Puppy Love And [Information] Play: An Intersection Of Theatre, Queer Kink, And Consent, 2023 Kennesaw State University
Puppy Love And [Information] Play: An Intersection Of Theatre, Queer Kink, And Consent, Emily Kitchens
Faculty and Research Publications
This note from the field centers on a nexus of queer kink subcultures and consent-based intimacy work in theatre. I report, investigate and wrangle with the process of incorporating queer kink aesthetics into the production of Love and Information by Caryl Churchill I directed at KSU February 2023. What I have learned and hope to demonstrate throughout the paper, is that queer kink subcultures are often paradigmatic examples of communities built on consent, and we as performing arts practitioners can more visibly expand the margins of our cultural competency dialogues to not only include them but look to them as …
Romancing The University: Bipoc Scholars In Romance Novels In The 1980s And Now, 2023 City University of New York (CUNY)
Romancing The University: Bipoc Scholars In Romance Novels In The 1980s And Now, Jayashree Kamble
Publications and Research
English-language mass-market romance novels written by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) writers and starring BIPOC protagonists are a small but important group. This article is a comparative analysis of how recent representations of diversity in this sub-set of the genre, specifically the character of the Black academic and the language of racial justice, compare with the first group of BIPOC novels that were published in 1984 (Sandra Kitt’s Adam and Eva and All Good Things as well as Barbara Stephens’s A Toast to Love). In Adrianna Herrera’s American Love Story (2019), Katrina Jackson’s Office Hours (2020), and …
Trauma And Stigma In Aids Literature: Tony Kushner’S Angels In America (1995) And Colm Tóibín’S The Blackwater Lightship (1999), 2023 University of Almería
Trauma And Stigma In Aids Literature: Tony Kushner’S Angels In America (1995) And Colm Tóibín’S The Blackwater Lightship (1999), J. Javier Torres-Fernández
Journal of Franco-Irish Studies
This paper explores the representation of trauma and stigma tied to HIV/AIDS in The Blackwater Lightship (1999) by Colm Tóibín and Angels in America (1995) by Tony Kushner. Both works arguably respond to the socio-political and biomedical crisis that affected queer identities and international politics. These experiences of health and illness highlight the silenced and marginalized voices of those infected with HIV during the 80s and 90s. HIV/AIDS-related stigma and shame marked the LGBTQ+ community under the illness as punishment metaphor for their sexuality. The role of politics and religion remains fundamental in the historical silence around this illness and …
Bi-Negativity: An Assessment Of Negativity Surrounding Bisexuality From The Lgbtq+ And Heterosexual Communities, 2023 Lindenwood University
Bi-Negativity: An Assessment Of Negativity Surrounding Bisexuality From The Lgbtq+ And Heterosexual Communities, Whitney R. Ford
The Confluence
This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that negative attitudes towards bisexual people (bi-negativity) exists within the LGBTQ+ and heterosexual communities and to determine if levels of bi-negativity are higher within the LGBTQ+ group. I administered the Gender-Based Attitudes Towards Bisexuality (GBAB) Scale by Nielsen et al. (2022) to measure bi-negativity using an online survey. The results, obtained from 87 participants who identify as LGBTQ+ and 121 participants who identify as heterosexual between the ages of 18 and 80, support my hypothesis that bi-negativity exists within both groups. However, contrary to my second hypothesis, higher levels of bi-negativity were …
757transfamily: Empowering Parents To Raise Their Transgender Child Through Knowledge, Connection, And Joy, 2023 Old Dominion University
757transfamily: Empowering Parents To Raise Their Transgender Child Through Knowledge, Connection, And Joy, Jessica Gurley
Institute for the Humanities Master's Papers, Projects, and Capstones
Parents of transgender and non-binary children often want to support their children, but are not sure how. Giving these parents the support and resources they need will increase their ability to support their children, further increasing the chance that their children will live a long, healthy, authentic life.
