Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons^™

The Case Of M.C. – An Argument For Legal, Medical, And Social Recognition Of Ambiguity, Debra Beight

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

This paper is an examination of the interconnectedness of juridical, medical, and social constructs surrounding intersex/DSD (Difference/Disorder of Sex Development) sex assignment surgeries. Looking at a pending court case involving a child that was in state custody at the time of their sex assignment surgery, we can observe the influences of the medical industry’s tendency to treat intersex conditions like disabilities, as sites of therapeutic interventions. These pathologized intrusions become government-sanctioned interventions that are supported by, and in turn bolster, societal expectations of conformity and normalcy.

Liberation Is Not Wearing A Bra To The Gym, Maggie Deagon

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

No abstract provided.

Grotesque Bodies: Transsexuals’ Struggle For Truth In Iran, Marie Lecuyer

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

Many western commentators have been shocked by the legislation addressing transsexual’s’ right to transitioning and sex reassignment surgery in a strictly-gendered regulated county like Iran. As if all of a sudden Iran rose among countries of the Middle East as a paradise for transsexuals. Other recurrent narratives depicted the Iranian members of the LGBT community as victims of a purely theocratic and authoritarian regime, forcing non-gender normative individuals to change sex to fit in society. Rather, the space given to transsexuals now allowed to function more freely and be at peace with themselves reshapes the LGBT community’s relation to the …

Between Autonomy And Alienation: Creating The Self Via Sex-Reassignment Surgery, Annthony M. Duffey

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

Upon a consideration of self-creation and the introduction of the gender binary a potential limiter of autonomy, sexQreassignment surgery (SRS) beckons significant reconsideration by the biomedical/ethical field, ranging from the transpersons who undergo it to the preoperative processes that oversee it. Autonomy does not underlie a majority of SRS on prevailing biomedical hypotheses; SRS is granted to those candidates who report symptoms of dysfunction and denied to candidates who do not confirm such suspicions. This research proposes that, upon his or her failure or refusal to demonstrate some understanding of the potentially limiting influence of the gender binary, a candidate …

Effects Of School Curriculum On Sexual Health, Emma Sturm

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

Surveys indicate that, when asked directly, women have positive perceptions of their vaginas and perceive vaginal, sexual, and reproductive health as important. However, when asked about their actual habits relating to vaginal health, women’s answers seemed to suggest the opposite. This disconnect between perceptions and practice suggest there may be some societal influence keeping the women from carrying out their health maintenance as well as they would like to. This paper examines the role schools play in controlling women’s sexuality, which may be contributing to the lack of accessibility to vaginal, sexual, and reproductive health.

Sexual Assault: Whose Fault Is It Anyway In A Rape Culture?, Grace Pappas

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

Sexual assault has recently gained attention as a prevalent issue in American culture, particularly on college campuses. While in some places much is being done to raise awareness and end this form of gendered violence, too often fingers are pointed at possible causes rather than intertwined as hands held together in the fight against this injustice. Through an examination of empirical research, it is clear that the issue of sexual assault stems from and is perpetuated by a rape culture, a culture in which we are all a part. This paper argues that if we are to fight sexual assault, …

Bending The Binary: Lgbtq Sex Workers’ Gender Presentations, Nicole White

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

The lived experiences of LGBTQ sex workers are largely unknown. Of the few representations of LGBTQ sex workers in media and academia, most are shrouded in inaccurate and dehumanizing stereotypes. Through qualitative interviews with eight LGBTQ sex workers in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, this thesis attempts to portray an accurate view of the way LGBTQ sex workers negotiate their gender and sexual identities. LGBTQ sex workers were found to balance their queer and trans identities and presentations with clients’ perceived desires for hegemonic gender presentations, maintaining a unique blend of authentic presentation and marketability.

Gender Work: Survival, Subversion, And Subjectivity For Queer And Trans Youth, Josie Wenig

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

Gender play as a mode of exposing hegemonic gender norms has become over determined and circumscribed within queer discourse. Subversion becomes only possible through hyperbole, drag, and performance. We play with gender, we fuck with it, and that’s that. What would a different framework, one that accounts for the very real labor of gender, look like and how would this redefine resistance? Discussions of “gender play” leave some things to be desired: an intersectional understanding of how people negotiate gender presentation, and a way to talk about how gender can be intentional, strategic, and still subversive. These considerations become even …

Women, Cycling, And The Public Sphere: How Discursive And Community Practices Affect Engagement, Elsa L. Roberts

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

This thesis considers the impact that discursive and community practices have on women’s access to the public sphere by examining female cyclists and a cycling community in Miami, Florida via interviews and observation. In the interviews, female cyclists frequently reported fears for their safety, including concern over harassment, when riding in public space. I interviewed participants of the cycling community and observed Emerge Miami’s meetings and events, where publicly organized cycling excursions were a major component. Using the theoretical and methodological lenses of Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis and Communities of Practice, I examined the interviews to understand how participants discursively …

