student Borrowing Could Impact Queer and Transgender College Students”**

Synopsis: In December 2017, a bill—the Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity Through Education Reform Act (also known as the PROSPER Act)—was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. After being referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the PROSPER Act passed through its committee on a party-line vote. Even so, it was not brought to the floor the House of Representatives for a vote. This particular bill, which is the latest attempt at higher education and financial aid reform, would have significantly restructured a number of things for college students.
In this talk, attendees will learn about the recently proposed legislative landscape for reforming financial aid and higher education law, and there will be a particular emphasis on how this could impact LGBTQ college students. More specifically, this talk will explore how a bill like the PROSPER Act could impact access to and support within higher education for LGBTQ students. Additionally, a discussion about the specific impact of the PROSPER Act will also be provided, particularly since this bill may be re-introduced to the House of Representatives in 2019. Finally, a discussion about how to stay aware of such legislation will conclude the talk.

Biography: Timothy R. Bussey, Ph.D. is the Assistant Director for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Kenyon College, where he specializes in supporting the college’s LGBTQ+ students. A recent graduate from the Dept. of Political Science at the University of Connecticut, he completed his doctoral dissertation on the histories of queer and trans exclusion from the American military and intelligence communities from World War I to present. While at the University of Connecticut, he also taught for both the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program and the Rainbow Center. Recently, he has been focusing on writing accessible articles on LGBTQ+ political and public policy issues, such as transgender voting rights and the impact of financial aid reform on queer and transgender students. His recent work is available through The Conversation and The Gay & Lesbian Review.

**April 25: Lynne M. Alexander (they/them/theirs) & Zane Carey (he/him/his); “From Reagan to Trump: Over 30 years of US LGBTQIA+ Policy Failures”**

Synopsis: US federal policies have consistently marginalized individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community. We will trace some of the major policy failures over the past 30+ years, and the ways in which the federal government has sought to address or conceal these issues. We will discuss the ways in which representation can play a role in policy development and how we can confront current problematic policy. We will close by brainstorming, in collaboration with attendees, what aspects of policy the LGBTQIA+ community should make a focus for future activism and education.

Biographies: Lynne M. Alexander is a dual master’s student in the Department of Public Policy focusing on Public Administration and the School of Social Work with a concentration in Practice with Individuals, Groups and Families. They work with the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Instructor. They currently serve on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut TransAdvocacy Coalition (CTAC). Their research interests include queer pedagogy, classroom inclusion and culturally competent clinical social work care for LGBTQIA+ individuals and survivors of gender-based violence.

Zane Carey holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Urban and Community studies from UConn, and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration, also at UConn. In his current studies he works the intersection of the LGBTQ+ experience and public policy, hoping to bridge the two wherever he goes. Currently he works at Bridgeport Prospers, a nonprofit focused on Collective Impact organization, and UConn Residential Life, on their One Summer program. Previously he worked at the Rainbow Center coordinating the Legally Trans workshop and transgender and non-binary discussion group. He aspires to work in state or national policy after graduating in May. In his spare time, he knits socks, practices aerial yoga, reads, and snuggles his cat, Rasva.

Fall 2018 roster

**September 6: Julia Anderson (she/her/hers); “LGBTQ+ Representation on TV and Why It Matters”**

Synopsis: This presentation will review the GLAAD Media Institute’s “Where We Are On TV 2017-2018” Report and discuss why media representation is important. The presentation will highlight character depictions on TV that have been particularly successful or criticized, and consider what “good” media representation looks like.

Biography: Julia has served within the Rainbow Center since Fall 2016. Beginning as the Higher Education Student Affairs (HESA) Graduate Assistant for the Rainbow Center, she has since stepped into the role of Program Coordinator. Julia’s favorite part of her job is the personal connections she is able to make with students and colleagues at UConn. She helps to oversee the FYE class taught in the Rainbow Center, the FAMILEE mentoring program, and the Husky Ally Safe Zone training program, among other things. In her spare time, she loves to read, kayak, nap, bake, and find good local food.

**September 13: Lauren Perez-Bonilla (she/her/hers); “Dominican bugarrones: Masculinities, (in)Visibilities and Same-sex Performances”**

This lecture presentation honors Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 – October 15.

Synopsis: The topic of sex work in the Dominican Republic has been studied by multiple scholars during the past (Brennan, 2004; Cabezas, 2004; Sanchez Taylor, 2006). However, most of these have focused on female sex workers. In a way to break with the above mentioned, the following paper centers in Dominican bugarrones (men who have sex with other men, MSM) and the array of mechanisms they use to protect/impose their masculinity, (decide to) become (in)visible in society, and (successfully) perform for their clients as their only way to make a sustainable living. By employing an interdisciplinary and holistic approach to the topic I seek to present the humane side of sex work(ers) while including their voices and experiences to the overall academic conversation regarding the matter.

Biography: Lauren M. Perez-Bonilla is a current PhD student in the Geography department at the University of Connecticut (UConn). She holds a master’s degree in International Studies and two graduate certificates; one in Human Rights and another in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) from UConn as well. Previous to this, she earned her B.A. in Social Sciences with a minor in International Relations in 2015 from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus (UPR-RP). Her research interests include –but are not limited to– masculinities, HIV/AIDS, sex work(ers) in the Caribbean, and the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to discreet/sensitive data.

**September 20: Jen Bonardi (she/her/hers); “Tiggy Upland the Wild Deuce”**

This lecture presentation honors the Bisexual/Pansexual Awareness Day, September 23, 2018.

Synopsis: Tiggy will share ideas from her book, Advice from a Wild Deuce. This will include a couple of advice requests/responses, bisexual-specific coming out tips, intersectionality & synergy, and the joy of labels. In the second half of the program Tiggy’s creator, Jen Bonardi, will appear in order to talk about being a bisexual after college.

Biography: Tiggy Upland, the Wild Deuce, wrote the Ask Tiggy advice column for the Bisexual Resource Center and Bi Women Quarterly from 2011 – 2015. During those years, she was also a four-time M.C. for the bi-themed variety show, Bilicious, and created the You Might Be a Bisexual Tumblr blog. From spring of 2016 through spring of 2017, Tiggy starred in Upland, a bisexual webcomic of miniatures set in a hostel in Boston. She was named “Bi Writer of the Year” at the 2017 Bisexual Book Awards for writing Advice from a Wild Deuce: The Best of Ask Tiggy and was nominated for 2018 Boston Pride Marshall.

**September 27: Jennifer Petro (she/her/hers); “Mental Health Allyship: Increasing Access to Gender Affirming Medical Care as a Public Health Intervention for Suicide Reduction ”**

This lecture presentation is part of the annual Suicide Prevention and Awareness Campaign at the University of Connecticut.

Synopsis: Research indicates that access to gender affirming medical care, including hormones and gender affirming surgeries, can greatly reduce suicidal ideation and suicide attempts for transgender individuals. As a part of Suicide Prevention Week at UConn, this presentation offers an opportunity to learn more about evaluations done by psychologists and other mental health professionals for individuals seeking gender affirming medical interventions such as hormones or gender affirming surgeries. The aim is to demystify this process and empower transgender individuals with information as well as educate mental health providers who wish to expand their knowledge base, thereby creating a wider and stronger net of mental health support for transgender people in our community.

Biography: Jennifer Petro, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist and the Assistant Director, Director of Training, at Counseling and Mental Health Services at UConn. She has worked in college mental health for over 15 years and has developed increasing specialization in working with individuals who identify as transgender/gender non-conforming. In addition to her work at UConn, she maintains a small private practice providing individual therapy and psychological evaluations for people seeking gender affirming medical care.

**October 4: Cynthia Melédez (she/hers/hers); “Queering Testimony: Artivism, Queer Memory, and Identity in Peru”**

This lecture presentation honors Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 – October 15.

Synopsis: In this talk, Melédez will discuss the construction of memory in post-terrorism Peru. Specifically, her research focuses on the work of LGBTIQ artivists who use the arts to “queer the archive” of national memory, inclusion, and justice. Looking at two theater plays and other objects created by collectives and individual artists, she will explore how these activists use testimony inside their performances to construct queer identity and address the political necessities of LGBTIQ people within the larger social context of Peru. Moreover, she will consider how these pieces can point to further possibilities regarding our theorizing of queerness, and memory.

Biography: Cynthia Meléndez is currently pursuing a PhD in Literatures, Cultures and Languages at University of Connecticut. Prior to this work, Cynthia earned a Master in Arts in Latin American Studies and a Master of Fine Arts with a concentration in Photography. She uses these mediums to explore issues of gender, race, place, space, identity and belonging. A native of Peru, Cynthia attended Pontifical Catholic University of Peru where she earned a bachelors degree in Hispanic Literature in addition to engaging in performing arts and gaining a professional certificate of Photography. Her latest research focuses on LGBTIQ Peruvian identity, space, and artivism in social justice work.

October 11: **Julia Anderson (she/her/hers); “Complicating ‘Coming Out’”**

This lecture presentation honors the 30th anniversary of National Coming Out Day, October 11, 2018.

Synopsis: This presentation will review the history of the phrase “Coming Out,” the history of “National Coming Out Day,” and the current realities of coming out. Julia will consider the way that beliefs about “coming out” have been both positive and negative influences on the coming out process, as well as how to respond when someone comes out to you.

October 18: **Allison Warren (she/her/hers); “Attitudes, Beliefs, and Reactions: The development of an intervention for professionals working with transgender and gender nonconforming older adults”**

This lecture presentation honors the International Pronouns Day, October 17, 2018.

Synopsis: Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) older adults are an underserved and understudied population. Healthy aging among gender minorities may be inhibited by social isolation, disproportionate poverty and health disparities, and a lack of access to culturally competent care, services, and supports. This lecture will highlight the experiences of transgender and gender nonconforming older adults in the United States and also provide a brief overview of how social systems that perpetuate cisnormativity and cissexism contribute to the social and economic challenges faced by gender minorities. Our discussion will include a thorough review of a study comparing the efficacy of three online interventions designed to increase self-efficacy for affirming interactions between aging-focused professionals and older adults. Finally, we will consider how cisgender individuals might utilize their social positions to serve as advocates for transgender and gender nonconforming people of all ages.

Biography: Allison Warren, PhD is an Advanced Fellow in Health Services Research & Development in the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. Her research has focused on the experiences of older sexual and gender minorities and explicating the ways aging-focused providers might create affirming environments for these vulnerable populations. Dr. Warren hopes to continue this line of research, specifically focusing on improving care for transgender and gender nonconforming Veterans within the VA system..

October 25: **Patricia Newcombe (she/her/hers); “Intersexuality and the Law”**

This lecture presentation honors Intersex Awareness Day, October 26, 2018.

Synopsis: Pat Newcombe will provide an overview of the many issues involved in the discussion of intersexuality and the law: the medical intervention for individuals with intersex traits and its legal framework, the confines of treating gender as a binary system, discrimination against intersex individuals, the human rights issues surrounding intersexuality, the impact of the intersex activist movement and its intersection with other movements, some foreign approaches to intersexuality, and possible U.S. judicial and statutory reforms.

Biography: Pat Newcombe has served as the Associate Dean for Library and Information Resources at Western New England University School of Law since 2011. She is an Associate Professor of Law and teaches Lawyering Skills, Advanced Lawyering Skills, and Advanced Legal Research. Dean Newcombe serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocate of Hampden County. A graduate of Western New England University School of Law, she also served as the Articles Editor for the Western New England Law Review.

