2024 Conference – Concurrent Sessions

*This panel consists of three fifteen-minute presentations, plus Q&A.

Promoting Wellness for Girls: Developing and Assessing a Student-Designed Middle School Outdoor Space

While the need for students to have breaks from school work to recuperate and return to class rejuvenated and ready to learn is recognized, few middle school outdoor spaces in the U.S. are designed to encourage wellness-promoting activities. Globally, there has been a precipitous drop in physical activity, with only 21% of girls meeting recommended levels of activity, which may be due to a failure of outdoor environments to consider girl’s interests. Using nine focus groups, we asked students from a low-income middle school to describe the experiences they would like to have outside. This presentation will describe the development of the features requested by girls for the outdoor space, their preferences for low-stakes and low-impact physical activity, and wellness-promoting activities such as socializing, contemplation, and creative experiences. Data from a survey one year after the initial installation of elements will describe girls’ satisfaction with the playground and desires for additional changes. A public health approach to designing outdoor spaces that attends to girls’ preferences can create more equitable public spaces and give greater access to wellness-promoting activities for both middle school students and the surrounding community.

Presenter:

Elizabeth Larson, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Interdisciplinary Student Research Experience in the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health

In response to the persistent omission of women and minorities in clinical research, Congress founded the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) in 1990. ORWH, resilient amidst the political climate of 2023, then created an internship to actively engage young women in interdisciplinary mentored research and foster their professional development in biomedical careers. This presentation will evaluate the internship and its goals to illuminate the enduring intersections of government, policy, and health equity and promote fresh perspectives on research. ORWH empowers young, diverse women to recognize sex and gender as dynamic influences on health. Interns attend staff meetings, receive training on sex as a biological variable, and complete a systematic review of gender-related variables. The students’ reviews help rectify the conceptual conflation of sex and gender across interdisciplinary domains, establishing a practice to operationalize and measure gendered phenomena in health research. Aligned with feminist perspectives, ORWH and its interns consider sociocultural and structural domains of gender in health research and program evaluation. The strategic involvement of students catalyzes individual development and collective advancement of women’s health research, affirming the indispensable role of students in shaping strategies to advocate for women’s health equity and research.

Presenters:

Sophia G. Schoenfeld, National Institutes of Health Office of Research on Women’s Health
Noel A. Barger, National Institutes of Health Office of Research on Women’s Health

Gender Shift in Dairy Science Education and Its Translation into Employment in Wisconsin

Women are pursuing and earning agriculture-related degrees at a greater rate than men in Wisconsin’s four-year, two-year, and technical college programs. This nationwide gender shift, which began over thirty years ago and persists today, was reflected in 2021 by the first all-women dairy science class in a Wisconsin technical college. What does this shift mean for the future of the dairy industry in Wisconsin? How does it translate into employment for women holding dairy science degrees in the state? What will an evaluation of the shift in this trend imply for educational programs, the industry, and employers? The presenters, who have received a two-year Dairy Innovation Hub grant to investigate the shift and its implications for education, pedagogical practices, and the workforce, will explain their initial findings based on surveys, interviews, and focus groups. They will also discuss strategies to prepare more women to work in the dairy industry after graduation.

Presenters:

Dong Isbister, University of Wisconsin–Platteville

Moderator:

Josephine Kipgen, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Decades of Gender, Women, Bodies, and Health: The Past, Present, and Futures of GWS 103

GWS 103 is a decades-old course and is likely one of the largest and longest running of its kind in higher education. This course emerged from the feminist health movement of the 1970s and has been taught consistently at UW–Madison since 1978. Over the decades, tens of thousands of students have taken the course making it a shared undergraduate experience for many. The course began with a focus on reproductive and sexual health in terms of cis women’s bodies. It has evolved over the years to include analyses of how gender-based oppression intersects with racism, heterosexism, transphobia, ableism, and colonization to affect health and wellness across populations. Despite changes in name, content, curriculum, pedagogy, conceptual frameworks, and modality, GWS 103 has continued to be one of the most popular courses on campus. Using data collected from past instructors, students, and archival documents, this presentation offers a glimpse of the trajectory and resiliency of this course. This presentation is a collaboration by GWS 103 Honors course students.

Presenters:

Dr. Kelly M Ward, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Emmery Clements, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Rakshya Bhatta, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Hannah Nygard, University of Wisconsin–Madison

This presentation reflects the collaborative work of GWS 103 Honors Students 

Moderator:

Ashley Barnes-Gilbert, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Curandera Writing

Curandera writing is writing for healing. We believe that each of us can begin to heal ourselves with journaling and intentional prompts. We can heal the world if we begin healing ourselves and our families. We will uncover our reasons for doing our work in academia, activism, or our lives. How is that work connected to what our tierra (planet) needs for us? Being bilingual is not required but having an intersectional mindset is strongly encouraged.

