On Saturday Nov 16, 2013, American University hosted their eighth annual LGBTQ Studies Symposium, entitled “Intricate Identities: Exploring the Intersections of Race, Culture and Ability in the LGBTQ Community.” The event was comprised of nine different sessions that were then broken down into three concurrent sessions, most of which were led by current or former graduate and undergraduate students.
Among the presenters for the weekend was George Mason’s own undergraduate English major and Women and Gender Studies office assistant, Lauren G. Parker. Approximately fifty people packed the room for her discussion based workshop entitled, "Mis-Appropriation of Black Womanhood In Cis Gay White Male Performance." The discussion included questions of how to correct those who misappropriate black womanhood and what it means, within the LGBT movement and beyond, to appropriate but refuse to be in community with someone who is considered “other.” This being Parker’s first presentation at a conference, and especially being one of few (and, perhaps, the only) undergraduate workshop facilitator, she said that initially she was “nervous, but as the conversation began and I realized how involved everyone was and saw the many ways in which I could improve for the next time.”
In addition to Parker was Lulu Geza, graduate student and graduate assistant in the LGBTQ Resources Office here at Mason. Geza’s presentation was entitled, “Child and White Sexuality in James Baldwin’s Early Work.”
Both Parker and Geza are teaching assistants for Intro to LGBTQ Studies here at Mason.
November 20, 2013