**November 1: Christopher Cayari (he/him/his); “Who Am I? I Am What I Am! A Story Told Through Broadway Music”**

Synopsis: Who Am I? I Am What I Am is an hour-long musical theater review that depicts LGBTQIA+ characters in a performance you will not soon forget! Dr. Christopher Cayari tells his story through music theater songs, original prose, and verse. As a K-12 music teacher, Christopher avoided the topic of sexuality in his classroom; he used to think that LGBTQIA+ issues had no place in school. Join him as he shares his journey of acceptance, empowerment, and activism that began when he realized that portraying LGBTQIA+ characters through song and on stage was not only appropriate for young people, but also necessary for the representation of this population. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll be entertained! Songs from the musicals Rent, Bare: A Pop Opera, La Cage aux Folles, 13, Altar Boyz, and 35mm.

Biography: Christopher Cayari is an assistant professor of music education at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. He holds a Ph.D. and M.M.E. in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL. His research agenda addresses marginalized voices in music education, specifically LGBTQ+ individuals and Asian Americans. Christopher is an activist for marginalized populations. He uses music and education as a platform for social change. His activist work has earned him the 2018 Outstanding Ally Award, given by the Purdue University LGBTQ Center, and the Top 10 Under 40 Award from Tippy Connect Young Professionals.

**November 8: Emily Pagano (she/her/hers); “Bars, Booze, & the LGBT Community: Examining Intersections of Social Identity & Substance Use”**

Synopsis: Significant disparities exist in rates of alcohol and tobacco use across social identity groups—the LGBT community in particular reporting elevated use. This interactive lecture & discussion will explore these disparities, examining the ways in which history has influenced LGBT culture, and discussing marketing strategies exhibited by the alcohol and tobacco industries to challenge participants to consider the impacts of targeted advertising to the LGBT community. The session will conclude by exploring opportunities to address disparities in substance use and contribute to deepening queer liberation from systems of oppression.

Biography: Emily Pagano serves as the Alcohol & Other Drug Education Coordinator for Wellness and Prevention Services at UConn. She received a Master of Science in Student Affairs from Colorado State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College, in Sociology and Gender Studies. Emily also completed interdisciplinary undergraduate work through the Five College Program in Culture, Health, & Science, focusing on how social systems impact individual and community wellness. Prior to joining the Wellness and Prevention Services team at UConn, Emily worked as a Health Educator at Wesleyan University and Trinity College, responsible for her passion, alcohol and other drug prevention/intervention. At the University of Connecticut, Emily manages Alcohol & Other Drug Education services, regularly presenting on alcohol and marijuana, and providing individual support to students. She is particularly interested in engaging in prevention work from a social justice lens which recognizes the reality of how systems of oppression influence health.

**November 15: Jack Gieseking (he/him/his); “Constellations of Queer History in New York City, 1983-2008”**

Synopsis: In The Practice of Everyday Life, de Certeau writes that “What the map cuts up, the story cuts across.” But what if the everyday stories you seek are already cut up by centuries of structural inequality and oppression, such as those of lesbians and queer women? Further, does “not tiny” data ever qualify as big enough when marginalized people do not have the resources to produce, self-categorize, analyze, store, or map “big data”? In this talk, I explore what can be illuminated in the study of queer lives and spaces by bringing together the isolated but overlapping stories of lesbians and queer women in maps, from the hand-drawn to the most technologically advanced and interactive. Drawing upon qualitative and quantitative work on lesbians’ and queer women’s spaces and economies in New York City from 1983 to 2008–including multi-generational focus groups and mental maps, archival research, and GIS–I pat special attention to how the size of data matters to lesbians in the production of their historical geographies. Most data collected about lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, and queer (LGBTQ) people throughout history has only been used to pathologize and stigmatize. Gathered at the Lesbian Herstory Archives, I draw on the Archive’s LGBTQ organizing history dataset, the largest dataset known to exist on LGBTQ activist history, as well as the resulting data visualizations. I examine the place of lesbians and queer women in the geospatial big data debates even through the production of a not “big” enough dataset. I suggest that society’s obsession with big data further oppresses the marginalized by creating a false norm to which they are never able to measure up. Drawing upon a queer feminist and critical geographic perspective, I argue that a wide range of imbricated scales of data exist which upend the big-small data binary.

Biography: Professor Gieseking (pronouns: he/him/his) works at the intersections of critical urban and digital geographies, and feminist and queer theory. His research is engaged in research on co-productions of space and identity in digital and material environments, with a focus on sexual and gender identities. He pays special attention to how such productions support or inhibit social, spatial, and economic justice, as well as how research can be made public and accessible to those who need it most. Gieseking’s first book examined the production of lesbian and queer spaces in New York City as they relate to capital around the turn of the century. He argues that contemporary urban lesbians and queers often create and rely on fragmented places and fleeting experiences in those places. Like drawing lines between the stars that come and go in the sky, lesbians and queers are connected by overlapping, embodied paths and stories that culturally and politically bind them in their ways of making urban space. He calls this pattern constellations. Gieseking’s first monograph, A Queer New York: Geographies of Lesbians, Dykes, and Queers, 1983-2008 (NYU Press, 2020), is a historical geography of contemporary lesbian and queer politics, culture, and economies in New York City. Jack Gieseking is an Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Kentucky.

November 22: There is no lecture presentation due to Thanksgiving Break

**November 29: Sheldon Raymore (he/him/his); “Two Spirit – Past, Present, and Future”**

This lecture presentation honors Native American Awareness Month at the University of Connecticut (November) and World AIDS Day (December 1).

Synopsis: Sheldon Raymore will speak about the concept of Two Spirit people and their places in today’s contemporary Indigenous societies. The term “Two-Spirit” is a pan-indigenous term agreed upon in 1990 at an Indigenous LGBTQ gathering in Manitoba, Canada. The term is intended to unite Indigenous Cisgender & Transgender, gender fluid, gender queer, and gender non-conforming people under one spirit name. The concept of being Two-Spirit can be translated from many Native cultures and languages. Two Spirit people in the histories of many Native peoples were revered and uplifted by their respected tribes before the devastating effects of colonization. Two Spirit people in fact predate the modern LGBTQ movement. In preparation of World AIDS Day presenter will share some of the current data, PSA materials, and information in relation to the effects that HIV/AIDS has had on the Two-Spirit population.

Biography: Sheldon Raymore is a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and lives in New York City. He’s a Native American Storyteller, 2nd Generation Tipi Maker, Visual Artist, Actor, Choreographer, Cultural Consultant, and an award winning Grass Dancer. Since 2014 his mission has been to increase HIV/AIDS awareness, sexual health education, and accessibility of PrEP services for the Two Spirit community and beyond. He is the creator of www.PrEPahHontoz.com which provides an enriching awareness experience, with culturally competent and appropriate methods of increasing PrEP awareness. The PrEPahHontoz Tipi project has toured all over the United States and as far away as Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Tipi Project decreases social and cultural stigma’s associated with HIV/AIDS, and HIV Prevention. It also disseminates correct information about HIV and it’s history in the Native American community, while utilizing “culture as prevention.”

**December 6: Micah Heumann (he/him/his) & Sara Heumann (she/her/hers); “Growing Up Trans: from the perspective of a parent of a transgender child”**

Synopsis: Raising a child who identifies as transgender presents many different challenges than raising a cisgender child. Micah and Sara’s son Daniel invited his parents in that he is transgender when he was seven years old (although Daniel knew this much earlier). Through this, the Heumanns, as a family, have overcome many obstacles, and learned a lot along the way. Please come to this discussion on raising a child who identifies as transgender, and hear their family’s story and ask your questions about the whole process. This will be an opportunity for attendees to ask the questions they have always wanted to ask, but have not had the appropriate forum to do so.

NB: The Heumann family was highlighted in the “Growing Up Trans” installment of the PBS’s show, Frontline. To view that episode, visit https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/growing-up-trans/.

Biographies: Micah Heumann, Master of Arts in Psychology, has previously served as president of Homestead Corporation, a non-profit creating affordable housing for low-income families and individuals, and Uniting Pride Center, a non-profit multi-service agency of the LGBTQ community of Champaign County, Illinois. He has collaborated in research identifying and bringing attention to microaggressions committed against domestic students of color in the Academic Advising environment and currently serves as an Academic Advisor in the Academic Center for Exploratory Students at UConn.

Sara Heumann, holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois, where she went on to work as a school social worker and house parent for teenage girls experiencing emotional difficulties. More recently Sara continued her work supporting others in child labor as a doula, gestational surrogate, and then later returned to school to pursue her interest in skin health. She happily takes care of her clients’ skin as a licensed esthetician at Hope and Wellness. Sara enjoys yoga, nature and spending time with her family, friends and animals. She and Micah have been married since 2002, and enjoys going to hear music together and taking hikes.

Spring 2018

January 24: Amanda Denes; “Communication from Parents and Friends: Exploring Experiences Coming Out to Parents and Social Support for LGBQ Victims of Hate Speech”
Synopsis: This presentation will discuss two research studies focused on communication processes among LGBQ individuals and their parents and friends. First, research on individuals’ experiences coming out to their parents and the effect on future parent-child communication will be discussed. Specifically, the study explored whether some individuals feel the need to come out to their parents a second time, reasons for coming out again, and strategies used to do so. Second, a current study exploring the influence of supportive messages on health recovery for LGBQ victims of hate speech is discussed. This study aims to understand the types of supportive communication from family and friends that are most beneficial to LGBQ victims of hate speech, and the results will inform interventions that aim to build resiliency and foster social change.

Biography: Amanda Denes is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Communication at the University of Connecticut. Her research focuses on communication in various types of interpersonal relationships such as romantic relationships, parent-child relationships, and friendships. Much of her work looks at the association between communication in interpersonal relationships and people’s physiological, psychological, and relational health. In particular, she is interested in why individuals disclose information about themselves to others, how they disclose that information, and the effects of such disclosures on individuals and their relationships. Her research looking at the relationship between communication, hormones, and sexuality has been funded by such organizations as the Foundation for the Scientific Study of Sexuality and The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction.

January 31: Erin Waggoner; “#LGBTQFans Deserve Better: Pros and Cons of LGBTQ+ Television Representation”
Synopsis: While much better than even ten years ago, there are still problems that exist with the current LGBTQ+ representation on television. Social media and streaming technologies have changed previous story restrictions, fan reactions, and storytelling initiatives, but is this enough? During this lecture, we will discuss the history, community reactions, tropes, stereotypes, and representation of LGBTQ+ characters on scripted and non-scripted television. We will also discuss the recent successful social media campaign, #LGBTQFansDeserveBetter, which helped raise money for the Trevor Project and jumpstarted a national conversation about harmful television tropes for LGBTQ+ characters and those who watch.

Biography: While much better than even ten years ago, there are still problems that exist with the current LGBTQ+ representation on television. Social media and streaming technologies have changed previous story restrictions, fan reactions, and storytelling initiatives, but is this enough? During this lecture, we will discuss the history, community reactions, tropes, stereotypes, and representation of LGBTQ+ characters on scripted and non-scripted television. We will also discuss the recent successful social media campaign, #LGBTQFansDeserveBetter, which helped raise over $170 for the Trevor Project and jumpstarted a national conversation about harmful television tropes for LGBTQ+ characters and those who watch.

