Come by our table in the Student Union every day this week for body positive activities, information and giveaways!

Join us for a panel discussion with Walden Behavioral Care to kick off National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. The panel will include a variety of mental health counselors that will share their experiences and knowledge of eating disorders, prevention and recovery.

Co-sponsored with Active Minds.

Come by our table in the Student Union every day this week for body positive activities, information and giveaways!

Come and de-stress at the Women's Center with a night of coffee, snacks, and coloring! We'll also be creating vision boards to help you make it through the semester and achieve your goals!

Come by our table in the Student Union every day this week for body positive activities, information and giveaways!

Come by our table in the Student Union every day this week for body positive activities, information and giveaways!

The Out to Lunch Gender, Sexuality, and Community is a weekly academic lecture and discussion series with guest scholars and community activists from various disciplines examining a variety of topics related to gender identity, gender expression, and sexuality. Each semester offers a broad sampling of the areas.

The Spring 2019 semester is co-sponsored by the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department (http://wgss.uconn.edu).

Today's lecture is entitled, "By Us, For Us: Creating Media Within the LGBTQ+ Community" and will be presented by five recipients of the UConn IDEA Grant, https://ugradresearch.uconn.edu/idea/.

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.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunches

Come by our table in the Student Union every day this week for body positive activities, information and giveaways!

The Out to Lunch Gender, Sexuality, and Community is a weekly academic lecture and discussion series with guest scholars and community activists from various disciplines examining a variety of topics related to gender identity, gender expression, and sexuality. Each semester offers a broad sampling of the areas.

The Spring 2019 semester is co-sponsored by the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department (http://wgss.uconn.edu).

Today's lecture is entitled, "True Colors: LGBTQ Youth Homelessness in America" and presented by Twiggy Pucci Garçon (she/her/hers or they/them/theirs).

Synopsis: According to the True Colors Fund's (NYC), https://truecolorsfund.org/, 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: Twiggy has collaborated with artists, filmmakers, academics and policymakers to increase visibility of both creative and sociopolitical agendas. Twiggy served at FACES NY, Inc. in a multitude of roles. With 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.

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.

Twiggy has worked as a model & runway trainer, performance artist, and other roles, as 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. 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.

As part of the Gender and History Visiting Scholar Series, Dr. Keisha N. Blain, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh and President of the African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS), will provide a public lecture, titled "Set the World on Fire: Black Nationalist Women and the Global Struggle for Freedom," inspired by her recently published first book. The lecture will be followed by a reception. For an abstract of the lecture, please see below:

In this talk, historian Keisha N. Blain discusses how black nationalist women engaged in national and global politics during the twentieth century. In Chicago, Harlem, and the Mississippi Delta, from Britain to Jamaica, these women built alliances with people of color around the globe, agitating for the rights and liberation of black people in the United States and across the African diaspora. As pragmatic activists, they employed multiple protest strategies and tactics, combined numerous religious and political ideologies, and forged unlikely alliances in their struggles for freedom. Their stories, which have been largely hidden in popular historical narratives, underscore the depth and complexities of the global black freedom struggle and offer valuable lessons for contemporary black politics and activism.

As part of the Gender and History Visiting Scholar Series, Keisha N. Blain, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh and President of the African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS), will join UConn graduate students and faculty to workshop a pre-circulated paper titled "East Unites with West:Black Women, Japan, and Visions of Afro-Asian Solidarity". Professor Blain's research interests pertain to black internationalism, global feminisms, and radical politics. Her first book, recently published in 2018 by the University of Pennsylvania Press, is titled: Set the World on Fire: Black Nationalist Women and the Global Struggle for Freedom.

Please contact Professor Cornelia Dayton if interested in attending.

Join us as we discuss artistic responses to gender and sexual violence alongside the powerful, contemporary movement which brings light to sexual harassment and sexual assault. Participants will join in a dialogue exploring the #MeToo movement and the paintings of MATRIX artist Emily Mae Smith, on exhibit at the Wadsworth Atheneum. Additional texts under discussion will be posted in advance. The event is free, but please RSVP faculty@wadsworthatheneum.org to reserve a seat and lunch.

For more information on the Encounters Series, see: https://humilityandconviction.uconn.edu/encounter-series/#

ITALIAN LITERARY & CULTURAL STUDIES

presents



DACIA MARAINI



"Women Writers, from Mystics to Courtesans"

Monday, March 11, 2019

4:00-5:30 pm

101 Oak Hall - Storrs



Dacia Maraini is a historic figure of Italian feminism, acclaimed writer, winner of multiple prestigious literary awards in Italy. She is very well known for her stances on subjects such as the "right to die," child abuse, education or immigration. She also writes weekly editorials on national newspapers, often reflecting on issues related to human rights. Novelist, playwright, poet and one of the most important figures of modern Italian Literature, Dacia Maraini is the author of over 20 novels including Donna in guerra (1975); The Silent Duchess (1990); Bagheria (1993); La bambina e il sognatore (2015). She is the winner of the Premio Strega in 1999 for her short story collection Darkness.