Presenter:

Araceli Esparza, Poeta and Founder of Midwest Mujeres

Moderator:

Jamie Priti Gatrix, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Intersectional Feminist Knowledge Production: Advanced Undergraduate Research in Women’s and Gender Studies

In this panel, advanced undergraduates in women’s and gender studies at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater (UWW) will share their research projects. This work emerges both from coursework and undergraduate research programs, such as the McNair Scholars Program. The students will share their findings on various topics, from best practices for recruiting and maintaining BIPOC faculty at regional comprehensives to the application of queer theory to asexuality studies to feminist parenting practices. The aim of this panel is to provide the opportunity for advanced undergraduate students to share their diverse research topics, receive feedback, and expand their intellectual feminist community beyond UWW.

Presenter:

Ashley Barnes-Gilbert, University of Wisconsin–Whitewater

*This panel consists of one forty-five minute presentation (Callen Smith) and one fifteen minute presentation (Lorraine), plus Q&A.

Navigating Insurance Complexities in Gender-Affirming Care

This informative workshop will discuss navigating insurance for gender-affirming care. Discover essential strategies and insights to overcome the complexities of insurance coverage, ensuring you access the care you deserve. This workshop will guide you through the process of demystifying terminology and offering practical tips for dealing with insurance providers and resources for choosing an insurance plan. This conversation will help audience members make informed decisions and advocate for their healthcare when appealing denials for care.

Presenter:

Callen Smith, RN, MSN, UW Health
Lily Katz, MHM, UW Health
Katrina Becker, RN, BSN, UW Health

LGBTQIA+ Affirming Practices: A Qualitative Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice

LGBTQIA+ individuals comprise 7.1% of the U.S. population yet a median of only five hours address their specific health disparities throughout the standard 4-year medical curriculum. A stratified convenience sample was collected through the Office of Interprofessional Education to assess students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices at a graduate medical institution in the South. Students were randomly assigned to either the intervention or the control group. Upon arrival at a workshop, both groups received a case scenario on LGBTQIA+ suicide, along with information about the population. Pre-post surveys were administered to both the control and intervention groups, with the post-survey including open-ended questions. Students represented the College of Medicine (n=29), College of Nursing (n=39), College of Pharmacy (n=11), College of Health Professions (41), and the College of Public Health (n=13). The total respondents (n=107) were coded across four open-ended questions, and three themes emerged: “Development of Knowledge Foundation and Information Sourcing,” “Philosophy of Interpersonal Interactions,” and “Integration of Knowledge and Attitudes to Applied Behaviors and Target Outcomes.” Results indicate changes in knowledge, attitudes, and perceived practice, along with a desire for more education on LGBTQIA+ healthcare.

Presenter:

Lorraine Stigar, Purdue University

Challenges (and Opportunities) for Dismantling Power Dynamics: Identity Interactions and Virtual Classrooms

This panel of faculty, diverse in identity and discipline, addresses challenges and opportunities to change power dynamics in the classroom, as a core goal of feminist pedagogy is empowering students to share experiences and ideas without fear. However, virtual classrooms and instructor and student identities can disrupt that goal. Wilbur and King (cisgender men) discuss teaching courses focused on marginalized groups, including women and gender nonconforming students. Cisgender men can unintentionally encode traditional power dynamics. Given the rise of misogynist social media influencers (e.g., Andrew Tate) and calls to return to “traditional” values, male instructors are uniquely positioned to model healthier alternatives of masculinity to potentially resistant students. Lenzi emphasizes that changing language usage (e.g., DEI) and student and instructor perceptions of identities and qualifications vary according to their respective identities. These issues pose some difficulty in establishing common ground for an open, honest exchange of ideas. Hoffman notes that “reading” nonverbal cues of (dis)comfort and readiness is difficult in the virtual classroom. Moreover, virtuality can embolden students to express misogynistic and transphobic comments. Hoffman encourages and maintains productive online dialogue by using a group learning exercise – the “Titanic Exercise” – that she demonstrates for the audience.