February 7: Micah Heumann & Sara Heumann; “Growing Up Trans: from the perspective of a parent of a transgender child”
This lecture presentation has been cancelled due to a weather-related closure at the University of Connecticut

February 14: Chris Rodriguez; “Transgender Health: A Look at Gender Sensitive Healthcare”
Synopsis: In an ever-evolving society, it is imperative that clinicians adapt to the needs of our population. In 2011, 0.3% of the population identified themselves as transgender and in 2014, that statistic doubled, whereby 0.6% of the population now identify as transgender (Flores et al., 2016). Despite such a statistic, there continues to be significant barriers concerning access of health care services due to the lack of knowledge that complicates the clinical management and treatment of trans patients, the informed consent vs. the gatekeeper model, as well as access to care when referring trans patients. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the importance of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and its effects on the transitioning individual, an in-depth look at gender-affirming surgeries with estimated costs, as well as the provision of gender-sensitive care across healthcare settings.

Biography: Chris Rodriguez is a Family Nurse Practitioner who currently works for Student Health Services at the University of Connecticut and is an adjunct faculty for the University of Connecticut’s School of Nursing. Chris completed a Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Connecticut, whereby their specialty track was as a Family Nurse Practitioner. A former healthcare chaplain, Chris also completed a Master of Arts in Theological Studies, as well as a Master of Divinity from Liberty University. They are currently enrolled in the University of Connecticut’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program, where their research focuses on developing and implementing an evidence-based educational program that will assist clinicians and their medical staff in meeting the healthcare needs of transgender patients in primary care settings. Chris has lectured on the importance of implementing trans healthcare in medical curriculums and uses the informed consent model for the initiation and maintenance of hormone replacement therapy in healthcare settings. Chris is interested in all aspects of primary care, with a strong focus on transgender health.

February 21: Laurel Davis-Delano & Elizabeth Morgan; “Public Displays of Heterosexual Identity: What They Reveal About Heteronormativity, Heterosexism, Bisexuality, and Gender”
Synopsis: In this lecture, we explore the phenomenon of heterosexual marking, which we define as behaviors believed to indicate heterosexuality. Drawing on findings from several research projects we recently conducted, we will first describe three main types of heterosexual marking behaviors. Then, we discuss four topics related to heterosexual marking: how heteronormative and heterosexist social context impacts this marking, ways this marking obscures bisexuality, the relationship between gender and marking behaviors, and how marking occurs following suspicion of being a sexual minority. We conclude by discussing some implications of our findings.

Biography: Laurel R. Davis-Delano is a Professor of Sociology at Springfield College (in MA). Laurel’s research is focused on inequality based on race, gender, and sexual orientation. Four topics covered in Laurel’s publications are Native American nicknames/logos in sport, development of women’s same-sex relationships, public displays of heterosexual identity, and the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

Elizabeth M. Morgan is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her research is on adolescent and emerging adult sexual and romantic relationship development, with a primary focus on sexual identity formation, especially heterosexual and bisexual identity development.

February 28: Tom Long; “Queer Resistance, or, No One in America Gets What They Deserve Just Because the Deserve It”
Synopsis: This presentation engages both national history and personal history. It will begin with a historical survey of resistance to civil government and social injustice in North America, from the Colonial era to the present, with special attention to race and gender. Then it will focus on queer resistance in the late 20th century and early 21st century, including personal experiences of Dr. Tom Long, who first engaged in queer community organizing and activism in 1976 while in graduate school.

Biography: Dr. Thomas Lawrence Long is associate professor in residence in the UConn School of Nursing and serves on the core faculty of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program. A former Roman Catholic priest, he earned a master’s degree in theology from the Catholic University of America in 1981. A professor of English language and American studies, he is the author of AIDS and American Apocalypticism: The Cultural Semiotics of an Epidemic. He has contributed book chapters to The Male Body in Medicine and Literature (Liverpool University Press, forthcoming), Women’s Narratives of the Early Americas and the Formation of Empire (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016), Routledge Handbook on the Global History of Nursing (Routledge, 2013), On the Meaning of Friendship between Gay Men (Routledge, 2008), Catholic Figures, Queer Narratives (Palgrave Macmillan, 2006), and Gender and Apocalyptic Desire (Equinox, 2005).

March 7: Ryan Watson; “Results from the 2017 LGBTQ+ Youth National Survey: Intersectionality, Schools, and Health”
This lecture presentation has been cancelled due to a weather-related closure at the University of ConnecticutSynopsis: In 2017, the Human Rights Campaign, Dr. Ryan Watson, and Dr. Rebecca Puhl surveyed over 17,000 LGBTQ+ youth aged 13-17 across the United States. Youth responded about their sexual and gender identities, health, school experiences, transgender-specific issues, and much more. This presentation will reveal the findings from the 2017 survey and discuss the future of health, research, and priorities for best serving the LGBTQ+ youth population in the United States.

Biography: Dr. Ryan J. Watson is an Assistant Professor in the department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Connecticut. He explores protective factors for vulnerable adolescents, with a focus on interpersonal relationships. Dr. Watson situates himself as a mixed-methods interdisciplinary family scientist and draws from life course and developmental frameworks. At InCHIP, Dr. Watson aims to further advance the scholarship of health and well-being, interpersonal relationships, and sexual minority youth through mixed-method approaches. Dr. Watson has used both population-based and non-probability datasets from the US, Norway, and Canada to examine how social support (friends, teachers, and parents) may attenuate the impact of risk factors such as victimization, homophobia, and stigma on well-being. He continues to research how social support provides a foundation for achievement and healthy outcomes for vulnerable youth. In addition, Dr. Watson has led a qualitative study that explores the motivations and outcomes for hooking up among sexual minority populations. His work explores the ways in which the use of different platforms to initiate and engage in hook ups differs by sexual orientation subgroups.

March 21: Lisa Eaton; “How stigma impacts healthcare use among Black gay/bisexual men: Implications for PrEP and HIV prevention”
This lecture presentation has been cancelled due to a weather-related closure at the University of Connecticut
Synopsis: Stigma is a multifaceted, complex phenomenon that has stymied HIV prevention and treatment work since the beginning of the epidemic. In this talk, I will review the various types and sources of stigma, and how these stigmas impact healthcare engagement. I will provide information on the development and testing of programs aimed at reducing stigma and improving health outcomes for Black gay/bisexual men, in particular.

Biography: Lisa A Eaton, PhD is an Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Connecticut. She completed her PhD in Social Psychology at the University of Connecticut and her post-doctoral work at Yale University. She has worked in the area of social determinants of HIV for the past 12 years. A majority of her work is conducted in the Atlanta, GA area where rates of HIV prevalence are alarming. She works primarily in developing and testing individual and structural interventions to improve healthcare engagement among race and sexual orientation minority populations.

March 28: Kaustav Bakshi; “Doing queer studies in India: Challenges in transforming pedagogy”
Synopsis: In this talk Dr. Bakshi shall address the interesting history of emergence of queer studies in India, which is still an extremely marginal discipline, confined to a very few metropolitan universities. Then, he shall move on to the changes in social and cultural environment of India, especially, after India opened its economy, which, enabled the development of a queer pedagogy, owing to the emergence of a number of cultural and theoretical texts. Nonetheless, ‘reading queerly’ and ‘queer sexualities’ are more often than not confused, and old-school as well as young academicians are wary of the term ‘queer’ or anything that dismantles the heteronormative way of interpreting/doing things. Sharing anecdotes, personal accounts, and classroom situations, this talk will try to provide an interesting picture of how ‘queer’, as a marker of wide range of sexualities and desires, irreducible to fixed identity categories, and ‘queer’, as a powerful critical tool to deconstruct canonical texts, are still to find a respectable place within a largely homophobic Indian academia. The talk will focus on literary texts in particular, while explaining the need and challenges in developing a pedagogy suitable to the Queer Studies discipline. This is because it is majorly through the Department of English that Queer Studies entered the higher education institutes of India.

Biography: Dr. Kaustav Bakshi is Assistant Professor, Department of English, Jadavpur University, Kolkata. A Charles Wallace India Trust Fellow, his doctoral thesis, written with partial funding from the Trust, is entitled ‘Family, Sexualities and Ageing in Sri Lankan Expatriate Fiction: Kinship, Power Relations and the State’. A member of the editorial advisory board of Queer Studies in Media and Popular Culture (Intellect Bks.), he writes regularly on queer cultures of South Asia; and, one of his recent publications include an anthology on the cinema of Rituparno Ghosh, a queer Bengali filmmaker. The volume entitled, Rituparno Ghosh: Cinema, Gender and Art, published by Routledge in 2015, is the first book length auteur study of Ghosh.

April 4: Jen Manion; “The History of Female Husbands and the Future of Gender”
Synopsis: For over one hundred and fifty years, people who were assigned the female sex at birth, lived as men, and married women were known as female husbands. This talk will explore the lives of female husbands and their wives as well as the changing understandings of the category itself in England and the United States from 1746-1912. What can this rich history teach us about the future of gender?

Biography: Jen Manion is Associate Professor of History at Amherst College and author of Liberty’s Prisoners: Carceral Culture in Early America (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015) which received the 2016 Mary Kelley Best Book Prize from the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic. Manion is co-editor of Taking Back the Academy: History of Activism, History as Activism (Routledge, 2004) and has published nearly three dozen essays and reviews in U.S. histories of gender and sexuality. Jen is the recipient of over a dozen fellowships, including one from the National Endowment for the Humanities for a current project on transgender histories in the long nineteenth-century. Manion received a BA in history from the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD in history from Rutgers University.

April 11: Jama Shelton; “LBGT Youth Homelessness: Structural Barriers & Innovative Responses”
Synopsis: LGBTQ youth and youth of color are overrepresented in the population of youth experiencing homelessness. Service providers report that the LGBTQ youth they work with are more likely to experience physical and mental health issues, and are more likely to be homeless for longer periods of time than cisgender and heterosexual youth. The disparities are greater for transgender youth. What are the reasons for this disproportionality and what can be done to address it? Based on 9 years of direct practice experience with LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness, 4 year of national organizing work to address LGBTQ youth homelessness, and current research projects conducted with transgender youth experiencing homelessness, Dr. Shelton will discuss the state of LGBTQ youth homelessness in America.

Biography: Jama Shelton, MSW, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. Dr. Shelton’s research examines the needs and experiences of LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness and the service providers with whom they work. In particular, Dr. Shelton is interested in identifying and addressing systemic barriers rooted in hetero/cisgenderism that frequently constrain the successful transition out of homelessness for LGBTQ youth and young adults. Previously, Dr. Shelton served as the Deputy Executive Director of the True Colors Fund. In this role, Dr. Shelton was engaged in systemic change efforts directly informed by years of direct practice experience. Having worked in the areas of clinical practice with LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness, as well as program development, evaluation, research, technical assistance and training, Dr. Shelton brings a comprehensive understanding of the issues facing both LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness and also the service providers with whom they work. Most recently, Dr. Shelton co-edited the peer-reviewed text Where Am I Going to Go? Intersectional Approaches to Ending LGBTQ2S Youth Homelessness in Canada and the US, published by the Canadian Homelessness Research Network Press.

