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Conference
encourages CSUs to add queer studies to
curriculum
By
Brittani Bixler
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
A
mass e-mail has invited all faculty of the
various Cal State campuses to a conference
in mid-April at Cal State Fullerton on developing
queer studies in the California State University
system. Many students and faculty members
from all the campuses submitted suggestions
for the specifics of this addition to the
curriculum. Some topics that were of particular
interest included: managing controversy,
funding queer studies, and the politics
of queer studies. All these issues and many
more will be addressed at the conference
coming up in a month.
The
addition of queer studies into the CSU system
is something which will not only affect
Cal State Long Beach, but all the other
campuses as well.
Cal
State Fullerton senior Tess Leahy had never
heard about queer studies before.
"They
obviously are trying to create classes which
are inclusive to everyone who attends college
– whether gay or straight," she
said. "However, isn't the term 'queer'
slightly derogatory and possibly offensive?"
The
Wikipedia encyclopedia defines "queer"
as unusual, but it also points out that
it is a controversial word when used to
describe homosexuals. The fact that they
are thought of as "unusual" is
sometimes disagreeable to their beliefs,
which is why some universities simply refer
to these classes as "gay studies."
One
reason why the concept of gay studies is
not well known is because it is not widely
offered. US News reported only two colleges
which offered queer studies as a major.
These were Hobart and William Smith Colleges
in New York and Trinity College in Connecticut.
Many
other scholastic institutions serve as host
to programs aimed at gays, lesbians, bisexuals,
and transgenders, but do not include them
as subjects in which a degree can be earned.
The
Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (CLAGS)
is based out of The City University of New
York graduate center. CLAGS is the first
and only university-based research center
in the United States, which is committed
to the study of historical, cultural and
political issues of fundamental concern
to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
individuals and communities.
CLAGS's
efforts include promoting an academy where
homophobia, sexism, racism and classism
are studied and not enacted. This information
along with how to become a member of CLAGS
can be found on their website, web.gc.cuny.edu/clags/index.html.
The
conference at CSU Fresno will weigh the
pros and cons of the addition of queer studies.
By offering queer studies, colleges will
be putting forth the opportunity for students
to become learned in another type of lifestyle,
which many are ignorant about.
However,
not everyone agrees that this is the main
focus of all queer studies programs. The
University of New Hampshire posted an article
in their paper, the Union Leader, in which
an anonymous protester said, "We are
highly skeptical that these courses will
be purely academic exercises instead of
politically correct propaganda offered to
make homosexual activists happy." The
article went on to discuss how certain classes
focused on specific groups such as women's
studies and African- American studies are
often used as soapboxes in which political
agendas are publicized. Lastly, a point
was made which presented the idea of these
gay studies courses possible power of bumping
aside broader courses that parents and taxpayers
expect students to take.
Although
she will not be attending the conference,
Cal State Long Beach human development major
Bethany Harlambakis considers this possible
expansion to be a pro for the CSU system.
"I
believe this will contribute to the diversity
of the school and accepting diversity is
an important concept in Human Development,"
said Harlambakis.
Mixed
views and opinions will inevitably accompany
this issue whether in California or across
the country.
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