The event is co-sponsored by the Comparative Literature & Cultural Studies Program, the Creative Writing Program, the History Department and the Human Rights Institute

The Start Smart workshop is specifically designed to empower women college students about to enter the job market with the skills and confidence to successfully negotiate their salary and benefits packages. By learning strategies and practicing effective language, participants gain valuable skills they can use throughout their lives — well beyond their next negotiation.

This is a free workshop, but registration is required at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/StartSmartMarch19

In Between Neoliberalism and Nationalism: the practices of Indian Classical Dance
by Koyel Khan

In this talk, I discuss the implications of local social, political, and economic factors that lead to cultural erasure of particular vulnerable groups through not only appropriation, but appropriation that dissociates particular cultural practices from the groups from whom it is appropriated. By analyzing the cultural antagonisms and negotiations that occur between different groups while also considering the relations that marginalized groups have with the nation state under neoliberal globalization, I bring in a transnational feminist approach to the study of cultural globalization while recognizing the interrelationship between the political, economic, and cultural sphere of globalization.

The Out to Lunch Gender, Sexuality, and Community is a weekly academic lecture and discussion series with guest scholars and community activists from various disciplines examining a variety of topics related to gender identity, gender expression, and sexuality. Each semester offers a broad sampling of the areas.

The Spring 2019 semester is co-sponsored by the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department (http://wgss.uconn.edu).

Today's lecture is entitled, "LGBTQ Youth Today: (Why) Aren’t Things Better?" and will be presented by Stephen Russell (he/him/his).

This lecture presentation is sponsored by InCHIP and will be held in the Konover Auditorium of the Dodd Center. Please RSVP at https://chip.uconn.edu/lecture-series/2018-2019-lecture-series/. Livestreaming of the presentation will be available at the same webpage. CEU credits will also offered to psychologists who attend the presentation.

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.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunches

Spill the tea, men aren’t the only contributors to history!

In celebration of Women’s Herstory month, join us for a discussion on how the lives of women have changed over time in American society. How far have we come and how far do we still have left to go?

Tea, coffee, donuts, and cookies will be offered!

The Out to Lunch Gender, Sexuality, and Community is a weekly academic lecture and discussion series with guest scholars and community activists from various disciplines examining a variety of topics related to gender identity, gender expression, and sexuality. Each semester offers a broad sampling of the areas.

The Spring 2019 semester is co-sponsored by the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department (http://wgss.uconn.edu).

Today's lecture is entitled, "In My Dreams I Am Being Held: Queer, Fat Bodies of Color and the Politics of Desirability" and will be presented by Joe A. Baez (he/him/his).

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.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunches

Professor and Graduate Director of Women's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University, Puar's publications include "The Right to Maim: Debility, Capacity, Disability (2017)" and the award-winning "Terrorist Assemblages: Homonationalism in Queer Times (2007)."

Join the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program in welcoming 8 impressive Feminist Scholars in this weekend-long Symposium Event.
If you require accommodations in order to attend, please contact Laura Mauldin at laura.mauldin@uconn.edu.
Please be sure to RSVP for this event at: https://wgsssymposium.app.rsvpify.com/

To register for Saturday's events, please RSVP at: https://wgssworkshoplunch.app.rsvpify.com/

To view the reader-accessible flyer that exhibits more details about this event, please follow this link: http://s.uconn.edu/wgsssymposiumcom

Join the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program in welcoming 8 impressive Feminist Scholars in this weekend-long Symposium Event.
If you require accommodations in order to attend, please contact Laura Mauldin at laura.mauldin@uconn.edu.
Please be sure to RSVP for this event at: https://wgsssymposium.app.rsvpify.com/

To register for Saturday's events, please RSVP at: https://wgssworkshoplunch.app.rsvpify.com/

To view the reader-accessible flyer that exhibits more details about this event, please follow this link: http://s.uconn.edu/wgsssymposiumcom

Three brilliant African-American women at NASA - Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Gobels Johnson crossed all gender, race, and professional lines while their brilliance and desire to dream big, beyond anything ever accomplished before by the human race, firmly cemented them in U.S. history as true American heroes.

Co-sponsored with Husky Films.

Sponsored by the Department of Human Development & Family Studies with generous support from the Luckey family

Wyatte C. Hall,PhD
Gallaudet University

"A Story of Willful Ignorance:
The Hidden Social Epidemic of Language Deprivation"

Wyatte C. Hall, Ph.D. is a Research Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Public Health Sciences at the University of Rochester Medical Center. As a Deaf population health scientist, his research focuses on language development as a social determinant of health, and on the relationship between early childhood language experiences and lifespan outcomes in the deaf population.
Before his recent completion of a three-year research postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Rochester, Wyatte received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Gallaudet University and completed a clinical postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

*Join us for refreshements following the presentation*

This lecture will be given in ASL and interpreters and CART will be provided for the duration of the event. If you require an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Carla Gomez, carla.gomez@uconn.edu, by March 27th.

UConn complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding non-discrimination, equal opportunity, affirmative action, and providing reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. Contact: Office of Institutional Equity; 860.486.2943; equity@uconn.edu; http://www.equity.uconn.edu