April 18: Michael Bartone; “Jack’d, a Mobile Social Networking Application: A Site of Exclusion Within a Site of Inclusion”
Synopsis: User-generated smartphone applications have created a new level of virtual connectivity for gay males, one in which users can create profiles and meet other users as nearby or as far away as possible. For those within close proximity, the other users can be considered their “virtual neighbors.” Although the applications are theoretically designed to be places of inclusion and not exclusion, where any gay male with economic means can download an application, many profiles have been created that exclude other users. Through an examination of profiles on one such application, Jack’d, exclusion is found in the way users celebrate and reinforce ideas of traditional masculinity and denigrate and reinforce stereotypic ideas of femininity embodied by some gay men. Jack’d, and other user-generated smartphone applications, can be read as virtual neighborhoods where one is excluded based on their gender performance.

Biography: Michael D. Bartone, PhD. is an assistant professor of elementary education in the department of Literacy, Elementary, and Early Childhood Education at Central Connecticut State University. His work focuses on the intersections of race and sexuality and youth come to know and understand these intersecting identities through schooling experience. Further, he examines what teachers know about these intersecting identities and how their instruction (in/ex)cludes these identities.

April 25: M. V. Lee Badgett; “Left Out? LGBT Poverty in the U.S. and What to Do About It”
Synopsis: Recent policy victories have moved LGBT people in the U.S. closer to formal legal equality, but evidence of continuing economic inequality persists. This presentation will present recent work providing new details on the risk of poverty for lesbian, gay, and bisexual people from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The second part of the talk will address policies that could reduce poverty for LGBT and heterosexual people. In addition, the presentation will include a discussion of how the research on LGBT poverty has influenced the policy agenda-setting process through the LGBT Poverty Collaborative, a project of researchers, service providers, social movement organizations, and advocates working at the federal and state levels.

Biography: M. V. Lee Badgett is a professor of economics and the former director of the School of Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is also a Williams Distinguished Scholar at UCLA’s Williams Institute and was the Institute’s first Research Director. Badgett received a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California-Berkeley in 1990, and has a BA in economics from the University of Chicago. Her current research focuses on poverty in the LGBT community, employment discrimination against LGBT people in the U.S., and the cost of homophobia and transphobia in global economies. Her newest book is The Public Professor: How to Use Your Research to Change the World. Her book, When Gay People Get Married: What Happens When Societies Legalize Same-Sex Marriage, analyzes the positive U.S. and European experiences with marriage equality for gay couples. Her first book, Money, Myths, and Change: The Economic Lives of Lesbians and Gay Men, presented her groundbreaking work debunking the myth of gay affluence. Prof. Badgett’s work includes testifying as an expert witness in legislative matters and litigation (including as an expert witness in California’s Prop 8 case), consulting with development agencies (World Bank, UNDP, USAID), analyzing public policies, consulting with regulatory bodies, briefing policymakers, writing op-ed pieces, speaking with journalists, and advising businesses. She is quoted regularly in newspapers across the country, including The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post. In 2008, Curve Magazine named her one of the twenty most powerful lesbians in academia, and she has appeared on The Advocate magazine’s “Our Best and Brightest Activists” list.

Fall 2017

September 6: Tom Long; “Queer Spirituality in a Post-Christian Context”
Synopsis: While many queer people have been stigmatized by institutional religions, their leaders, and their members, queer people also frequently seek ways of integrating a spiritual dimension into their embodied experiences and relationships. This class will explore the queer dimensions of Christian traditions, explain the theological underpinnings of Christianity’s tensions concerning sexuality, and examine some of the options appropriated by queer people today.

September 13: Sarah Prager; “Queer, There, and Everywhere: How Queer History Shaped our World”
Synopsis: Queer people have changed the world, from inventing the computer to inventing the high five. Sarah Prager’s new book, Queer, There, and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World, brings the stories of twenty-three of these individuals to life. Sarah will share the lives of artists like Lili Elbe who was one of the first people to receive gender confirmation surgery in the 1930s, athletes like Glenn Burke who battled homophobia as a MLB player in the 1970s, leaders like Roman emperor Elagabalus who ruled as female in the 200s AD, religious figures like Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz who wrote lustful poems to another woman from her Mexican convent in the 1600s, and queer rights activists who made an impact on the course of history.

How far back does queer history go? How do we know if queer people existed before recorded history? Since the terms in “LGBT+” are relatively new, what language can we use to refer to queer people of the past? Can we even call anyone from the past queer if they lived in a time without that concept? Why does the sexuality of a history-maker matter? This lecture will cover a discussion of these questions along with non-Western queer history, the changing concepts of gender throughout time and place, and queer persecution and resilience. There will also be readings from the book.

Biography: Sarah Prager is the author of Queer, There, and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World and the creator of the Quist mobile app, two resources that teach queer history outside of the textbook. Sarah’s writing has been published in The Advocate, Huffington Post, QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking, It Gets Better Project’s blog, and various other newspapers, magazines, and blogs. Queer, There, and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World was published in May 2017 by HarperCollins. It has been awarded a Kirkus Star, nominated for a New England Book Award, and is an official selection of the Junior Library Guild. Quist, a free app for iOS, Android, and Windows, brings LGBTQ and HIV history to life for a following of over 35,000 from over 100 countries. Raised in Simsbury, CT, Sarah now lives in Wallingford, CT with her wife and daughter.

September 20: Brian Edwards; “LGBTQ Centers at Colleges and Universities”
Synopsis: LGBTQ centers at institutions of higher education in the U.S. were born out of protests following the Stonewall Uprising in 1969 (Self & Hudson, 2015). Mirroring the radical shift of the LGBTQ Civil Rights Movement from one of assimilation to one of liberation (D’Emilio, 1998), LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff at colleges and universities demanded space, support, protection, and validation from their institutions (Beemyn, 2002; University of Michigan, n.d.; Sanlo, et al., 2002). In this Out to Lunch Series session, Brian Edwards — the new director of the Rainbow Center at UConn — will present a brief history of the LGBTQ movement and discuss how it connects to higher education, cover the establishment of the first LGBTQ center at a college campus in the U.S., and shed insight on current campus climate trends. A brief history of the Rainbow Center at UConn will also be discussed.

Biography: Brian Edwards (pronouns: he/him/his or they/them/theirs) is the new Director of the Rainbow Center. Brian has over 13 years of experience in higher education and has held various positions in both student and academic affairs. Most recently, he served as the Assistant Director of the Office of Equity and Diversity and the Coordinator of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Center at Montclair State University, in addition to teaching LGBTQ Studies courses in the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies department. At Montclair, Brian was responsible for the advocacy and direction of University-wide services and programs for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff.

Brian holds a B.F.A. from Marymount Manhattan College and an M.S.Ed. from Baruch College, CUNY. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in education with a concentration in higher education administration at New England College. His current research explores the experiences of college students and campus administrators engaged in LGBTQ social justice education activism. Please join us in welcoming Brian to the UConn community.

September 27: Laura Saunders; “LGBTQ Identity Development: Trends, Issues and Treatment Considerations”
Synopsis: This presentation will review LGBTQ identity development as it relates to developmental stages, risk factors and treatment interventions. Use of current research highlights trends in our understanding of LGBTQ identity. Relevant risk factors that are particular to the LGBTQ population also help inform our treatment. Open discussion allows participants to integrate their experiences.

Biography: Laura M. I. Saunders, Psy.D. ABPP is a staff psychologist working in Young Adult Services at the Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital. She is also Board Certified in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Saunders is the Clinical Coordinator of The Right Track/LGBTQ Intensive Outpatient program in Young Adult Services for individuals struggling with co-occurring emotional difficulties, minority stress and identity development. This LGBTQ Specialty behavioral health program is the first of its kind in CT. In 2015, Dr. Saunders was named as the co-Employee of the Year for Hartford Hospital. Areas of expertise include child psychopathology, behavior management, parent training and family therapy. She appears regularly in local TV news to provide psychological input on topics relevant to youth and families.

October 4: Jean Randich & Lindsay Cummings; “Gender, Sexuality, and “Bunburying” in The Importance of Being Earnest”
Synopsis: Oscar Wilde is one of the best known literary figures of the Victorian era. He was also persecuted for his sexuality in a series of trials that are often credited as marking a shift in the way Victorians thought about sexuality and identity. This talk considers the ways in which Wilde challenged Victorian gender and sexual norms, both in his life and in his writing. In particular, the director of CRT’s upcoming production of The Importance of Being Earnest (Oct. 5-15) will address the way Wilde flirts with social norms in all of his characters, destabilizing binaries and social rules at every turn. We will consider Wilde’s notions of performance and self-presentation in light of today’s changing notions of gender and sexual fluidity, and ask what one wild thinker from the Victorian age might teach us today.

Biography: Jean Randich is a writer and director who has been creating new work and re-envisioning classic plays and musical theater for thirty years. Recent work includes: An Octoroon by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Pace), Six Characters Looking for an Author by Pirandello, (Nevada Conservatory Theater), and Antigone by Sophocles (NAATCO). She has also directed in Germany and Norway. Jean is the winner of the NEA/TCG Director Fellowship, a Fox Foundation Grant to work in Norway, and has served as the George Abbott Resident Director at New Dramatists. With Robert Murphy, Ms. Randich is co-founder and Artistic Director of Collider Theater. Ms. Randich is Professor of Drama at Bennington College, as well as a Faculty Member at NYU Tisch. Masters in Creative Writing — Brown University; MFA in Directing –Yale School of Drama. http://www.jeanrandich.com/.

Dr. Lindsay Cummings is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dramatic Arts and Affiliate Faculty with Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and El Institute: Institute of Latina/o, Caribbean, and Latin American Studies. Her research interests include feminist performance, affect theory, Latinx theatre, and theatre for social change. Her book Empathy as Dialogue in Theatre and Performance was published in 2016. Cummings serves as the Connecticut Repertory Theatre Dramaturg, overseeing outreach and educational activities across the campus and in the wider community. She received her PhD from Cornell University in 2011.

October 11: Bilal Tajildeen; “Says Who?: 20th Century Queer Identity through Literature”
Synopsis: This lecture will examine the development of a queer identity by unpacking tropes, metaphors, and references found in literature, particularly at the turn of the 20th century. The goal will be to offer students a perspective on modern topics (e.g., the homosexual agenda, the madness and moroes of LGBTQ folk, lesbians as masculine figures, gay men as free spirited deviants) by tracking the emergence of these ideas..

Biography: Bilal Tajildeen has been a lecturer on queer history and queer literature since 2014, offering classes and facilitating conversations in community centers and older adult institutions around the Greater Waterbury and Lower Naugatuck Valley areas. Currently, he is working on his thesis-track master’s degree in English at CCSU, focusing on the development of queer culture and identity using a Foucauldian approach. He works fulltime as a program coordinator and community organizer at the Connecticut Community Foundation in Waterbury, CT.

October 18: Patrick McGrady; “Subcultural Identity Work and Social Stigma in the Bear Subculture”
Synopsis: The Bear culture emerged in the late 1970s amidst the beginning of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and early stages of the gay rights movement. Since its beginnings, the culture has proliferated across the globe with bear events, social clubs, dating applications, and marketing. This talk conceptualizes the bear community as an “alternative subculture” with its own forms of cultural codes, policing, and identity work that make it distinct within the gay community. In doing so, Dr. McGrady explores the potential of resistance towards weight stigma in the gay community, the production of masculinity, and the implication of the changing cultural norms.

Biography: Dr. McGrady is an assistant professor of Sociology at the University of New Haven. His work considers the intersections amongst gender, embodiment, sexuality, and identity work. Currently he is conducting an ethnographic of the LGBTQ choral movement.