Presenters:

Chris Wilbur, University of Wisconsin–Platteville
Mary Lenzi, University of Wisconsin–Platteville
Frank King, University of Wisconsin–Platteville
Gail Hoffman, University of Wisconsin–Platteville

Creating the Next Generation of Feminist Makers: Integrating Makerspace Activities into Your Feminist Classroom

Makerspaces–defined as shared spaces with equipment, tools, and supplies to facilitate a wide range of making–have increasingly been embraced by all disciplines as a way of exploring course concepts and developing skills. Gender and sexuality studies programs are no exception. In this workshop, we’ll share how we have created and nurtured a collaboration between Lawrence University’s Gender Studies Program and Makerspace. We will share our co-developed makerspace assignment from our Introduction to Gender Studies class. We will then discuss the development of its learning goals and outcomes, followed by an outline of how we have changed the assignment to fit the needs of the makerspace and the class. We will then share examples of other feminist makerspace assignments and the advantages of adding pedagogies to gender studies classes. The workshop portion will include a guided activity to help participants create a maker-based assignment for their courses. Participants are welcome to bring a syllabus for a course where they would like to add a makerspace activity, though just an idea and a creative mindset are enough!

Presenters:

Marcy Quiason, Lawrence University
Angela M. Vanden Elzen, Lawrence University

*This panel consists of three twenty minute presentations, plus Q&A.

Teaching Gender Studies in Pakistan: Prospects and Challenges

Gender studies is confronting varied challenges in Pakistan and across the globe. Women’s studies departments across public sector universities in Pakistan were later transformed into departments of gender and development (GAD) studies. The shift was hasty, and there remains an underutilization and underproduction of local literature; similarly, few private sector universities have taken up the program. The existing departments are labeled as un-Islamic and foreign. The pandemic brought the difficulties of teaching GAD to the fore, with instances of funding cuts, departmental mergers with other disciplines, and even closures. Given Pakistan’s post-colonial, theological, and patriarchal realities, an inquiry into teaching GAD is of immense utility. In Pakistan’s case, we must simultaneously confront strong opposition to the discipline and evolve pedagogically. This investigation centers on in-depth interviews with pioneering chairpersons, current faculty, and students. Emphasis is placed on the discipline’s evolution, particularly in relation to global development discourses and the realities of being located in the Global South, teaching methodologies, and navigating institutional realities. It is argued that studying and teaching GAD inevitably bears engagement with feminist praxis individually, on a community scale, with departmental bureaucracies, and with the state.

Presenter:

Iram Rubab, University of Home Economics (Pakistan)

Critical Feminist Pedagogy for Gender Talk in a Classroom

The presentation is based on an action research project that explored how an everyday classroom in a conventional school became a space for counter-socialisation. The project was set in a ‘mainstream’ school in a semi-urban town in Karnataka, India, where the researcher assumed the role of a social studies teacher and employed critical feminist pedagogy to teach. By participating in the students’ everyday learning, the researcher explored various approaches to talk about social issues with a strong focus on gender. These included conversations within and outside the classroom, engaging with concepts on power and society beyond the textbook requirement, and analysing issues of social relevance through critical lenses. Some initial findings reveal the role of the hidden curriculum, often fueled by cultural expectations and teacher attitudes, in perpetuating differential experiences for boys and girls in the classroom. However, on employing critical and feminist pedagogy in the classroom, it was found that creating alternative environments, apart from the rigid time-space-discipline-defined classroom, helped generate interest and conversations among the students on issues. An environment fostering criticality and repeated conversations on society and societal power structures enabled the learners to also question norms and practices they did not fully understand.

Presenter:

riya dominic, Azim Premji University

Anarcha-Feminist Pedagogy in Virtual Learning Environments

There is enormous potential in applying anarcha-feminist pedagogies to the online learning space in higher education. In our evolving society, more and more educators are being asked to adapt to online spaces, and our pedagogies must adapt with us. Anarcha-feminist pedagogy does not rely on institutional forms of hierarchical authority but instead aims to create a holistic learning environment that creates free-thinking students. This can be accomplished with a bit of creativity in the online classroom, whether synchronous or asynchronous. Online, anarcha-feminist pedagogy can foster community among students and educators, encourage critical engagement with course materials, and allow for more creativity in the work students produce. We will discuss how to transform the hallmarks of online pedagogy, such as discussion boards, Zoom meetings, and pre-recorded videos, with anarcha-feminist pedagogy to create a more holistic classroom that produces student activists. Anarchic principles prepare students with skills like critical thinking and community building that equip them to oppose authoritarianism on every level, including the state.

Presenters:

Megs Peterson, University of South Florida
LJ Connolly, University of South Florida

Moderator:

Karla Strand, University of Wisconsin-Madison

*This panel consists of one fifteen minute presentation (Magna Mohapatra) and one forty-five minute presentation, plus Q&A.