Structure And Agency In Organizational Contexts Of Women In Stem, Sidouane Patcha Lum

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

This research explores the extant literature on socio-cultural and institutional structures in STEM which accounts for women’s under-representation in these fields. It questions eight women in STEM’s awareness of these structures via interview sessions, and examines how they ‘negotiate’ their identities to thrive in ‘male-dominated’ fields. Participants’ awareness and shared experiences of these structures reflects an evolving society still ingrained in gender stereotypes that work to the detriment of women in STEM. In order to make meaning out this data, I apply standpoint theory to get into these women’s lives and explore the testable conclusions of traditional assumptions related to …

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend: An Autoethnographic Analysis Of Softball's Empowering Potential, Erin Lowe

Social Justice and Community Engagement

Due to dominant gender ideology, the body has become a site for personal and political power struggles and many everyday practices maintain the current power dynamics and the dominant ideology regarding gender hierarchy. These occurrences help to sustain an ideology that positions men and women in opposition, with the male role representing superiority and strength, and the female role representing inferiority and weakness. It is of interest to discover whether participation in certain sports can influence a larger ideological shift by empowering girls to reclaim control over their own bodies and view them as shining examples of their own competence …

Finding Aid To The Collection Of Elizabeth Akers Allen Materials, Elizabeth Akers Allen, Colby College Special Collections

Finding Aids

This collection includes correspondence, manuscripts, and first publications of Maine writer, Elizabeth Akers Allen. The bulk of the collection consists of manuscripts and published writings written by Allen between 1846 and 1906. The collection also contains correspondence, an Autograph book, clippings, and a few photographic prints. Elizabeth Akers Allen grew up in Farmington, Maine, and first published a volume of poems under the pen name Florence Percy. She traveled through Europe as a journalist reporting for the Portland Transcript and Boston Evening Gazette, and was later a regular contributor to Atlantic Monthly.

Finding Aid To The Collection Of Sarah Orne Jewett Materials., Sarah Orne Jewett, Colby College Special Collections

Finding Aids

This collection includes correspondence, manuscripts, and first publications of 19th-century Maine writer, Sarah Orne Jewett. The bulk of the collection consists of letters written by Jewett to various correspondents between 1879 and 1908. The collection also contains manuscript items of varying length, an Anecdote Book, clippings, published writings, and a few photographic prints. Sarah Orne Jewett (1849-1909) of South Berwick, Maine achieved note as an author and poet. The daughter of Dr. Theodore Jewett, she was educated at Berwick Academy, though her studies were frequently interrupted by illness. She never married and lived most of her life in her home …

Finding Aid To The Bern Porter Collection Of Contemporary Letters, Bern Porter, Colby College Special Collections

Finding Aids

Bern Porter (1911–2004) was an artist, writer, philosopher, and scientist who was involved in the development of the cathode ray tube, the Saturn V rocket, and the Manhattan Project, which he renounced upon learning of the bombing of Hiroshima. Also a pioneer in the arts, he is known for his landmark work as an author and publisher. He was an early practitioner of mail art and found and performance poetry and experimented with typography, sculpture, photography, artists’ books, and collage throughout his life. Porter lived and worked in New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, California, Guam, Alabama, and Tasmania. He finally …

Finding Aid To The Collection Of Vernon Lee Materials, Violet Paget, Colby College Special Collections

Finding Aids

The Vernon Lee Collection at Colby College contains over 1000 letters, 136 manuscripts and articles, 117 photographs, and a small number of personal documents and artifacts, spanning the years 1866-1960. First and subsequent editions of Vernon Lee titles are described in the Colby Libraries web catalog. Materials arranged in seven series: Correspondence from Vernon Lee, Correspondence to Vernon Lee, Manuscripts, Published Writings, Photographs, Personal Items and Artifacts, and Clippings.

Lgbtq Relationally-Based Positive Psychology: An Inclusive And Systemic Framework, Daniela Domínguez

Psychology

Positive psychologists have contributed to our understandings of how positive emotions and flexible cognition enhance resiliency. However, positive psychologists’ research has been slow to address the relational resources and interactions that help non-heterosexual families overcome adversity. Addressing overlooked LGBTQ and systemic factors in positive psychology, this article draws on family resilience literature and LGBTQ literature to theorize a systemic positive psychology framework for working with non-heterosexual families. We developed the LGBTQ Relationally-Based Positive Psychology framework that integrates positive psychology’s strengths-based perspective with the systemic orientation of Walsh’s (1996) family resilience framework along with the cultural considerations proposed by LGBTQ family …

The Transgender Military Experience: Their Battle For Workplace Rights, Michelle Dietert, Dianne Dentice