October 25: Timothy Bussey; “From Trans Inclusion to Exclusion: Understanding the Scope and Impact of the Military’s New Transgender Ban” (new date)
Synopsis: During this lecture, attendees will learn about the current state of transgender inclusion and support in the Armed Forces. This presentation will trace the key strides that the Obama administration made in regards to transgender inclusion in the military. Attendees will also learn about Obama-era Dept. of Defense policies relating to inclusion and transition-related support for active duty service members. Additionally, this lecture will also highlight the latest developments since President Trump’s recent guidance to disallow transgender persons from serving in the military; an exploration of what impact this might have on the trans community and the Armed Forces will also be provided.

Biography: Timothy R. Bussey is a Ph.D. candidate in the Dept. of Political Science and a graduate teaching assistant in the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at UConn. He earned his M.A. in political science with a concentration in American studies at UConn in 2014, and he is currently completing his doctoral dissertation, ‘Lavender Security Threats: Understanding the Histories of Discrimination against LGBT Persons in the Military and Intelligence Communities.’ He has also served as the lecturer for the UConn Rainbow Center since November 2016 as well.

November 1: Hailey Greenhalgh; “Defining Polyamory”
Synopsis: This lecture will seek to introduce some general information about polyamory and similar identities such as ethical non-monogamy and anarchic relationships. There will also be an overview of terms, disproving some myths surrounding polyamory, and how polyamorus relationships “work.”

Biography: Hailey B. Greenhalgh is a Ph.D. student in the Dept. of Political Science and a graduate teaching assistant in the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at UConn. Their research focuses around human rights for transgender individuals in an international sense. They present a series of workshops at LGBTQ+ conferences focusing on human rights, polyamory, and long distance relationships.

November 8: Sherry Zane; “Same-Sex Acts and the Origins of a National Security State in the Early Twentieth Century” (new date)
Synopsis: This lecture will explore how categories of gender, sexual identity, and race shaped U.S. national security interests on the World War I homefront from 1917-1921 in Newport, Rhode Island. United States government officials, including Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt, attempted to restrict same-sex acts when he and others authorized enlisted men and officers to entrap, arrest, and otherwise penalize male-identified sailors and civilians for having sex with other men. Military officials believed that this behavior inhibited the United States’ ability to win the war and, therefore, threatened national security. The court martial hearings reveal how early twentieth-century gender and queer identities shaped the origins of a national security state that would have a lasting impact on military policies and body politics long after the war ended.

Biography: Dr. Sherry Zane is the Associate Director of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at UCONN. Her current work focuses on how intersectional constructs of gender, sexuality, and race shape national security concerns well before the National Security Act of 1947. Sherry is also concerned with educating university staff, administrators, and instructors on the importance of inclusivity for transgender and gender non-binary students, and she has recently published a webinar with Magna Publications titled, “Simple Strategies to Create an Inclusive Classroom for Gender Variant Students” this past spring. Sherry received her Ph.D. in U.S. History in 2012.

November 15: Timothy Bussey; “Lavender Politics: An Analysis of LGBTQ Voting Behavior and Electoral Outcomes”
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the original speaker for this date, Professor Misty Ginicola, will not be able to present the planned lecture presentation entitled, “History & Current Issues Surrounding Two-Spirit Identities.” We are hopeful to reschedule this specific presentation during the Spring 2018 semester. We have been able to devise a replacement speaker and presentation on a different topic.

Synopsis: This lecture will provide attendees with knowledge about LGBTQ political behaviors, particularly in relation to party affiliation and voter turnout. Additionally, an analysis of LGBTQ vote choice in the 2008, 2012, and 2016 presidential elections will also be incorporated into the presentation. In reference to the 2016 election, there will be an exploration of exit poll data pertaining to LGBTQ supporters of then-candidate Donald Trump. Finally, the lecture will conclude by contextualizing the importance of the November 2017 elections and the historic victories of transgender candidates, Andrea Jenkins and Danica Roem among others.

November 22: No lecture due to Thanksgiving Break
November 29: Debanuj DasGupta; “The National Security State & The Precarious Transgender Asylum Seeker”
Synopsis: The question of transgender rights is presently a hotly contested issue in the United States. President Donald Trump has proposed to ban transgender persons from serving in the US military along with rescinding previous Presidential orders about transgender access to toilets in public institutions. However, what remains hidden from these debates is the torture faced by transgender refugees and asylum seekers within detention centers. In this paper, I will argue that torture upon the trans/migrant body is hidden from the view of the American public, and detention centers operate as the secret spaces of the national security state. I will analyze transgender migrant activism related to the abolition of the detention industrial complex and highlight how transgender immigrants are at the forefront of ushering social justice movements that take up questions of human rights of LGBT people and migrants.

Biography: Debanuj DasGupta is an Assistant Professor in the Geography Department and the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department at the University of Connecticut. His research interests are in the fields of international migration, HIV/AIDS prevention, sexual rights and global governance. He is particularly interested in the areas of HIV/AIDS prevention within men who have sex with men and transgender communities in the global south; the geopolitics of HIV/AIDS related mobilities regulation; the political economy of PrEP and access to PrEP in the global south. He is currently working on two projects: 1) Comparative spatial study of transgender rights politics in India and the USA; 2) The securitization of HIV/AIDS in the USA.

December 6: Pat Newcombe; “Intersexuality and the Law”
Synopsis: Dean Newcombe will provide an overview of the many issues involved in the discussion of intersexuality and the law: the medical intervention for individuals with intersex traits and its legal framework, the confines of treating gender as a binary system, discrimination against intersex individuals, the human rights issues surrounding intersexuality, the impact of the intersex activist movement and its intersection with other movements, some foreign approaches to intersexuality, and possible U.S. judicial and statutory reforms.

Spring 2017

January 25: Mehammed Mack; Islam, Sexuality, and Globalization in the Age of the ‘War on Terror’
Synopsis: In this talk, Professor Mack will start by offering a brief introduction to perspectives on sexuality in Islamic countries and their Diasporas, perspectives that have shifted historically and according to whether one uses a “Western” or “Eastern” lens. He will then discuss how Muslims’ views on sexuality have become a political issue in the European immigration debate, as well as stateside. Drawing from his just-released book Sexagon: Muslims, France, and the Sexualization of National Culture, he will explain how Muslims’ acceptance in European countries is based on whether they have the “right” attitudes about gender and sexuality. Concepts like “sexual nationalism,” “homonationalism,” and “pink-washing” will be clarified and hopefully debated in class. He will conclude by discussing how gay asylum policies may change as a result of recent violent attacks in Europe and the US, and he will also offer some personal anecdotes about the challenges of teaching about sexual diversity in the Islamic world and Muslim Diaspora in a post-9/11 age.

Biography: Mehammed Amadeus Mack is an Assistant Professor in French Studies and SWG (The Study of Women and Gender) at Smith Colleege in Northampton, Massachusetts, who earned his Ph.D. in French and comparative literature from Columbia University, where he completed a dissertation titled “Immigration and Sexual Citizenship: Gender, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Contemporary France.” His first book Sexagon: Muslims, France, and the Sexualization of National Culture has just been released at Fordham University Press. His research focuses on contemporary immigration to France, gender and sexuality, diversity in the banlieues (multi-ethnic French suburbs), and the relation between culture and politics. His larger teaching and research interests include Franco-Arab cultures, travel literature, the development of Islam in France and media studies. He has published articles in the Journal of Arabic Literature, Comparative Literature Studies, Hétérographes, Jadaliyya, SITES, Al Jazeera English and Newsweek. Mack worked as a journalist at the LA Weekly prior to entering academia. He loves tennis, gardening, electronic music and snow sports.

February 1: Monika Doshi; “Sexual Minorities, Human Rights & HIV/AIDS”
Synopsis: This talk will focus on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and sexual minorities, specifically men who have sex with men (MSM). A brief review of current guidelines for prevention and treatment of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among MSM will be followed by case studies from work on the ground in India and Kenya. Within these two geographic contexts, we will examine the social, cultural, political, and economic context that shapes HIV risk practices and barriers to health services, including the impact of human rights violations on HIV vulnerability.

Biography: Ms. Doshi is the Principal of Saath, a small public health consulting firm based in Connecticut. Her research areas include: (a) HIV/AIDS, (b) Health and Human Rights, (c) Chronic Disease, (d) Maternal and Child Health, and (e) Women’s and Reproductive Health. She has been involved in HIV/AIDS research, specifically working with key populations (communities at greater risk for HIV acquisition), in Asia and Africa over the last 12 years. She is currently working on two research projects with the University of Manitoba: (a) one in Kenya to understand and address the individual, social, environmental, and structural factors that shape the HIV vulnerability of male sex workers in Nairobi and (b) the other in China, India, and Kenya to examine the social and cultural issues related to introducing future HIV vaccines among female sex workers and men who have sex with men. In the past, she has worked with UConn’s Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy on an NIH funded HIV prevention research project in South Africa to study engagement and retention in care of recently diagnosed HIV-positive individuals who are not eligible for antiretroviral medications. She has also worked with the Enhancing Care Foundation and the Eastern and Southern Africa Knowledge Hubs Network (Kenya, South Africa, Sudan, and Uganda) on a blended learning training course for the prevention and treatment of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men and transgender people. As a Connecticut Health Foundation Health Leadership Fellow and through funding from Yale University, Ms. Doshi conducted research on HIV risk behaviors and prevention needs of transgender populations in partnership with the Connecticut TransAdvocacy Coalition, the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective and the Institute for Community Research. Many moons ago, Ms. Doshi began her work in public health and human rights with Avahan, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s India AIDS Initiative, through the American India Foundation’ s William J. Clinton Fellowship for Service. She was a member of the technical team that initiated the first HIV prevention program in the state of Karnataka through BMGF funding. Ms. Doshi holds a Master in Public Health and a Certificate in Health and Human Rights from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

February 8: James Clark; “Avoiding One More Exclusion: Extending Victim Services to The LGBTQ Community”
Synopsis: LGBTQ persons are significantly more likely to be victims of violent crime than the cisgender community. Traditionally, victim service organizations have focused on sexual assault against straight women. In recent years, these providers have consciously expanded services to encompass other groups, such as men and LGBTQs. There is still much left to do, and much to learn about the needs of LGBTQ persons. The mission statement of Victim Rights Center of Connecticut specifically names “violence against LGBT persons” as a focus area of their no-fee legal services. This talk will explore legal rights and remedies available to LGBTQ victims of physical and sexual violence, and will engage the audience concerning culturally competent victim-centered legal assistance for this community.

Biography: Attorney James Clark founded Victim Rights Center of Connecticut, the only non-profit in the State of Connecticut providing no-fee, victim-centered, legal representation to victims of violent crime, in July 2013. Mr. Clark prosecuted violent crimes in Connecticut for more than twenty years, serving and interacting with victims on a daily basis. From 2010-13, he taught graduate courses on sexual assault, victim and offender behavior, and victims’ rights at the Army’s law school in Charlottesville, Virginia. Attorney Clark co-founded San Francisco’s first Temporary Restraining Order clinic in 1979. Mr. Clark has written about women’s basketball for national publications since 1996. He is a competitive triathlete who will represent the USA in the off-road triathlon World Championship in August 2017

February 15: Sheldon Raymore; “Two Spirit – Past, Present, Future and Reclaiming Traditional Roles in Native America”
Today’s lecture is co-sponsored by the Native American Cultural Society/Programs Office the University of Connecticut, Student Union room 416B.

