LGBTQ Studies, also called Queer Studies, is a new discipline that a growing number of universities are offering as a study within the Humanities. George Mason is no exception, with the LGBTQ Studies Minor set to launch Fall 2019, led by WGST Faculty Member David Corwin.
Corwin is currently the Program Coordinator for Women and Gender Studies. He manages budgeting, curriculum scheduling, and supervises student workers within WGST and is the new advisor for the LGBTQ Studies minor.
Several students leaped at the chance to supplement their coursework, namely in Women and Gender Studies (WGST), with this new focus and material that will highlight queer theory and issues surrounding sexual identity and gender identity.
This new minor emphasizes an intersectional approach, with courses that stress the importance of studying prevalent LGBTQ+ issues within relevant topics such as media, community health, international migration, and education.
Kira Jackson, a Film and Video Studies (FAVS) student was one of the first to declare her minor in LGBTQ studies because of her need to produce more diverse queer representation throughout media and film.
“I decided to declare [this minor], because as a screenwriter, I'm interested in only telling queer narratives. I felt that in order to tell those stories accurately, my work needed to be rooted in academics as well as my own personal experiences as a black lesbian,” said Jackson
George Mason is one of the first public universities in the commonwealth of Virginia that is offering a minor specifically in LGBTQ studies. Students can use their experience throughout their coursework to advocate and lobby for protections as well as LGBTQ community interests.
“I'm interested in further exploring the legal issues LGBTQ+ folks face and how the intersections of LGBTQ+ identities show up in our criminal justice system”, said Sarah Crossen, a WGST major student.
Like Jackson, Crossen wants to not only explore this new coursework, but use it as a tool to pursue her interests and advocate for LGBTQ populations after she graduates.
“I plan on pursuing a law degree after I graduate. I am also interested in community activism and advocacy regarding a broad range of issues that affect marginalized populations” she said.
Bennett Shoop sees this new minor as a way to emphasize representation and scholarship that hasn't been recognized before.
"Mason has had a history of not prioritizing queer voices and scholarship. With this new addition, students will be able to see themselves and relate to the academia that wasn't readily available", said Shoop.
Likewise, WGST student Casey Klemmer wants to pursue this minor to explore topics that directly affect the LGBTQ community in ways he wouldn’t have been able to study before, in an academic context.
“I’m most interested in exploring sexuality and gender in a global context and the differences and similarities [of LGBTQ issues] to American experiences,” said Klemmer. “Overall, I think it’s a great opportunity”.
For more information about this minor, visit:
https://wmst.gmu.edu/programs/la-minor-wgst-lgbt
May 03, 2019