Faculty Publications

Although there have been studies that focus on the experiences of the gay and lesbian population serving in the United States military, few have focused on the experience of active duty transgender service members. Transgender individuals transgress the binary conception of gender by deviating from societal gender norms associated with assigned sex at birth. The Department of Defense has set policies and standards that reflect a binary conception of gender, with a focus on conformity. We argue that able-bodied gender variant service personnel are just as capable of serving their country as anyone else. Because of the repercussions associated with …

“I Am Not Free While [Anyone] Is Unfree”: A Proposal And Framework For Enmarginalized Feminist Policy Analysis, Avina Ross

Social Work Student Works

This paper introduces a new feminist approach and framework to policy analysis. As an integration of intersectionality, Black feminist thought and endarkened feminist epistemology, enmarginalized feminist policy analysis (EFPA) offers an intersectional and flexible scope in a framework to assess policy for a diversity of populations, focusing on groups who are forced to live marginal and oppressed lives. Discussion is provided on existing approaches and frameworks in addition to an overview of the theoretical underpinnings of EFPA. A nine-component framework, which includes a section for analyst reflexivity, is provided to guide users in conducting EFPA. The author concludes with implications …

Psychosexualism In Victorian Literature: A Psychoanalysis Of Jane Eyre And Dracula, Heather Marie Ward

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

My thesis consists of historical facts and literary analysis and is made up of three chapters. In the first chapter, I look at two varying elements of psychosexualism, the emotional and the physical, and discuss how each can be applied to Jane Eyre and Dracula. The chapter also contains an explanation for the term psychosexualism and provides a brief history of: the Victorian notion of hysteria and spermatorrhea, the twentieth-century classifications of love and sex addiction, as well as the twenty-first-century to Histrionic Personality Disorder and Sexual Sadism Disorder. The second chapter provides an analysis of Jane Eyre, specifically looking …

Avenging Muse: Naomi Royde-Smith, 1875-1964, Jill Benton

Pitzer Faculty Books

Avenging Muse is the biography of Naomi Royde-Smith, a powerful early twentieth-century British literary editor who discovered and published the first works of such writers as Rupert Brooke, Rose Macaulay, and Graham Greene. Beginning at age 50, she became in her own right a prolific author of more than thirty novels in addition to plays, biographies, and cultural critiques posing as travelogues. She writes about fin de siècle Geneva, about London and working women between the wars, about journalism and theater, about artists and their promoters, about banal culture, about social class in disarray, about a world that lacks spiritual …

Sexual Minorities In Sports Book Review, Kristy Mccray

Health and Sport Sciences Faculty Scholarship

A Book Review of Sexual Minorities in Sports by Melanie L. Sartore-Baldwin

The Isom Report - Spring 2015, Jaime Harker, Theresa Starkey

Isom Report

The official newsletter of the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies. The first issue of reformatted/rebranded "The Isom Report."

A Vibrant And Vocal Community: Establishing An Archival Outreach Plan For The Lgbtq Community In Utah And Similar States, Julia Huddleston

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Despite being both politically and culturally conservative, Utah has a vocal and vibrant lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community that has been making history and headlines for decades. However, there is a demonstrated lack of primary source material documenting these movements. The lack of archival material highlights the need for archives in Utah to actively seek out collections from LGBTQ individuals and organizations through a concentrated outreach effort.

This paper addresses the unique concerns associated with acquiring LGBTQ collections—building trust, respectfully arranging and describing materials in a way that maximizes access, and creating inclusive physical spaces through reference …

Deadline: Ethics And The Ethnographic Divorce, Lisa M. Tillmann Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

In the summer of 2009, the author receives a call from a New York Times reporter about her book Between Gay and Straight. The book portrays her (now-ex) husband’s and her integration into a network of gay male friends. “Deadline” explores tensions between private and public as the private turmoil of divorce clashes with the public construction of the author’s marriage and with her determination to continue the social justice work of Between Gay and Straight.

Woman Working At Quarry, Brian Hoffman

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

"I Have Measured Out My Life With Coffee Spoons." —"The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock," T.S. Elliot, Alexandra Crafton

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

Infertile, Katie Wade-Neser

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

Mother And Child, Brian Hoffman

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

Lg Ms 039 Maine Frontrunners Archives Finding Aid, Katharine Renolds Thomas

Search the Manuscript Collection (Finding Aids)

Description:

Maine Frontrunners was founded April Fool’s Day, 1995, inspired by the enthusiastic leadership of the legendary runner John Bean. The group has run Saturday mornings since then, through all kinds of weather. The Maine group is part of International Front Runners, an affiliation of GLBT running/walking clubs that have organized in many of the larger cities around the world. Inspired by Patricia Nell Warren's novel The Front Runner, the first Front Runner club began in San Francisco in 1974, and other FR clubs quickly began forming in the United States and then in Canada and abroad.

Date Range:

1994-2003 …

In Solidarity Epilogue, Lisa M. Tillmann Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This piece offers a postscript to the book In Solidarity: Friendship, Family, and Activism Beyond Gay and Straight (Routledge, 2015).