Synopsis: (from Native Peoples Magazine, May/June 2014, “Two Spirit: The-Story of a Movement Unfolds”) The phrase “two spirit” began to gain traction across Native America after 1990, when 13 men, women and transgender people from various tribes met in Winnipeg, Canada, with the task of finding a term that could unite the LGBTQ Native community. Numerous terms in tribal languages identified third genders in their cultures that encompassed both masculine and feminine, and the struggle for those gathered in Winnipeg was finding a contemporary term that would be embraced across all tribal cultures. The attendees at the gathering settled on “two spirit.” They wanted a term that “reflected the combination of masculinity and femininity which was attributed to males in a feminine role and females in a masculine role,” says author Sabine Lang in the book Men as Women, Women as Men: Changing Gender in Native American Cultures. Many two spirit, historically, were keepers of traditions, tellers of the stories of creation, and healers.

Sheldon Raymore will speak about the concept of Two Spirit people and their places in today’s contemporary Indigenous societies. The presentation will begin with prayer and cleansing.

Biography: Sheldon Raymore is from the Cheyenne River Sioux Nation and currently resides in New York City. He is the Outreach Coordinator at the American Indian Community House which was established in 1969. He is a Native American Storyteller, Activist, Visual Artist, Actor, Choreographer, and an award winning Grass Dancer. In 2015 he starred in ABC’s Born to Explore with Richard Weiss “Legend of Dance” where he was the featured grass dancer at the National Museum of the American Indian in NYC. He’s also danced for the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers at the Theatre for the New City. Sheldon Raymore is a member of the East Coast Two Spirit Society (EC2SS) leadership council and serves as chair. The East Coast Two Spirit Society (EC2SS) is devoted to Two Spirit Native American and First Nations communities and the reduction of bias and discrimination due to lack of information. The EC2SS provides information to the general public and support and services to Two Spirit Natives, formerly known as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or gender non-conforming. EC2SS works to increase the positive visibility of Two Spirit communities and to provide safe, supportive opportunities for social, traditional and recreational interactions that are culturally appropriate to them. EC2SS also strives to reach Two Spirit youth and their families, to provide emotional support, care and a community of people who have experienced the challenges of being Native and Two Spirit, often while living and working in Native and other communities where they may not be fully welcomed or supported themselves.

February 22: Michael Mink; “Stress, Stigma, and Sexual Minority Health: The Intersectional Ecology Model of Sexual Minority Health”
Synopsis: Heteronormative environments produce elevated stress and unique stressors for sexual minorities, which increase the risk for a number of negative health behaviors and outcomes. In 2011, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a seminal report that detailed health disparities experienced by LGBT people and called for a comprehensive approach to sexual minority health research. In response to this report, the Intersectional Ecology Model of Sexual Minority Health (IEM) was designed to measure, explore, explain, and predict the impact of sexual minority status on health outcomes. It interposes the stress cycle within the social context, reflecting how the relentless hyper-vigilance of sexual minorities in a heteronormative society increases negative health risks for these groups. This presentation explains the elements of this model and explores practical applications for health professionals.

Biography: Dr. Michael D. Mink is a public health educator, scholar, and community health advocate with more than 25 years of experience working in academic, government, and community-based organizations to promote policies and programs that encourage holistic wellness. He is currently an Associate Professor of Public Health at Southern Connecticut State University where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in health promotion, program planning, and public health management. His research focuses on food marketing, sexual minority health, violence and drug use. His research has been featured in over 150 news outlets in 17 countries and recognized by the National Rural Health Association, the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, the South Carolina Public Health Association, and the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health.

March 1: Erica Hartwell; “Bilateral Erasure: Understanding Straight & Gay Biphobia”
Synopsis: Despite increasing support for lesbian and gay individuals, the same degree of tolerance has not extended to bisexual individuals, and bisexual invisibility and biphobia are continuing problems that affect the mental health and well-being of bisexual people. This talk will briefly review research on ways bisexual people experience health disparities and social discrimination before presenting the problem of bisexual erasure and biphobia through Kenji Yoshino’s epistemic contract of bisexual erasure. Finally, Dr. Hartwell will provide specific strategies to counter biphobia, increase bisexual visibility, and engage with bisexual politics to challenge social conventions.

Biography: Dr. Erica Hartwell is an Assistant Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Fairfield University, where she teaches graduate courses in social justice, couple therapy, family therapy, research methods, and a new course on therapy with LGBTQ youth and families. Her research focuses on various LGBTQ and social justice issues, including therapist training, affirmative therapy, mental health, and research methods. She is also a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Connecticut and maintains a small private practice focused on serving LGBTQ clients and their families.

March 8: Arnab Dutta Roy; “Reading Androgynies: a critique of sexuality in world mythologies and religions”
Synopsis: In this talk, Arnab Dutta Roy will explore the question of sexuality and tradition through a reading of androgyny in certain underexplored Hindu scriptural and folk traditions (for instance, the mythical figure of ‘Ardhanarishvara’ and the mysticism of Chaitanya). His basic aim will be to evaluate the extent to which such a reading can become subversive to existing dogmatic prescriptions of Hindu patriarchy and unreflective heteronormativity. Hence, he will also examine whether such a reading can allow new ways of articulating tradition as inclusive of diverse forms of sexuality and gendered expressions. The alternate understanding of tradition derived from this study will ultimately be related to certain contemporary discussions on Queer studies, particularly addressing questions of social advocacy and representation of the LGBTQ community in India.

Biography: Arnab Dutta Roy is a Ph.D. candidate (ABD) at the Literatures, Cultures and Languages department of the University of Connecticut. His research interests include Postcolonial Studies, India Studies, Human Rights, Gender Studies, Posthumanism, Theories of Universals, Narrative and Cognition. Currently, he is writing his dissertation, titled Ethical and Empathic Universals in the Study of Indian Literary Traditions. His works have been published by journals such as the South Asian Review, and Humanities.

March 15: No lecture due to Spring Break
March 22: Simone Puleo; “The Boxer’s Locker Room: Fascist Era Masculinities in Italian Cinema”
Synopsis: The presentation explores a cultural history of Italian Fascism, in which homosexuality is suppressed and often criminalized. Gay men “discovered” in Fascist Italy were often shunned, interned, or imprisoned, segregated from the general population, as was the case with the Isole Termiti (Termiti Islands). The public presence of gay men threatened the heteronormative image of virile masculinity that the Fascist regime so desperately wanted to project. However, film directors from the Fascist period, and others later, often include non-heteronormative representations of masculinity – at times, to show that homoeroticism and same-sex attraction persisted no matter how much Fascists tried to deny, suppress, or erase them, and to document how gay men (and all members of the LGBTQ+) were persecuted under the Fascist regime. For example, Lo Spagnolo or “the Spaniard,” a minor character in Luchino Visconti’s neorealist classic Ossessione (1943) is forced to lead the life of a vagabond because of his sexuality. Though Lo Spagnolo is shown to live on the margins of Fascist society, Visconti does not characterize him as “morally deviant”.

Non-heteronormative representations of masculinity take center stage in later films that return to the Fascist period such as Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Conformist (1970) and Guliano Montaldo’s Gli occhiali d’oro or The Gold Rimmed Glasses (1987). The Conformist explores the life of a Fascist spy named Marcello Clerici. The film’s conflict arises from Clerici’s own repressions: though he works as a Fascist spy, he secretly harbors liberal, anti-Fascist political sentiments – and though he takes a wife, fathers a child, and conforms publicly to Fascist heternormative conceptions of masculinity, he is secretly a gay man. Furthermore, The Gold Rimmed Glasses takes place in 1938 and features an affluent doctor named Athos Fadigati. Set in the town of Ferrara, the film shows the state-mandated discrimination and persecution of Italian Jews after the passing of the Italian Racial Laws. With state-mandated, anti-Semitic discrimination in the background, Dr. Fadigati is discovered to be a gay man by community and is subsequently shunned. While the Italian Racial Laws did not have explicit provisions regarding gender or sexuality, these films show that very strong sentiments of hatred and disapproval existed in Italian society and were unofficially sponsored by the Fascist Regime. All these films are anti-fascist and arguably explore the lives of gay characters to undermine the violent, macho conceptions of masculinity that proliferated during Fascism and remain to this day.

Biography: Simone Puleo is a Ph.D. student in Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies at the University of Connecticut. His dissertation focuses on how 19th American authors imagined Italy and engaged the discourses of the Risorgimento, the Italian unification movement, for the purposes of their own nation building project. His broader interests include American literature and culture, Italian literature and culture, travel writing, studies in nationalism and transnationalism, comparative and interdisciplinary approaches.

March 29: Kevin Henderson; “Rethinking Public Sex and Queer Belonging”
Synopsis: What does a culture of public sex mean for LGBT people today? The standard view is that America has “progressed” on gay and lesbian relationships: institutions and individuals are said to be more accepting of gay and lesbian relationships than ever before. Such acceptance is evidenced by the U.S. Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015. The majority opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges read, “No union is more profound than marriage…Their [gays’ and lesbians’] hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions.” Such a view seems to be starkly at odds with sexual subcultures that historically saw public sex with strangers—rather than marriage—as an avenue to freedom, personal development, collective intimacy, ending shame, and community building. At the same time, public sex institutions like pornographic theaters, leather bars, and tearooms are disappearing and public sex is increasingly viewed as an anachronism.

This presentation questions narratives of gay and lesbian progress by examining the history of queer public sex and modes of policing sex in the present. We will explore public sex institutions and spaces, and we will study the kinds of relationships that public sex sustained. By looking at public sex through Samuel Delaney’s notion of “contact,” we will rethink present possibilities for enacting alternative queer relationships and interrogate our understandings of loneliness and connection. Further, we will see how shifting forms of policing and surveillance, urban development and security paradigms, gentrification, and social media technology are instituting new regimes of normalization around public sex and sexual publics.

Biography: Kevin Henderson is a doctoral student in the Department of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is also a student in the program for Advanced Feminist Studies through the Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies Department at UMass. Kevin’s research focuses on the history of political thought, contemporary queer, feminist, and critical race theories, protest and social movements, sexual economies, prisons and sex offender laws, and on HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ history. In 2016, Kevin became the ViiV Healthcare Point Scholar.

April 5: Hayden Kristal; “GaySL: A Crash Course in LGBTQ American Sign Language”
Today’s lecture is co-sponsored by the Center for Students with Disabilities at the University of Connecticut, which will be providing an American Sign Language interpreter during the lecture presentation.

Synopsis: This highly interactive, variable, and hilarious workshop teaches its participants LGBTQ-related American Sign Language signs while fostering a group discussion about Deaf culture, intersectionality, accessibility and more. During the presentation participants will be encouraged to sign along as we learn the signs for GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, QUEER, GENDER, ALLY, COMING-OUT, PARTNER, BINARY, DRAG KING/QUEEN, IDENTITY, RAINBOW, PRIDE, etc., as well as requested signs. The signs serve as jumping off points for discussion about the intersection of Deafness and Queerness. (Example: ALLY- how does Deaf culture perceive LGBTQ people? How are the Deaf received by the LGBTQ community? What can you do to be a better ally to both groups?) The goal for this workshops is not that participants will leave fluent in ASL. The point is to get people thinking about Deafness, disability, and the struggles faced by LGBTQ people who are also Deaf or disabled; to inspire people to learn more, and create accessibility to allow ALL LGBTQ people to utilize their resources and participate in their events.