Unearthing the Pluriversal Feminist: Pedagogy for Decolonial Praxis of Care

This paper will focus on the processes of unlearning through the intellectual ontologies of Global South feminist theorists like Lugones, Tuhiwai Smith, Ahmed, and hooks, who enable us to incorporate decolonial pedagogies to unlearn the unconscious and conscious forms of colonization of our minds. The colonially induced discourses of universalism, rationality, modernity, sovereignty, and freedom have an imperial genealogy but have been uncritically accepted in the everyday praxis of the native population of the Global South and that of the West. This involves the coloniality of ontological norms of sexuality and interpersonal social behavior that are intricately woven within our colonized beings. But on a closer look, one can find that the hegemonic ways of knowing and doing are not viable across universal space-time and don’t holistically take into account the local-pluriversal historical realities culminating in generations of epistemicide. Thus, one has to consciously unlearn them to be able to authentically determine our political rights and tackle the contemporary challenges from the methodological vantage points of our own bodies, contexts, experiences, locations, languages, histories, societies, actions, and local knowledge systems. This paper will trace the pedagogies of care ethics that can enable decolonial feminism to flourish across pluriversal space-time.

Presenter:

Magna Mohapatra, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Ungrading as Feminist Pedagogy

In our presentation, we will promote ungrading–which, as feminist teachers, we consider an assessment practice that promotes meaningful learning and de-emphasizes letter grades–as a feminist pedagogical practice. Building on work from the collection Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead), edited by Susan D. Blum, we resist traditional grading as it inherently promotes the instructor’s authority and takes agency away from student voices and perspectives. Instead, we encourage students to experiment with their writing and potentially disrupt traditional writing structures without being penalized since our grading schemes are based on revision and completion. Further, we find ungrading to be more accessible to students as it lowers their anxiety about grades and provides instructors with a more manageable workload where we can focus on genuine feedback that helps students effectively communicate their purpose. In our presentation, we will describe our ungrading schemes, analyze student feelings about our schemes as well as our own pedagogical reflections, and promote ungrading as an accessible, equitable, and feminist practice. We will also ask attendees to reflect on their own grading practices and what feminist interventions they could make to those practices.

Presenters:

Molly Ubbesen, University of Minnesota, Rochester
Bronson Lemer, University of Minnesota Rochester

Self-Care Practices for Women: Used to Advance Health, Empowerment, and Social Justice

Self-care is a useful tool for balancing the demands of work, life, and society, particularly as women grapple with multiple forms of oppression. Such stress impacts our health, mental health, families, work, and communities. Through the enhancement of knowledge and value of self-care, including definition, options, and examples, the participants in this session will be able to apply this presentation to their personal lives, professional careers, and their communities/society, and subsequently foster empowerment and the furthering of social justice for all women. This presentation will attempt to build on the impact of stressors that women confront, as well as offer new self-care solutions for women using informational, hands-on, and future-driven approaches.

Presenters:

Crystal Aschenbrener, Campbellsville University
Rebecca Bohner, Campbellsville University
Lisa Ewing, Washington County Human Services Department

**Hybrid Panel

Disability Cultural Centers: Beyond Accommodations and Into the Future

Campus disability cultural centers are a new and growing phenomenon at colleges and universities in the US. In the past five years, several centers have emerged and radically changed the landscape of disability culture in and beyond postsecondary education spaces. These centers often grow out of student activism and a demand to meet the social, emotional, access, and community needs of disabled students from the students themselves. These centers go beyond the legally required access and accommodations provided by disability resource centers to focus on culture, community, identity, and belonging of disabled students in academic spaces that do not center or value their bodyminds. This panel will bring together student activists connected to the University of Wisconsin–Madison Disability Cultural Center (DCC) and DCC Coalition to discuss their visions for disability culture moving forward.

Presenters:

Helen Rottier, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Priyanka Guptasarma, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Emmett Lockwood, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Katie Sullivan, Vanderbilt University 

**Hybrid Panel

Moderator:

Kelsey Foster, University of Wisconsin-Madison

*This panel consists of four fifteen minute presentations, plus Q&A.

