Queer Studies Commons^™

(Ba)Ding, Ang Bato!: Queering Duterte's Drug War In Jun Lana's Big Night! (2021), Jenno Roquero

Akda: The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance

Though there are studies around Duterte’s war on drugs and human rights violations, scholarship focusing on the relationship between Duterte’s politics and gender, particularly queerness and kabaklaan, is limited despite his frequent derogatory use of bakla, gay, or homosexual to demean rivals and critics. This article analyzes Jun Lana’s Big Night! (2021) through the Filipino concept of batak—intoxication, being forcibly dragged, and musculature—to examine the intersections of queerness, state violence, and survival in Rodrigo Duterte’s “War on Drugs.” Through close readings of key scenes, the article maps how batak operates as a framework for understanding the bakla’s shifting position: …

How Subversive Is Shipping Really? An Analysis Of Heteronormative Elements In Same-Sex Relationships Focused On German-Language Anime And Manga Fan Fiction, Saskia Dreßler

Proceedings from the Document Academy

This study investigates whether German-language fan fictions featuring lesbian and gay characters within the anime and manga domain can be regarded as genuinely queer. It situates these fan works within the specific traditions and practices of German fandom. Employing qualitative content analysis, the research examines two prominent fandoms, Naruto and Sailor Moon, focusing on the presence of heteronormative narrative patterns in fan fiction with queer protagonists. The study analyzes which aspects of the original media are adapted and how these adaptations shape the portrayal of queer identities. Furthermore, fan comments are examined to assess the extent to which readers …

Restorationland: The Lost And Found Objects Of Atlanta's Doll's Head Trail, Thomas Fish

Faculty Articles

The Doll’s Head Trail is a grassroots, low-art installation nestled within a Southeast Atlanta wildlife preserve. Constructed by volunteers and visitors from decades of environmental debris, the trail converts waste into folk art-inspired “junk” displays. The creative upcycling ranges from a miniscule shrine to “Toxic Masculinity” to a stark shoe pile commemorating child gun violence. This article details how queer theory’s “temporal turn” provides insights into material performance as collaborative regeneration. The curious vignettes playfully invert hierarchies, revealing the merits of small-time memorialization. Through these defiantly unofficial grassroot performances, the Doll’s Head Trail both remembers and restores community ruins, demonstrating …

The Crisis Of Safety, Well-Being, And Belonging Facing Lgbtq Children: Mad/Crip Of Color Critique Towards A Curriculum Of Radical Care, Jameson Goetz

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this thesis, I turn toward the study of educational experience, defined broadly to include lived experiences both within and outside of formal schooling institutions. I approach curriculum as an ongoing project of self-understanding in which one becomes mobilized for engaged pedagogical action alongside others in the pursuit social justice. I am guided by the following question, foundational to the field of curriculum studies: for those of us who work alongside LGBTQ children, what knowledge is of most worth? Critically reflecting on ways of working alongside LGBTQ children in the pursuit of social justice, I formulate a mad/crip of color …

Transgender Individuals’ Experiences Of Ruptures And Repairs In Group Psychotherapy, Gabrielle W. Kaufman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the political climate across the United States worsens for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals (Harmon, 2025), it has become increasingly important to attend to the mental health needs of this population (James et al., 2016). Group therapy is a widely used treatment modality that is often more accessible than individual therapy (Burlingame & Strauss, 2021) and provides unique interpersonal opportunities (Burlingame et al., 2016). While it is expected that TGD individuals face unique challenges in group therapy due to their gender identities (Chen et al., 2020), very little is actually known about the experiences of TGD individuals participating …

Hope Against Hope: Problems, Possibilities, Agency, And Survival, Erin Kay Chambers

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In response to a critique of hope put forth by queer theorist Jack Halberstam, this thesis is a reassessment of what makes us capable of response—to “stay with the trouble,” in the words of Donna Haraway—in the face of overwhelming collapse. If not hope, then what? This thesis explores a number of questions about hope and its absence, opposites, and various deployments: is hope always an effective tool for survival? Does hopelessness always spell doom? Are hope and its apparent opposites necessarily incompatible? And if there is no hope, how do we keep going?—how do we survive? I explore these …

Envisioning Transgender Equity: Amplifying Global South Narratives Through Inclusive Archives And Education, Saloni Walia, Sukanya Mondal

Journal of International Women's Studies

In their 17 Sustainable Goals (SDGs) for 2030, the United Nations (n. d.) places the goal of “achieve[ing] Gender Equality and empower[ing] all women and girls” at the fifth spot as SDG 5. However, reports from 2016 reveal that the SDGs mainly focus on issues concerning heterosexual cisgender women and girls, with no reference to the LGBTQ community (United Nations, 2016). This oversight raises concerns about the inclusivity of SDG 3, which aims to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” (United Nations, n.d.), but its application to people with diverse gender identities remains unclear. This …