Biography: Hayden Kristal is a Deaf, bisexual, Jewish, transgender activist and stand-up comedian. Living his life at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities led him to a career as a professional speaker exploring the intersections of disability, gender, sexuality, particularly within the spheres of activism and social justice. He has brought his funny, engaging, and interactive workshops and speeches to dozens of conferences and schools all across North America. In 2016, he delivered his first TEDxTalk, and was the recipient of a Catalyst Award from the University of Missouri for his dedication to creating change for and within the LGBTQ community. He was a semifinalist in NBC’s StandUp 2016 and is a finalist for the Writer’s Mentorship Program with Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.

April 12: Jackie Frankovich; Identity Matters: Political Campaign Organizing and the Roles of Gender and Sexuality
Synopsis: This talk focuses on providing a detailed narrative around campaign life—i.e. what campaign workers do, what expectations they have, and how they interact with voters and their peers. While this talk explores these key aspects of this line of work, it also engages the ways in which identity matters in regards to all of the latter points. By way of narrative and personal experience, Frankovich will engage the ways in which gender and sexuality might create barriers in the realm of political organizing, while also seeking to understand both the importance of identity and the roles of sexism and homophobia. As such, this talk conceptualizes who might experience these issues and what this means for both their personal work and the vitality of said political campaign.

Biography: Jackie Frankovich is a seasoned political campaign field organizer for major elections in battleground states. She earned her B.A. in Political Science from Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia; she also completed portions of her degree at the University of Oxford in Oxford, England, where she studied politics and history. In terms of campaigns, she has worked as a field organizer for congressional and gubernatorial elections in Florida, though she has assisted in various capacities with numerous other political organizations affiliated with the Democratic Party.

April 19: Kim Dugan & Rebecca Harvey; “Cultivating Resilience, Leadership and Other Strengths: Queerness, Intersectionality and the Reconstruction of Gender”
Synopsis: Through a pedagogical exercise, presenters explore some unique gifts of queerness including flexibility, gender fluidity, borderland connections, sensitivity to power and oppression, differentiation (i.e. bravery to hold self knowledge in the face of community pressure). We explore how these gifts or queer sensibilities can create social and cultural competencies and expertise, ingenuity and navigation skills. All this, we argue creates, cultivates and supports the interpersonal skills that can create better leaders and stronger intimate partnerships.

Biography: Dr. Rebecca Harvey is an Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Southern Connecticut State University. She specializes in sexuality issues publishes and presents widely on affirmative clinical work with LGBTQIA people and their families. In 2005 she co-authored the book:“ Nurturing Queer Youth: Family Therapy Transformed.” She holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work and a PhD in Family Therapy from Syracuse University.

Dr. Kim Dugan is Professor of Sociology at Eastern Connecticut State University. Her teaching and research focus on social movements and LGBTQ lives. She has written about the LGBTQ movement and the Christian Right. She authored The Struggle Over Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Rights (Routledge, 2005) and numerous articles. She helped develop Eastern’s Pride Room (now, Pride Center) and serves as advisor for the Pride Alliance group on campus.

April 26: Gabby Rivera; “My Grandparent’s Honeymoon and other Stories for Queer Babes”
Gabby Rivera is the visiting author of “Juliet Takes a Breath,” the featured novel for the Rainbow Center Book Club this year. This event is co-sponsored by the Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center.

Synopsis: Using her novel, Juliet Takes a Breath, as a guide, Rivera will explore issues of self-discovery, the importance of investigating family histories, and all the ways she’s learned to navigate being queer and Latinx. But all lecture and no play isn’t very fun so be prepared for a reading from her book, some time to write down thoughts and feels, while also creating a small blueprint to examine aspects of your life. You might even come out of this lecture with the beginnings of your own wild weirdo novel, and that’d be pretty sweet, right? So come join the nerdburger party, and let’s do this.

Biography: Gabby Rivera is a queer Latinx writer from the Bronx. Her critically acclaimed debut novel Juliet Takes a Breath was listed by Mic as one of the 25 essential books to read for Women’s History Month, and it was called the “dopest LGBTQA YA book ever” by Latina Magazine. Put simply by Roxane Gay, it’s “F***ing outstanding.” Gabby Rivera (she/her/hers) is also the Youth Programs Manager at GLSEN, a non-profit organization focused on LGBTQ education support. She has also worked with Autostraddle dot com, the Sadie Nash Leadership Institute, the Brooklyn Museum and other such groups to develop workshops, conversations, and content that speaks to her experience as a queer person of color, with specific focuses on youth and fiction writing.

Fall 2016

September 7: Kristin Van Ness; “Creating Visi-bi-lity: Voices of non-monosexual students”
Synopsis: Where there was once simply “gay” or “straight”, there is now a full alphabet soup of identity labels within the LGBTQ community. Although researchers have started to understand more about non-monosexual individuals (not simply gay or straight) less is understood about the social supports given to particular labels such as queer, pansexual, bisexual, etc. How does the language we choose to describe experiences impact our relationships with others? What are some of the contextual factors to choosing one identity label instead of another? We will discuss the findings of a brief pilot study of non-monosexual college students, as well as the various factors impacting connection and communication in relationships.

Biography: Kristin Van Ness is currently an Academic Advisor and Adjunct Instructor in the HDFS department. She got her start as a student worker in the UConn Rainbow Center. After graduation, she was hired to develop and facilitate the Safe Zone program and represent the LGBT Center at Central Connecticut State University. Her work with undergraduate students inspired her to complete her graduate degree at UConn in Human Development and Family Studies department where she focused on family dynamics – specifically queer identities and family communication. On the weekend you can find her hiking and spending time with her wife and their fur kids.

September 14: Kristin Comeforo; “Gender (Dis)play: Butch Women, Selfies, and the representation of Masculinity/Femininity”
Synopsis: In 2013, “selfie” and “cisgender” were added to the Oxford Dictionary. Whether accidental or by design, just as our thinking about gender identity was expanding, so was our desire & ability to share our identity widely with others. Both mainstream media and “selfies” have been found to emphasize a “hyper” gender representation based largely on stereotypes (See: van Zoonen, 1994; Jhally, 1990; Goffman, 1976; Doring, Reif, & Poeschl, 2016; Macheroni, Vincent & Jimenez, 2015; Tortajada, Araüna & Martínez, 2013). Still, how do those gender non-conforming use selfies to represent their gendered selves? Today we will look at findings from a qualitative textual analysis of 250 butch selfies shared through #WhatButchLooksLike and begin to deconstruct traditional notions of masculinity and femininity, redefining and (re)creating new ones based on our lived experiences.

Biography: Kristin Comeforo (PhD, Rutgers University) is an Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Hartford, teaching specifically in the area of Advertising. Believing fully in non-conformity she fights against capitalism, the patriarchy, and other modes of racial, gender and sexuality injustices. Her research interests are largely critical – queer, feminist critiques of gender and LGBTQ+ representation in advertising and other mainstream media products. Life goals include writing a feminist primer for teen girls (with an accompanying “zine” workbook!) and doing carpool karaoke with Missy Elliot and Michelle Obama.

September 21: Lori Davison; “Families in Transition: Navigating and Changing the World with a Transgender Child”
Synopsis: Transgender and gender non-conforming youth are socially transitioning in record numbers. We’ll explore the reasons behind this trend, and its impact on families, schools, language, and society. When a child’s expression of gender goes against the gender binary norm, many families find themselves transitioning as well. Most will grapple with long-held internalized beliefs about gender as they negotiate gender expression with their child. Ultimately, many families become agents of change–impacting society as they navigate the world with a transgender family member.

Biography: Lori Davison, M.A., is President of the Hartford Chapter of PFLAG –the nation’s largest organization for family and allies of LGBTQ people. A former World Language teacher for over 15 years, and a former high school GSA advisor, she now educates parents, teenagers, educators, and community members on gender issues. An engaging and humorous presenter, Lori has brought her expertise to workshops at True Colors, Gender Conference East, First Event-Philadelphia Transgender Health and Law, Transgender Lives, PFLAG National and Southern Comfort conference.

September 28: Michael Reynolds; “Understanding Suicidality in the LGBTQIA+ Community: Awareness and Action”
Synopsis: This presentation will look deeper at the current facts, risk and protective factors regarding LGBTQIA+ suicide and suicidality, with specific emphasis on the roles of family/community acceptance and religious acceptance. Realistic stories of people whose lives have been affected by the intersection of religion/society and suicidality will be interwoven. In addition, it will provide practical and realistic framework for those participating in this lecture audience to reflect and move forward in becoming part of the solution. It will provide an overview of some of the main organizations currently working to address the problem of LGBTQIA+ suicidality, and realistic action steps to help in this regard. There will be opportunities for individual, small and whole group interaction/dialogue, as well as participation in self-reflective activity.

Biography: Michael Reynolds has walked in many sets of shoes over my life to this point, engaging in various personal and professional roles and experiences that each define an important aspect of who I am and the gifts that I bring. From elementary school teacher, to assistant Catholic Campus minister at a college, to Family Support worker at a center for families who recently emigrated to the US from Spanish-Speaking countries, to school social worker at the elementary and high school levels, to leader and advocate for LGBT inclusion and full-membership in Catholic and other faith communities, to work with those experiencing homelessness, to organizing and advocacy for justice and equity for many who experience marginalization in the larger society, he constantly strives to be a voice and example of the lived vision of realizing that we all have a “place at the table” of a full, safe and gifted life.

October 5: Graciela Quiñones-Rodríguez; “‘Inter-section[ality]’ – Dissecting for Understanding?”
Synopsis: This seminar is intended to take a look at and discuss some perspectives regarding “intersectionality” as a framework approach to understanding complex and intertwined experiences of social differences [and similarities?]. The main goal is to foster critical thinking and discussion about its applications, use and usefulness.

Biography: Graciela Quiñones-Rodríguez, LCSW, is a UConn graduate from the School of Social Work. She attended the University of Puerto Rico for undergraduate studies in social work. She has lived in Connecticut for the past 30 years and worked in numerous social work settings in clinical practice. She worked for DCF in community and residential settings. She worked as an independent consultant facilitating diversity workshops for DCF and the Juvenile Justice System. She was a mental health consultant for program development at the Institute for Community Research. She has facilitated crisis intervention trainings for several Sexual Assault Crisis programs throughout Connecticut. She has performed as senior psychotherapist in hospital and community outpatient settings in Meriden, Middletown and Hartford. She has presented at the Child Welfare League of America and performs as adjunct faculty at Capitol Community College and UConn’s School of Social Work. Most of her direct practice has been with minority and underserved populations in individual, family and group interventions, ranging from children to the elderly. She has worked with individuals afflicted by chronic mental illness, HIV/AIDS and a multiplicity of interpersonal and adaptation issues. She has also performed in the capacity of program coordinator, supervisor and field advisor for graduate level social work students. She is currently employed as a psychiatric social worker with UConn at the Storrs campus in Counseling & Mental Health.

October 12: Shana Clarke; “The State of the Union: Rainbow Edition”
Synopsis: Stonewall. Harvey Milk. Gay Marriage. Religious Freedom bills. The fight for equal protection under the law has seen many victories…and several temporary defeats. How is life for LGBTQIA people in America today? What is the human impact of key laws aimed at reducing equal protection? How do we overcome these laws? How can you support your LGBTQIA comrades? These things and more will be explored in this session of Out to Lunch.