Reparative Pedagogy in Undergraduate Women’s/Feminist Health Education: Dreaming a Disability Justice Approach

This presentation explores the possibilities for liberatory and reparative pedagogical praxis in undergraduate women’s/feminist health education. Drawing on my current dissertation research, I imagine how the under-sung history of undergraduate women’s health education in the U.S. might be honored in its complexity, recognizing the exceptionally affirming, liberatory, and pragmatic role it has played in generations of students’ and instructors’ lives. Simultaneously, I explore how bringing a disability justice-oriented lens to bear on normative pedagogical and curricular praxis in undergraduate women’s/feminist health education could be one tactic through which to reorient it back to its original and generative ideals of multiplicity, epistemically valuing collective embodied subjectivity, anti-capitalist politics as foundational to health justice, coalition- and solidarity-building, rejecting mind/body dualism, rejecting biological determinism, and affirming and celebrating embodied difference. I argue that over the past 45 years, undergraduate women’s health education has been a source and scene of extraordinary power and anti-oppressive nourishment and that more thoroughly excavating that (recent) history, re-committing to prioritizing a rigorous intersectional analysis, and turning towards a disability justice framework could help this crucial pedagogical project to survive and thrive now and for decades to come.

Presenter:

Elise Nagy, University of Michigan

Trans Chicana Educators: Centering Creativity, Ancestral Knowledges, and Mental Health Advocacy in Queer Chicanx Feminist Pedagogy and Praxis

In an era of violent attacks on the autonomy of trans, queer, and non-binary individuals, anti-queer/trans book bans, restriction of gender-affirming medical care, and gender policing disguised as education policy, affirming the brilliance and existence of the queer and trans community is especially difficult in schools. Sharing preliminary findings of my dissertation work, this paper addresses how the pedagogical and curricular interventions of three trans Chicana(x) and Latine(x) educators in Chicago set a foundation for taking care of and sustaining queer education. In particular, I explore how these educators enact a queer Chicanx feminist lens/consciousness that allows for spaces of solidarity, fosters queer/trans-friendly approaches to curriculums, and places creativity, ancestral knowledges, and mental health advocacy at the center. This presentation will unpack the urgency of queer education and how educators’ pedagogies of resistance and hope generate sensations of pleasure that will inevitably honor our queer/trans past and secure our queer/trans future by way of joy.

Presenter:

Jodi Aguilar, University of Illinois at Chicago

Against Strength-Based Discrimination: Physical Ability as a Social Construct and Transgender and Nonconforming Athletes

Transgender sports competition bans rest on the faulty presumption that biological differences between those who are gendered male at birth and those that are gendered female at birth create important inequalities (and inferiorities) in physicality, strength, athleticism, and performance. The goal of this project is to critique the concept of physicality as biologically determined by performing the same analysis that has been used in numerous other cases wherein biology was used to justify excluding women, and racial minorities, from male-dominated domains by downplaying their abilities. I will show that women are not weaker than men because even strength, athleticism, and physicality are themselves social constructs. In other words, the attributes of strength and physicality, just like intelligence and leadership skills, are socially determined rather than measured by some objective metric. As a result, using these categories to group individuals only curtails rights to equal access rather than furthering them. My analysis leads ultimately to support the policy intervention that transgender athletes, including nonbinary individuals, should be allowed to compete in the gender category of their identification.

Presenter:

Naomi Scheinerman, Ohio State University

Widening the Aperture: Trans Care in the WTF

In a context of escalating anti-trans discourse, scholarship is investigating care in, through, and by transgender lives. However, while this research establishes the vital importance of trans care, less attention has been paid to a critical examination of the benefits and limitations of this emergent discourse. Accordingly, this paper pulls on transfeminist musings, feminist ethics of care scholarship, and trans studies to illuminate key tensions in the body of trans care literature and argue for a critical adjustment. I examine the discourse of trans care, investigate the argument for trans-to-trans care put forward by Hil Malatino (2020), and evaluate contradictions attendant to this discourse to argue for understanding trans care in a context of nuance and incommensurability. Ultimately, I demonstrate the value and necessity of strategically approaching gaps of embodied difference in the contradictory urgency of what Talia Mae Bettcher terms the “trans WTF” (2019)–a confounding experience of living under pressing theoretical questions–and call to widen the aperture of this conversation in a WTF world: to soften the edges and deepen the field, letting in more questions and more contradiction that we might reckon with incommensurability.

Presenter:

Orion Risk, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Moderator:

Valerie Murrenus-Pilmaier, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

*This panel consists of four fifteen-minute presentations, plus Q&A.