I built a website, and organized a workshop that parents can attend in order to access information and resources about the transgender community. These parents will receive the support they need to be better equipped to support their gender-diverse children. I will be collecting information about the parents' feelings and experience towards …
Queer Theory In The Metal Music Scene: How These Cultures Influence Each Other, 2023 Arcadia University
Queer Theory In The Metal Music Scene: How These Cultures Influence Each Other, Dalton A. Dalton
Faculty Curated Undergraduate Works
Queer theory has existed in the metal music scene since its beginning. In this paper, many aspects of both topics are dissected. Focusing on metal fashion and its crossover into queer armor, Queer coding, and its translation to metal archetypes on television. And the analysis of queer comfortability in metal music spaces by using queer theory as it applies to mass cultures and subculture
Keeping And Challenging Familial Attachments: The Bakla Within Contemporary Mainstream Filipino Film, 2023 University of San Francisco
Keeping And Challenging Familial Attachments: The Bakla Within Contemporary Mainstream Filipino Film, Abraham James A. Mata
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Throughout Filipino television and film, it is difficult to ignore the almost always apparent bakla. The bakla, often portrayed as either an effeminate gay man or a trans woman, largely appears as a side character in many Filipino films. Many depictions of this queer figure in the past have cast them as merely comedic relief or perverted figures. However, within the past two decades of the 21st century, many Filipino films have been produced with a central bakla character. Through an analysis of five mainstream films from the years of 2013-2023, this project is seeking to answer how mainstream depictions …
The Maine Queer-Y: An Analysis Of A "Gender Queer" Book Challenge In Maine, 2023 University of Maine - Main
The Maine Queer-Y: An Analysis Of A "Gender Queer" Book Challenge In Maine, Antyna Gould
Honors College
Beneath the idyllic scenery of Midcoast Maine lives a monster. This monster does not have a preference for where it lives, in fact its siblings reside all over the country. It is not a physical being, but a rising trend gaining national attention, book bans. Across the nation groups and individuals are attempting to censor information contained within books due to their allegedly inappropriate nature for a designated age range. For the last year one book in particular has received much scorn. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe is a graphic novel memoir with a focus on the author’s journey as …
Review Of Fawaz, Queer Forms, 2023 York University
Review Of Fawaz, Queer Forms, Axelle Demus
Journal of 20th Century Media History
Review of Queer Forms, by Rams Fawaz.
Hiv/Aids Research Symposium, 2023 College of the Holy Cross
Hiv/Aids Research Symposium, College Of The Holy Cross
LGBTQIA Archive: Posters
Poster detailing planned events of the HIV/AIDS Research Symposium, held November 29-December 2, 2023 at the College of the Holy Cross. In observance of the 35th World AIDS Day, the Holy Cross LGBTQ+ Alumni Network and a multidisciplinary faculty team invited a broad ranging conversation about the historical and current impact and intersection of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on both the Holy Cross community and the wider world.
Gardner, Ed, 2023 University of Southern Maine
Gardner, Ed, Ethan Bent
Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection
Ed Gardner is a 62 year old gay male currently living in Falmouth and working in Portland. He grew up in Lewiston Maine and moved to Portland as a young adult. Starting from scratch, Ed was able to buy and sell buildings and found tremendous success over his long career as a real estate agent. Over the course of his life, Ed has fundraised and donated to a variety of Maine’s LGBTQ organizations. He was involved directly with the establishment of the Equality Community Center by first hosting LGBTQ tenants in his office space, and then helping to raise money …
Roan, Alex, 2023 University of Southern Maine
Roan, Alex, Paige Ravenscraft
Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection
Alex Roan is a 42 year old trans masc individual who uses he/him pronouns. He was originally from Stoughton, Massachusetts where he grew up with his family before moving to Central Maine for college and living in the Portland area through adulthood. Alex shares his experience with growing up in a Catholic family and finding himself as a trans person in college. He details what it was like to come out to his family, who was in denial at first but later in life became his biggest supporters.
