North Carolina's ignominious "bathroom bill," HB2, has been repealed, but few activists are celebrating. The "compromise" bill that was signed into law Thursday removes some of HB2's onerous public bathrooms provisions. But for many of the state's most vulnerable citizens, the bill is very bad news, outlawing such basic protections as freedom from job discrimination. Far from a victory, the new bill amounts to horse-trading in human rights. This giant step backward should alarm the people of North Carolina.… read more about HB2 replacement makes all the wrong compromises »
Durham activist Mandy Carter encouraged collaborative activism in the era of President Donald Trump during a talk Wednesday. Carter, co-founder of the National Black Justice Coalition, spoke to a group of students, faculty and community organizers about social change and activism as part of the Gender Wednesday series sponsored by Duke's Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies program. As many Duke students ponder the future of Trump's presidency, Carter talked about the importance of taking current setbacks in stride… read more about Activist Mandy Carter stresses importance of collaboration in creating social change »
Wandi Che, a first-year student from China who has already declared GSF studies as her major, wrote a guest column for The Chronicle. To read her article, please visit The Chronicle. read more about Incorporating Personal Care into the Medical Field »
When Cole Rizki first heard about HB2, North Carolina’s infamous “bathroom law”, he immediately changed the syllabus for his class to reflect what was happening. This fall, Rizki, a Ph.D. candidate in literature, is teaching Duke's first service-learning course on transgender studies (a GSF Studies cross-listed course). The course was supported by the Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies Program & the Transgender Studies & the Humanities speaker series. View full article at Duke University, … read more about Duke Course on Transgender Studies, Service-Learning Showcase 2016 »
The GSF program is host to a new series on Transgender Studies and the Humanities. It includes developments in curriculum and a series of events and workshops. Funded by the Franklin Humanities Center. Our first event is "Incarcerating Transgender People," Thursday Sept. 26 at 4:30 PM. Our inaugural lecture is by Gayle Salamon, Thursday Oct 13. read more about Transgender Studies »
Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies Prof. Gabriel Rosenberg and Prof. Ariel Ron (History, Southern Methodist) respond to a recent New York Times Op-Ed on the "cratering" of US political history. They argue that U.S. political history has never been better. The inclusion of women, laborers, African Americans, latinos, gays, and many others in the story of U.S. politics has actually provided a better account of how and why things happened. Read the full article on Lawyers, Guns & Money. read more about Chill Out. Political History Has Never Been Better »
Livestock breeding was a normal part of American life at the dawn of the 20th century, according to historian Gabriel Rosenberg. The United States, he told Gastropod, was "still largely a rural and agricultural society," and farm animals—and thus some more-or-less scientific forms of selective breeding—were ubiquitous in American life. Meanwhile, the eugenics movement was on the rise. Founded by Charles Darwin's cousin, Francis Galton, eugenics held that the human race could improve itself by guided… read more about Gabriel Rosenberg in Mother Jones »
The GSF postdoctoral fellow for 2016-17 is Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, Assistant Professor of Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies at UMass Amherst, with a .Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. in English and Creative Writing from Temple University, and a B.A. in Afro-American Studies from Smith College. Sullivan is the author of Blue Talk & Love. Professor Sullivan will give a public lecture and teach a course in Spring 2017. read more about Meet the New PostDoc »
Duke now has a new minor in Sexuality Studies! The minor is ideal for students in any major interested in sexuality and health, policy, and culture and LGBT concerns. It requires one introductory course (WST 202/ SXL 199s, offered this term) and four electives. For information, contact the GSF program's DUS or visit the website. read more about New Minor in Sexuality Studies »