Biography: Shana Clarke is an educator, a student advocate and a leader. Her work in higher education has spanned admission, academic and career counseling, working with at risk populations, and various diversity initiatives. Shana received her masters of arts in Higher Education and Student Affairs at UConn, and while here, pursued a practicum and partnership with the Rainbow Center. Through that partnership, Shana has worked with My Pride, My Soul and the Safe Zone program. She comes to us with a healthy curiosity and interest in the law and how it affects LGBTQIA individuals.

October 19: Daniel Trust; “The Coming Out Story of a Genocide Survivor”
Synopsis: This lecture will present the personal coming out story of a Rwandan genocide survivor and how he managed to stand strong despite the rejection and hatred he received from his family when he first announced he was gay. According to a 2014 report published by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and Human Rights First, 37 African nations criminalize same-sex relationships and 4 African nations allow for the death penalty against LGBT people. As an African, who immigrated to the United States as a refugee, Daniel will take participants that attend this lecture on an inspiring journey that details the struggles he experienced growing up as an orphan / gay male on a continent where millions of LGBT people face harassment, discrimination, prosecution, and violence on a daily basis.

Biography: Daniel Trust is a nationally recognized youth motivational speaker and founder of the Daniel Trust Foundation, a Connecticut based non-profit organization that helps students from low-income communities with their educational and career needs, and honors educators, who go above and beyond to help these students succeed in school and in their personal lives. Daniel’s story and philanthropic efforts have been featured in both local and national publications including the Hartford Courant, New Haven Register and Connecticut Post. He’s also appeared on daytime talk shows like Better Connecticut, Connecticut Style and Our Lives. In 2014, Connecticut Magazine listed him to its 40 Under 40 List. Daniel is a father of two adopted sons and lives in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

October 26: Courtney Jacob D’Allaird; “Racism, Sexism, Classism and Heterosexuality: Have we ever really talked about it?”
Synopsis: What is heterosexuality in the US? Where does it come from? How has it shaped our culture, our physical environment, our institutions and what does it mean to challenge these things? Together we will explore how sexism, racism, classism, and heterosexism are inextricably linked and inform our social and physical world. This interactive discussion will disentangle our notions of the professional, the attractive, the male & female and the space left for anything else.

Biography: Courtney Jacob D’Allaird M.B.A., is the Assistant Director of Intercultural Student Engagement and Coordinator for the Gender & Sexuality Resource Center at the University at Albany, State University of New York. They have been involved in the education and implementation for LGBTQ+ inclusion at UAlbany since 2008. Their background in sociology, psychology, business administration, women’s gender & Sexuality studies, intersectionality, diversity education and peer education around LGBTQ+ identity and inclusion give them a unique framework through which to understand engage others around identity and oppression.

November 2: Fleurette King; “Fearless & Competitive: How LGBTQI+ Athletes Protest Inside the Locker Rooms, Playing Fields & Winner Circles”
Synopsis: Intersex, transgender, bisexual and lesbian sport-oriented (athletes, coaches, and administrators) people have protested within the institution of sport. This presentation will unveil the following strategies in which resistance and protest were facilitated: created a “lesbigay” sport movement; combated the two-sex system that is persistent in sport; utilized the “coming out” process to widen the playing field; and made a democracy reflect its principles in the untouchable institution of sports. This has allowed for a wide range of actions and words that demonstrate a refusal to conform to accustomed institutional roles. Resistance reflects the demand to participate which produces both willing and unwilling forms of protest. Many are no longer willing to be reluctant sport attendees and sheepish benchwarmers. They are here to play and coach with a fearless and competitive heart.

Biography: Fleurette King has served as the Director of the UConn Rainbow Center since 2007. King’s involvement in social justice education and valuing diversity efforts, inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, expands over a 23-year career in higher education. Prior to UConn, King served in diversity-related positions at Loras College, DePaul College, Princeton University, and the University of Michigan. King’s participation in regional and national networks reflects a deep passion and commitment to social justice. King obtained a B.A. in Sociology with a Minor in Ethnic Studies from Bowling Green State University and a M.A. in Sociology from DePaul University. King enjoys short walks on the beach and playing racquetball. King medaled in racquetball at Gay Games 2006.

November 9: Irwin Krieger; “Ending The Standoff: Helping Parents Overcome Their Fears”
Synopsis: Has conversation with your parents broken down since you told them you are transgender? When young adults come out, many parents are disbelieving, confused or afraid. Young people who are unhappy with their parents’ response may avoid further discussion. Families often end up having little productive communication, with all parties feeling misunderstood, unappreciated and unsupported. In this workshop I will offer strategies to address parental responses that lead to a family impasse. Participants who would like to share some of their own experiences and strategize about ending a standoff with their parents will be welcome to do so. Helping families reconnect is essential for the emotional well-being of transgender teens and young adults. You are welcome to attend, whether or not you have experienced this challenge in your own life.

Biography: Irwin Krieger, LCSW is a clinical social worker who has worked extensively with transgender teens and adults and their families. He is a graduate of Yale with an MSW from the University of Connecticut. Irwin was a 2013 recipient of the New Haven Pride Center’s Dorothy Award, for his service to the LGBT community in New Haven. Irwin provides training for mental health and health care professionals, as well as school personnel. He has presented at the World Professional Association for Transgender Health Symposium in Atlanta, the Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference, the Maine Academy of Family Physicians, Children’s Hospital in Boston, Yale University, Quinnipiac University and the University of Connecticut. He is the author of Helping Your Transgender Teen: A Guide for Parents.

November 16: Seth Wallace; “Emotional Intelligence for Queer Individuals”
Synopsis: What is emotional intelligence, and why is it so important for queer people? This interactive discussion will offer reflections, tips for self-regulation, and essential knowledge for prioritizing the wellbeing of our community in the face of oppression and stigma.

Biography: Seth Wallace is an educator, consultant, and activist. He is currently completing his MSW, and provides training for mental and medical health providers on topics of gender identity. Seth works out of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Facebook, and the Yale LGBTQ Resource Center, where his work on the intersections of emotional intelligence and diversity education reaches students, teachers, and professionals nationwide.

November 23: No lecture due to Thanksgiving Break
November 30: Alice Fairfield; “Being Trans”
Synopsis: What does it mean to be transgender? Just what is transgender anyway? Alice Fairfield has had to confront these questions over the course of her life. She’ll share some of the answers she’s found, and some of the questions that those answers have prompted. As it turns out, it’s complicated!

Biography: Alice Fairfield is a Serials Librarian and the Librarian for Gender and Sexual Minorities Studies at UConn. When she’s not busy dealing with the never-ending stream serials and journal related problems, she supports the research needs of anyone doing research in the interdisciplinary field of Gender and Sexual Minorities Studies. She’s also a member of the University Senate Diversity Committee.

She has a Bachelor’s in Astronomy from UMass, and a Master’s of Library Studies from Texas Woman’s University. She’s worked at UConn since January 2000. Her hobbies include the martial art aikido (she’s an ikkyuu; 1st degree student rank), roleplaying games, computer games, anime, science fiction, and is otherwise a fairly full-spectrum geek. And she’s a transgender woman and lesbian.

December 7: Erin Buzuvis; “Equality, Sports and Law: How Title IX Protects the Civil Rights of LGBT Athletes and Coaches”
Synopsis: Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in education. Even though it does not mention sexual orientation and gender identity, the law has nevertheless been interpreted by courts and government agencies to similarly prohibit discrimination on those grounds. This presentation will explain how the law has and could potentially be applied to secure the rights of LGBT athletes and coaches. It will also examine how politics of religious freedom and states’ rights are presently operating as obstacles to Title IX’s full promise for LGBT equality.

Biography: Erin Buzuvis is a Professor of Law at Western New England University in Springfield MA. She researches, writes, and teaches about sex, gender, and sexual-orientation discrimination in education, athletics, and other contexts. She is a co-founder and contributor to the Title IX Blog, and the author of several academic chapters and articles about Title IX as well as gender and sexual orientation discrimination more broadly, particularly in sport.

Spring 2021 roster

March 4: M. Mick Powell (she/her/hers); “Flesh Into Blossom”: The Queer Poetics of Radical Pleasure

March 18: Luz N. Burgos-López (she/her/hers/ella); Anti-Blackness and the Monolith Construction of Latinidad

March 25: Lisa Bowleg (she/her/hers); “‘As A Black Man, I Got 99 Problems and I Sure Ain’t Thinking About HIV at the End of the Day’: Conceptualizing Stress and Resilience Intersectionally and Critically”

April 1: michael munson (he/they/any); Trans/Non-binary survivors in the whirlwind of a triple pandemic: Resistance and Resilience

Spring 2020 roster

February 13: Justin Li (he/him/his): “Love to All Project: Queer Student-based Grassroots Philanthropy”

February 20: Clarissa Ceglio (she/her/hers); “Common Cause: Public History, Learning, and Service with and for LGBTQ+ Communities”

February 27: Mick Powell (she/her/hers); “Flesh Into Blossom”: The Queer Poetics of Radical Pleasure

March 5: Steven Feldman (he/him/his); “Das ist queer! – Interpretive Ambiguity of Gender & Sexual Orientation in Schubert’s Erlkönig”

Fall 2019 roster

September 5: lecture today is an educative module open only for those enrolled in the course associated with the lecture series.

September 12: Britta Shute (she/her/hers); “Transgender Affirming Healthcare”

September 19: lecture today is an educative module open for those enrolled in the course associated with the lecture series.

September 26: lecture today is an educative module open for those enrolled in the course associated with the lecture series

October 3 (new date!): Joseph Goulet (he/him/his); “Understanding Suicide Risks Among LGBT Veterans in VA Care”

October 10: Steven Feldman (he/him/his); “Das ist queer! – Interpretive Ambiguity of Gender & Sexual Orientation in Schubert’s Erlkönig”

October 17: Elliot Ruggles (he/him/his or they/them/theirs); “Intimate Partner Violence”

October 24: Sam Brinton (they/them/theirs); “You Can’t Change What We Never Chose: The Fight To Protect LGBTQ Youth From Conversion Therapy”

October 31: Arien Wilkerson/ TNMOT AZTRO (they/them/theirs); “Looking within the spaces in-between – Queer Eroticisim as power, Blackness, Queer Abstractions, Body, Performance and Phenomenon”

November 7: Tina Maschi (she/her/hers); “Unconditionally LGBTQIA+: Moving from Victimization and Criminalization to Liberation”

November 14: Cassandra Martineau (she/her/hers); “Transparent: An Open Discussion of One Trans-woman’s Journey Through Parenthood”

November 21: Misty Ginicola (she/her/hers); “Two Spirit Identities: What Indigenous Culture Teaches Us About All Queer & Trans People”

November 28: There is no lecture today due to Fall Break.

December 5: Tiffany Thompson (she/her/hers); “Queerness, Race, and Toxic Masculinity”

Spring 2019 roster

January 31: Ryan Watson (he/him/his); “Results from the 2017 LGBTQ+ Youth National Survey: Intersectionality, Schools, and Health”

February 7: Micki McEyla (she/her/hers); “Nice for What? The Historical Limits of Respectability Politics, 1969-2019”

February 14: Colleen Richard (she/her/hers); “LGBT Elders in an Ever Changing World: Connecticut LGBT Aging Advocacy”

February 21: Mimi Snyder (she/her/hers); “Identifying Beliefs, Behaviors, and Experiences of APRNs with Lesbian and Gay Patients: A Mixed Methods Perspective”