“Falling Short Of Our Humanity”: Shame And Queer Catholic Families, M.T. Davila

Religious & Theological Studies Faculty Publications

Queer Catholic Families (QCF) negotiate a complicated landscape of belonging and exclusion in the church that they love. In this dynamic, shame figures as a theological and moral qualifier of their experience when observed through the lens of the Catholic Church's teaching on sexuality and gender. Understanding how shame is experienced in these families, how it deepens a rift between families and the community, and how families find ways to nourish and preserve their links to the Church, ought to be a primary ethical and pastoral task of the Church.

The Silent Identity: Asexuality, Aromanticism, And Convention In Le Roman De Silence And The Story Of Silence, Anita Farrell

English and Creative Writing Summer Fellows

Le Roman de Silence is a 13th-century French romance about Silence, a woman raised as a man to protect their family’s inheritance. Heldris of Cornwall, the author, develops a rich inner world to help the audience connect with Silence, allowing them to experiment with gendered, sexual, and romantic boundaries. This romance intrigues modern scholars, especially feminist and queer researchers due to narrative pressure on conventions like gender and sex. In 2020, Alex Myers, a transgender author, updates Silence’s tale in The Story of Silence, where Silence explores their identity in greater detail. Silence eventually identifies themselves as non-binary and …

Laying The Groundwork For Liberatory Expressive Arts Research: A Queer Review, Robyn E. Ginsberg

Expressive Therapies Theses

The goal of this thesis was to reveal the interconnectedness of disparate discourse across diverse disciplines and locate it within one queer domain. The intersection of (expressive) art and (community/participatory) action is a space within which queer collaboration can take place. It is a space that can accommodate and energize non-normative idea generation and exchange which can mobilize queer resistance to create societal change (Fernández & Fine, 2024; Rutten, 2016). By engaging with interdisciplinary literature and situating conceptual frameworks in dialogue this review provides a foundation for liberatory expressive arts research (LExAR) and practice. Key themes include: centering queer and …

Dr. Luc Beaudoin Faculty Spotlight, Rachel Jaeger, Nicole Doris

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

An interview with Dr. Luc Beaudoin of the University of Denver's Department of Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies.

Wrapped In The American Flag: Liberal Activism And Queer Political Organizing Post-1940s, Sam Markley

IdeaFest

By analyzing the United States Lavender Scare and immigration policy of the 1950s, this paper attempts to shed light on how the distinction between “American” and “Un-American” remains at the center of Queer rights advocacy. The heightened fear over the survival of the nation, along with the view of Queer immigrants as threats to the nation, was used to tighten immigration restrictions. This restriction, however, is complicated by existing prejudices against racial minorities and women. Queer rights groups began to rise to prominence during this time and mobilize against claims that they were anti-American or subversive deviants, working through the …

Queer Ga(Y)Ze And Desire In Flesh And Pink Narcissus, Kel R. Karpinski

Publications and Research

Through their portrayals of gay-for-pay hustlers, the films Flesh and Pink Narcissus, offer an expansive view of queerness and illuminate the queer history of Times Square.

Where Do I Belong? What Should I Call Home?, Viplav Bhaskar Subramanian

Deliberately Queer Journal

Employing autoethnography, this reflection explores the contestations of home-place for queer racialized identities. Tony Adams asserts the vitality of such an embodied investigation when speaking about intersectionally assembled marginalized communities and identities through stating, “I turned to writing stories that others could use in times of relational distress […] by doing and living autoethnography” (Jones et al., 2013, p. 21). In this piece, I delve into my lived experiences, chartering conceptions of belonging while integrating personal stories and theoretical discourses. Such an embodiment, as expressed by Ellingson (2017), considers the body as “simultaneously physical and affective, social and individual, produced …

Pretty And Problematic: The Use Of Music In Guadagnino's 'Call Me By Your Name', Brandon L. Foskett

Deliberately Queer Journal

Tension in the reception of the American-Italian film Call Me by Your Name (dir. Guadagnino, 2017)—as a beautiful film that implicitly condones a problematic narrative—is shaped in part by its compilation soundtrack. Already lauded as a timeless masterpiece in cinematography, sensuality, and music, the film also receives steadfast criticism regarding its portrayal of homosexuality and alleged condoning of interage desire between Elio, a 17-year-old Italian-French boy, and Oliver, a 24-year-old American man. In this paper, I analyze five musical episodes from the film, including The Psychedelic Furs’ “Love My Way,” Ravel’s Une barque sur l’océan, and Sufjan Stevens’s “Mystery …