“This blood is hope”: Envisioning Just Period Futures Alongside Maasai of Tanzania

Over the past 20 years, scientific literature, policy entrepreneurs, and market innovators have positioned menstruation as an urgent global crisis. As a result, menstrual hygiene management (MHM) campaigns and other international development organizations distribute commodities and implement reproductive health programs as solutions. Many of these MHM campaigns orient around Western normative notions of menstruation as biomedicalized and menstruators as bodies for intervention. Through 12 months of fieldwork among Maasai of northern Tanzania, however, I learned that most people viewed menstruation quite differently. Menstruation is “the starting point of life”—the process through which menstruators and non-menstruators alike access adulthood, parenthood, and higher social statuses and earn communal respect, authority, and responsibility. Menstrual blood is a gift from God, a sacred secret, a health cleanse, a perennial hope for children, a powerful substance to protect, and the list goes on. Maasai ethics of relational personhood, too, are best described through osotwa, which is both a literal umbilical cord and a figurative, collective life force. In this presentation, I demonstrate that Maasai ideologies—born through systematic marginalization, state-sanctioned land dispossession, forced resettlement, climate devastation, and extreme poverty—help us envision more just futures for periods and people.

Presenter:

Rachel Hodapp, University of Wisconsin–Madison

The Moral Economy of Women’s Entrepreneurship: Employee Engagement Practices in Uganda and Ethiopia

Women’s entrepreneurship has been a prominent approach used to advance women’s empowerment globally in the last 30 years. Particularly in Africa, a continent with long and deep histories of women in markets and in trade, international organizations have emphasized the potential of women’s entrepreneurship for disrupting gender norms. With women entrepreneurs controlling more money and taking on more decision-making outside of the home, the assumption is that their business experience will lead to more individual empowerment and challenge gender inequalities. Drawing on a multi-sited case study of women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia and Uganda conducted over a two-year period, my research challenges atomized and asocial conceptualizations of the ‘woman entrepreneur’ and presumed links between individual entrepreneurship and empowerment. Women business leaders of small-medium firms in Ethiopia and Uganda frequently prioritize pro-social business behaviors over profit maximization and the realization of an atomistic sense of agency. This presentation will focus particularly on how women entrepreneurs engage with their employees as they recruit, hire, train, manage, and fire them. In their construction of a moral economy of labor, these women entrepreneurs suggest a situated and distributed view of empowerment anchored by longstanding and mutually beneficial relationships among participants involved in productive labor.

Presenter:

Lauren Parnell Marino, University of Wisconsin–Madison

An Insight into the Status of Women Managers in Higher Education in India: Challenges and Possibilities

Women academicians across the world, particularly in management, are heavily underrepresented in the university system, and male culture still prevails. As women climb the ladder, their proportion decreases considerably even though a large pool of women is ‘waiting in the wings’ because of the increasing number of women being recruited. In today’s demanding environment, women in India have been an untapped resource, often confined to more junior positions with little management responsibility. My paper endeavors to research these reasons and seeks to: increase the participation of women in higher education management for better gender balance, sensitise the higher education system through policies and procedures which recognise women’s equity and diversity, and facilitate their advancement through qualitative development of higher education by involving the unutilised pool of women capable of becoming administrators. The paper also looks into the role of training programmes at different levels to inspire women to become administrators and, thereafter, to develop programmes that provide the requisite skills. The paper concludes with the findings that reformations are needed in the higher education system and can only come when India is willing to change. The paper also illustrates that working women’s problems are universal, with some minor differences.

Presenter:

Archana Rathore, DAK Degree College

Overcoming the Gender Barriers: Education An Indispensable Tool in the Development of a Nation

Qualitative Education can help decrease the prevalence of early marriages, ensure equal opportunities for education, and foster the development of digital technology literacy. In this paper, I explore equality in education through Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which guarantees the fundamental rights of citizens. I argue that girls in Africa can enhance their self confidence and broaden their horizons, and the educated girls boosts the workforce fostering an inclusive society when equality is guaranteed in the classroom. These opportunities also improve child nutrition and decreases maternal mortality rate as well as reduces child mortality. When a girl child is afforded qualitative education, it empowers her by providing her with knowledge, skills and confidence. Equal access to education empowers the girls to contribute to society’s social, economic and political fabric of which inclusivity and potential of all individuals would lead to prosperity. Educated women are more likely to volunteer and become role models. Accordingly, qualitative education creates a profound and far reaching transformation beyond the individuals life; it is a significant investment that has the potential to uplift an entire nation. However, early marriages in some cultures undercut these opportunities-striking a balance will enhance the development of every nation and foster unity. 