Alex Roan is the founder of MaineTransNet. This interview captures the story …
Smith, T. Love, 2023 University of Southern Maine
Smith, T. Love, Kassey Kreer
Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection
T Love Smith is a 46 year old born in Lincoln, ME, who identifies as non-binary and queer. After coming out to their mom at age 19, who had also come out as gay when T was 5, they were met with an unsupportive, negative response. Going through a tough childhood filled with alcohol abuse and no community for T to confide in about their gender/sexual identity, T found themselves in toxic relationships in their early adulthood. Eventually they were able to come to terms with their identity and came out as non-binary. T discussed their time in the military …
Burdin, Johannah, 2023 University of Southern Maine
Burdin, Johannah, Samantha Rouillard
Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection
Johannah Burdin shares her story as a lesbian/queer woman experiencing southern Maine in the 1990s. Her story touches on topics involving coming out, relationships, a traumatic incident that left her disabled, activism, and much more. She was active in her youth in spreading awareness on the AIDS/HIV crisis, education on safe sex, and spent her evenings at popular Portland gay bars, like Sister’s Bar and Limelight/The Underground. Although she is not much into drinking, she recognized these were some of the few spots queer people could go to make community and relationships. Johannah also shares her story of becoming a …
Spadafore, Sampson, 2023 University of Southern Maine
Spadafore, Sampson, Benjamin Lachapelle
Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection
Sampson Spadafore is a 27-year-old queer, transmasculine person who currently lives in Westbrook, Maine. They are originally from Syracuse, New York, and attended Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. They graduated with a degree in musical theater. Spadafore discusses shifts in their gender self-presentation and gender fluidity as well as media erasure of trans men. They then moved to Portland, Maine, to work for Maine Boys to Men and have also worked with Speak About It; Maine Renters United; and Democratic Socialists of America. A political current focus is using social media and art to raise awareness about Palestine. Writing …
Murray, Evan, 2023 University of Southern Maine
Murray, Evan, O'Connor Matthew
Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection
Evan Murray is a 45 year old nonbinary transman. They were born in Boston, Massachusetts and moved to Windham, Maine. Within the interview, Murray discusses the problems with going to a school that is too small, identity challenges within family, and the love of political activism. He had also discussed how his identity had changed over the years, as a young adult, coming to the identity of nonbinary, and later embracing their more masculine aspects. He attended USM and then later a college in Washington, State. He also discusses the importance of chosen family including his relationship with his three …
Bilodeau, Richard, 2023 University of Southern Maine
Bilodeau, Richard, Maggie Powers
Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection
Richard Bilodeau is 54 years old and identifies as a gay man. He grew up in Portland, attending Deering High School. He is married to his partner Scott and they went on their first date in 1988. He studied applied clinical chemistry at the University of Vermont and began his career in the Maine Medical Center lab. He earned his bachelors and master's in business from the University of Southern Maine. Currently, he works as a professor in the School of Business and Honors Program. Over the years, he also had ownership in alternative health and TV programming businesses. He …
Michaud, Jim, 2023 University of Southern Maine
Michaud, Jim, Angelli Bishop
Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection
Jim Michaud, (he/him), was born in 1964. Jim is a local Mainer, born and raised in Lewiston, Maine. He was born into a middle-class family with his siblings, was raised Catholic, and even attended Catholic school in his earlier years. Since the late eighties, Jim has identified as a gay man. He is a USM alumnus and attended the USM Gay Men's Alliance, which was his first ever encounter participating in an LGBTQ-organized environment. Being proactive in his political activism, Jim annually attends the Pride Parades in Boston, New York, and Maine. He stresses the importance of creating open space …
Hua, Donovan, 2023 University of Southern Maine
Hua, Donovan, Megan Molloy
Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection
Donovan Hua is a queer, non-binary artist and advocate in Portland Maine. Donovan was born in China and was adopted when they were two years old. They moved to Portland and have lived in the area since. They were raised primarily by a single mother who greatly influenced their relationship with Catholocism and spirituality. Donovan later attended Casco Bay High School where they came to terms with their gender identity and sexual orientation. Hua speaks about their chosen family of friends and the sense of community they offered through their navigation of both their identity and their disability.
Hua discusses …
Smith, Betsy, 2023 University of Southern Maine
Smith, Betsy, Kayla Graffam
Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection
Betsy Smith is a 63 year old lesbian woman who was born in Bangor and grew up in Exeter Maine. She was raised by her mother and father on a potato farm with her three siblings. She attended Jacksonville University, where she came to terms with her sexual identity and received a degree in physical education. She eventually was hired as a math teacher in Vermont and later Portland, Maine. After moving to Portland, Smith became involved in volunteering for gay rights activist groups like the MLGPA. She was involved in multiple campaigns, including the various Maine Won’t Discriminate campaigns …