Introduction To Women And Gender Studies (Syllabus), Karen Weingarten

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Exploring Dimensions Of Crystallized Identities, Candice L. Ruh

Feminist Pedagogy

For college students, learning about the components of identity can generate deeper knowledge about how personal and social identities differ, and how identities influence the way individuals experience socio-cultural systems and structures. The Exploring Dimensions of Crystallized Identities activity uses principles of self-reflexivity and dialogue to explore theoretical frameworks for practical application. This experiential activity is a facilitated dialogue driven by student involvement and is best suited for students in mid- to upper-level undergraduate courses. It encourages students to reflect on their and others’ identities, and to consider the social impacts of diversity in their lives.

The Current 'Ban-Demic': School Book Bans In The U.S., Barbara Perez, Jane Caputi

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

This essay examines the alarming rise of U.S book. Our stance is grounded in our experiences as educators and academics in Florida, the state with the highest number of book bans and legislation that has significantly impacted education. Book bans infringe on freedom of expression, right to access information, = students’ right to education, and real harm to targeted communities (i.e., LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities), as the bans contribute to the ongoing marginalization and stigmatization of these communities. Diverse representation is key in literature and education. Banning popular culture texts from the classroom stifles critical thinking, social dialogue, and, ultimately, …

The Embodiment And Experiences Of Gender Euphoria Among Transgender And Nonbinary Communities: A Mixed Methods Inquiry, Brendon T. Holloway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gender euphoria is a critical aspect of embodiment for transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people that has long been overshadowed in academic research by deficit narratives and gender dysphoria. While gender dysphoria is the distress an individual may experience related to their gender, gender euphoria encapsulates the positive emotions a TNB person may experience because of positive gendered experiences. Despite community documentations of gender euphoria since the 1970s, academic research on gender euphoria has only recently begun to emerge. This three-paper dissertation advances this body of scholarship by exploring how gender euphoria is conceptualized, experienced, and embodied in TNB communities. Utilizing …

Sustaining Queerness: A Phenomenological Study Of Colorado Educators, Devani Lemmon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to engage queer Colorado educators to explore how to sustain their identities as queer educators in a politically fractured state. By focusing on Colorado, I could assess the extent to which the legal protections afforded there adequately support educators in sustaining themselves. Additionally, the findings from Colorado had the potential to further illuminate factors influencing teacher sustainability and retention on a much larger scale. The questions for this research project were: 1) How are queer educators sustaining themselves and each other in an increasingly volatile political climate? 2) What, if any, factors impact queer …

Survival Guide For Queer Families In Heteronormative Healthcare: Liberatory Consciousness And The Paradox Of Dependent Healthcare, A Critical Policy Discourse Analysis, Dwenna A. Holden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study I explored and analyzed how the queer experiences of an anonymous higher education institution in the western United States’ self-identified queer faculty and staff intersected with the discursive framing of the college’s dependent healthcare structure and documents. Within a critical paradigm I designed research around a high-density theoretical approach to weaving various branches of queer theory together with critical theory around policy and law in relation to queer bodies and hostile heteronormative policy environments. I arrived at solutions based in complaint, survival, and transformation. I used critical policy discourse analyses to interrogate the college’s dependent healthcare documents …

Death To Comphet: A Chapina Southern Lesbian Story, Doraly Oneida Perez-Valdez

University Honors Theses

This paper is a counterstory that fights narratives that have been placed upon Latina Lesbians by everyone but us. The main topic is compulsory heteronormativity also known as "comphet". This autoethnography explains how "comphet" may affect different identities but specifically a Latina Lesbian from the South. There are nine chapters that explain how each topic affects a different aspect of identity but centers lesbianism. Societal reasons, cultural reasons, "date to marry" culture, Southern upbringing, sex education received, racial and gender stereotypes, and capitalism are all of the topics being explored through the lens of a Southern Latina Lesbian. These topics …

Buddy Team 9: The Legacies Of Hiv/Aids Caregiving (New York City, 1990-1993), Jeff Donaldson-Forbes

University Honors Theses

An autoethnographic thesis asks, How were the volunteers of Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) Buddy Team 9 (NYC, circa 1990-1993) impacted by HIV/AIDS caregiving? The author, a former member of GMHC Buddy Team 9, provides context to the HIV/AIDS crisis in a particular era (1990-1993), place (New York City), and cultural setting (via volunteer work supporting a major AIDS service organization).