Presenter: 

Ngozika Okaisabor

Moderator:

Terry Lilley, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Shining a Light on Data That is Ignored: How One Higher Ed Institution is Taking on Toxic Institutional Climate to Elevate Belongingness in STEM

Higher education institutions splash compelling prose on websites and in speeches regarding their commitment to a diverse faculty/staff and diverse students. And some members of the organizations work tirelessly to make the prose come to life. At our regional, comprehensive institution, we looked closely at internal data of STEM faculty/instructional staff, which revealed that women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ faculty and staff were indeed being recruited and hired but not retained at the institution. Our team pursued an NSF ADVANCE Adaptation grant to explore the issue and enact known best practice changes that could help reverse these trends. After a year of data collection, countless roadblocks, and analysis of internal data, the project team has identified four pillars critical to the grant-funded efforts to reform the institution’s climate. We will discuss the status of the project and how we are continuing to adapt to an ever-changing institutional climate that needs to heal, refocus on shared values, and make significant structural changes. Now moving into year two, the project will increase awareness about climate and culture issues, lead and support restorative practices, engage in community building, and support the fostering of psychological safety in the workplace and belongingness for all.

Presenters:

Jennifer Schuttlefield Christus, University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh
Denise Roseland, University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh

Intuitive Painting with Gabrielle

Want to relax and put some paint on a canvas?  Come with an open mind and you’ll be guided to create a one-of-a-kind abstract painting. The participants will be introduced to mark making, layering, highlighting, and quieting using acrylic paint.

Feminine vs. Feminist Voices in Literature and History

You can tell so much about a person from what they create. Choices of subject, perspective, style, and questions asked reveal personality, cultural context, and worldview, often much more so than the creator realizes or intends. Our panel will approach this phenomenon from a gendered viewpoint, examining women’s voices in scholarly and literary texts, ultimately exploring the fundamental questions of whether, how, and why female voices might differ from those of their male counterparts. This central question—whether a distinctly feminine voice even exists—is becoming both more urgent and more complicated in the current zeitgeist, as gender identities are being challenged at an accelerating pace. Each panelist will focus briefly on a different literary arena, followed by general discussion with attendees. The first speaker will contrast Stacy Schiff (The Witches, 2015), a female voice though not a feminist one, with Shirley Jackson, a woman and a feminist. The second speaker will discuss distinctive aspects of women writers’ works in contemporary science fiction and fantasy. Finally, the third speaker will explore the implications of Susan Zlotnik’s thesis (Women, Writing, and the Industrial Revolution (1998)), which showed that in contrast to men, women novelists exhibited a positive outlook on the early Industrial Revolution.

Presenters:

Stephanie R. Branson, University of Wisconsin–Platteville
Scott M. Ryan, Independent Scholar
Elizabeth A. Harry, University of St. Thomas

*This panel consists of three twenty-minute presentations, plus Q&A.

BIPOC Trans and Nonbinary Histories and Their Importance in the Ongoing Struggle for Trans and Nonbinary Liberation Today

In this session, the presenters will share a brief history of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) queer and trans people in the U.S. Then we will focus on the importance of BIPOC visibility within the history of the struggle for rights of trans and nonbinary individuals. Presenters will make a case for why these histories are of central importance to trans and nonbinary communities in the ongoing struggle for liberation. Particularly in the changing climate of academia, where courses that may cover such content at the university level are being defunded, attacked, and sidelined, it is important to continue to tell the stories of BIPOC individuals within broader movements. Presenters hope to create space for dialogue to contextualize individual experience as well (the personal is political).

Presenters:

Amney Harper, University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh
Teysha Bowser, University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh

Using Feminist Pedagogy to Enhance Equity and Empathy in the Healthcare Curriculum

As an English professor working in a health sciences college, I occupy a unique space for my students and my goals to teach critical thinking, writing, empathy, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) sometimes seem secondary to them. Still, I argue that they are the key ingredients for creating a future generation of effective healthcare workers. In this presentation, I focus on my work to bring a knowledge of gender disparity and equity to the healthcare curriculum. Specifically, I use feminist pedagogy in each of my classes to enhance empathy: in my first-year English classes, I have students learn to write for the health sciences by using collaborative methods and considering issues of diversity within their future professional fields; in my empathetic listening courses, I use narrative medicine—stories that help students understand their personal connections to patients and their experiences; and I have created a new course focused on gender and equity in healthcare. In essence, I propose that using the feminist pedagogical principles of collaboration, connection, personal experience, and narrative medicine help create healthcare professionals who place a premium not only on critical thought but also on empathetic care.

