Center For the Study of Women Presents:
'Oedipus Raced, or the Child Queered by Color'
A Talk with Kathryn Stockton, Sponsored by the Center for the Study of Women.
Date: Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Time: 4:00PM - 6:00PM
Location: Humanities Room 193
Admission: Free and open to the public
Contact: Center for the Study of Women
(310) 825-0590
csw@csw.ucla.edu
Web site: Calendar of events
Description:
Drawn from her forthcoming book, The Queer Child, or Growing Sideways in the Twentieth Century, this talk theorizes how the category of the child is queer, in broad and narrow senses, both racially and sexually, even up through the 1990s. Specifically, the lecture offers a crossing: the point at which the ghostliness of the gay child lends certain meanings to the child queered by color (who, in some cases, might also be gay). Two important films on American race, Guess Whos Coming to Dinner? (1967) and Six Degrees of Separation (1993), show how race relations are haunted by the issuesreally, the spectersof gay children, spawning new slants on psychoanalysis, architectural theory, so-called liberal parenting, and concepts of childhood.
I, myself, plan to attend. Perhaps I'll see some of you there.
=)
1 comment:
Hello Everyone,
This week I will be giving a presentation on transgendered people in the documentary called Trinidad, which is known as the sex change capital of the world. I came across a recent court case about a man who had his job offer revoked from the Library of Congress when he underwent a sex change. Here are the details:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A former Army commander who underwent a sex change operation was discriminated against by the U.S. government, a federal judge ruled Friday in an important victory for transgenders claiming bias in the workplace.
Diane Schroer won her federal lawsuit against the Library of Congress after officials backed out of a 2005 job offer when told of her intention to become a transsexual. At the time of the job interview for a position as a senior terrorism research analyst, David Schroer was a male. He had been a onetime Army Special Forces commander.
U.S. District Court Judge James Robinson said Schroer's civil rights were violated.
"The evidence established that the Library was enthusiastic about hiring David Schroer -- until she disclosed her transsexuality," Robinson wrote. "The Library revoked the offer when it learned that a man named David intended to become, legally, culturally and physically, a woman named Diane. This was discrimination 'because of ... sex.' "
The judge will later rule on what financial damages Schroer is due.
"It is especially gratifying that the court has ruled that discriminating against someone for transitioning is illegal," said Schroer in a statement from the ACLU, which represented her in court.
"I knew all along that the 25 years of experience I gained defending our country didn't disappear when I transitioned, so it was hard to understand why I was being turned down for a job doing what I do best just because I'm transgender. It is tremendously gratifying to have your faith in this country, and what is fundamentally right and fair, be reaffirmed."
After Schroer had retired from the military, she applied for a job at the Library of Congress. Court records show that Schroer, then a male, took her future boss to lunch to outline her transition to a female, as she planned to present herself as a female on her first day of the job.
Schroer testified that on the day after the lunch, the job offer was rescinded, and she was told she wasn't a "good fit" for the library.
The ACLU said the ruling sends a "loud and clear" message to employers against firing or refusing to hire someone for changing their gender.
There was no immediate reaction from the library, which had claimed at trial that transgender people are not covered under federal anti-discrimination laws.
The case is Schroer v. Billington (Cv-05-1090)
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/19/transsexual.discrimination/
This article made me think about the challenges that transsexuals face in their personal and professional life. In "Trinidad" Sabrina lost her marriage partner, job, and home when she decided to undergo the transformation.
-Ann Chau
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