Cultural Shadows: Vampires And The Shifting Fears Of The West, A Creative Exploration Of Vampire Media And Its Reflection Of Evolving Social Anxieties, Tasha Sayre

University Honors Theses

Cultural Shadows: Vampires and the Shifting Fears of the West is a creative-critical thesis that explores vampire media as a reflection of evolving social anxieties in Western culture. Focusing primarily on film and television, with reference to key literary texts, this study examines how the vampire figure is used to articulate and dramatize recurring societal fears—particularly those surrounding women's sexuality and autonomy, queer identity, and class-based inequality. Through close readings of influential vampire narratives, the thesis demonstrates how these stories mirror cultural tensions and moral panics, transforming the vampire into a symbol of both fear and fascination. Drawing on gender …

Re/Inventing Desire: Asexuality As A Tool For Utopian Intimacies, Amaranta Martinez Martinez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Asexuality became widely known in 2001 when David Jay, launched the Asexuality, Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), however, it’s been just throughout the last decade that it has gained popularity among LGBTQ studies. This thesis explores asexuality beyond its conventional framing as a sexual orientation, positioning it instead as a theoretical framework with the potential to challenge hegemonic understandings of sexuality. It does so by tracing the historical construction of sexual desire through the discipline of sexology, demonstrating how its discourses helped reinforce compulsory sexuality—the expectation that individuals must experience and act upon sexual desire (Emens 2014). Building upon this …

Welcome To My Mind Palace: The Power Of Fantastical Thinking, Sadie Levine

Masters Theses

What follows is a record of my efforts to make the magic and horrors of my internal world tangible and shareable. The brain constructs hyper-specific fictional realities from childhood to adulthood, yet the scientific study of the mind often forgoes the subjective and the visual. I offer a complementary exploration of the mind - one that is highly visual and based on my own experiences, yet still contextualized in psychological research. Finding the magic in everyday life, and by extension, retreating into alternate realities, is a conscious choice I make, but I have not always had the option to choose. …

Jotographía // Fagtography: On Amor Propio Radical // Radical Self-Love, Jonathan Erick Guzman

Masters Theses

“Jotographía // Fagtography: On Amor Propio Radical // Radical Self-Love” is an interdisciplinary thesis that explores the intersections of queer Chicanx identity, photography, and performance as technologies of survival and self-construction. I construct a speculative archive of Chicanx queer experience through my tripartite personas: Barbí, Luke, and myself—collectively, the Guzman Triplets.

Through these embodied avatars, I embrace rasquachismo, camp, Catholic iconography, and hybrid photographic processes—including Polaroids, AI-manipulated imagery, anthotypes, and installation—to investigate visibility, fragmentation, and ancestral memory. Rooted in Gloria Anzaldúa’s frameworks of la herida abierta and nepantla, José Esteban Muñoz’s concepts of disidentification and queer futurity, and bell …

Embodied Archives, Emerging Futures, Xuân-Lam Nguyen

Masters Theses

Fifty years after the end of the U.S.–Vietnam War, this thesis reflects on the entangled relationship between the two nations, inspiring hope while challenging dominant representations of trauma and tragedy. Drawing from autobiography, family history, folk art traditions, colonial photographs, hierarchies within art history, archives of student activism, and key geopolitical events, the work explores the complex intersections of queer identity and glitchy historical narratives. Combining research-based inquiry with time- and labor-intensive processes, it reimagines historical materials to construct alternate possibilities for the future.

"I'M Strictly T4t": Trans For Trans Connections In The Contemporary, Madi Lou Alexander

Dissertations and Theses

Trans for trans relationships, referred to as "t4t", are a relationship type specific to trans individuals. Linguistically originating from Craigslist personal ad spaces, t4t indicates a trans person seeking out and engaging with another trans person. The scope of relationships under the t4t label are often largely associated with sexuality and dating scenes due to their conception in online cruising spaces. Through qualitative analysis, I assess the range of what t4t relationships are through 30 in-depth interviews with participants identifying as trans. This work moves away from focusing on the deficits of holding a marginalized identity, instead aiming to center …

A Seat At The Schoolhouse Table: Reimagining Education Through Afrofuturist And Womanist Theory, Natasha M. Capers

Student Theses

“A Seat at the Schoolhouse Table: Reimagining Education Through Afrofuturist and Womanist Theory” critically examines how curriculum, even when well-intentioned, can perpetuate harm by excluding the lived experiences of marginalized communities—especially Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQIA+ students. Using a real middle school immigration assignment given to the author's son as a case study, this capstone deconstructs the structural biases embedded in curriculum design and proposes a radical reimagining through the liberatory lenses of Afrofuturism and Womanism. Blending scholarly inquiry, personal narrative, and community-based interviews, this project offers a restructured assignment that centers joy, identity, and speculative storytelling as tools for educational …