Presenter:

Jessie Wirkus Haynes, Bellin College

Trans-Antagonism in the Wisconsin Legislature: An Examination of Discursive Violence in Contemporary Anti-Trans Legislation

In 2023, a record number of bills targeting transition-related care for transgender people were introduced in U.S. State Legislatures; eight of the 179 were introduced in Wisconsin alone. One bill, Assembly Bill 465 (prohibiting gender transition medical intervention for individuals under 18 years of age), received overwhelming attention and condemnation from health and community-based organizations for its harmful potential against trans youth. While a majority of popular discourses and literature focus on corporeal violence as an impact of passed anti-trans legislation, little research acknowledges the harm that the mere introduction of trans-antagonistic legislation produces. Furthermore, the language used to oppose it is rarely interrogated for its contributions to cisnormativity. Here I aim to examine how discursive violence in contemporary trans-antagonistic legislation produces material consequences for trans individuals regardless of its passage. Utilizing critical discourse analysis to review the bill text and floor debate, I argue that legislation like AB465 contributes to dominant narratives that conflate sex with gender, position transness as a coercive threat, and present cisgender identity as a static natural category. The trans antagonistic language central to AB465 produces discursive violence and perpetuates the social and medical subjugation of trans children and adults. 

Presenter:

Yolanda Odufuwa, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

*This panel consists of three fifteen-minute presentations, plus Q&A.

Indigenous Women and Civil Rights: Learnings From Young Naga Women of Nagaland, India

Women often navigate between community values and hard-earned civil rights. While filled with tensions, these experiences can also constitute new feminisms. My nine-month ethnography explored such experiences of young Naga women by studying the relationships between future aspirations and socio-political identities of college-educated young Naga women and men. Nagas are ethnic communities indigenous to Indo-Myanmar hilly borderlands. Naga identity historically emerged as an oppositional identity to Indian society as Naga nationalists demanded an independent Naga state from India. One way Nagas see themselves as distinct from mainland Indians is that they treat women better than does the Indian patriarchal society. However, this identification is challenged by traditional Naga property rights and political bodies, which favor men. Young Naga women prioritized ancestral land traditions over individual rights while using Indian constitutional values to assert rights over non-ancestral properties and modern state politics. Doing so, they negotiated what it meant to be a Naga, asserting differences from mainland Indians and women’s rights, and thus, imagining new socio-political meanings of being a Naga woman. They put community selves over individual selves while not compromising on making their community equitable.

Presenter:

Mili Bhatnagar, University of Wisconsin–Madison

The Green Wave (Marea Verde): A Case for Hope

In 2018, hundreds of thousands of girls and women came together to urge Argentina’s lawmakers to decriminalize and ensure safe access to abortion. While the law didn’t pass the Senate, they did not give up. In December 2021, Argentina became only the second democratic country in Latin America to legalize abortion. These activists, who had been mobilizing in increasing numbers for reproductive rights, became known as the Marea Verde (Green Wave), named for the green scarves worn as a resistance symbol dating back to the days of military dictatorship when mothers and grandmothers of desaparecidos (people who had been abducted or disappeared for political reasons) protested against state violence in Buenos Aires. This fight did not happen in a vacuum. Women’s rights movements are intrinsically connected to that of gender inclusivity. Argentinian activists have also been among those most vocal in the process of gender-inclusive language, a topic heavily debated in a culture whose language is grammatically gendered. This presentation aims to share the history of a Latin American grassroots movement (Green Wave), as well as of a whole country’s struggle to decide what is “acceptable” when it comes to using language and who decides what that is.

Presenters:

Daniela Goldfine, University of Wisconsin–River Falls
Emma Esanbock, University of Wisconsin–River Falls

Grit and Determination for Change: Legacy of Chinese American Women Activists

Where are all the Asian American Women in the feminist movement? Esther Ngan-Ling Chow raised this question in 1992. For her, the demographic complexity apparently posed challenges for Asian American women to organize and participate in the larger feminist movement, but it didn’t prevent them from engaging in activism on various fronts. Thirty years later, Chow’s question still remains relevant, especially at a critical moment to honor the past, reflect on the present, and secure the future. In this project, the presenter will draw on life writing and archives to discuss the legacy of Chinese American activists and the great impacts of their grit and determination for radical and social change. The activists selected for discussion include those who participated in the women’s suffrage movement (Mabel Ping-Hua Lee); made history as the first Chinese American woman to vote (Tye Leung Schulze); fought for social, racial, and labor justice during the Civil Rights (Grace Lee Boggs), Asian American and LGBT rights (Helen Zia), and disability rights (Alice Wong) movements.

Presenter:

Dong Isbister, University of Wisconsin–Platteville

Stonewall and its Affiliation with Gender Theory

In my presentation, I aim to analyze how the Stonewall Riots of 1969 were the starting line of what we now call gender theory. From Obergefell v. Hodges to access to hormone replacement therapy, this series of events has rippled through feminist scenes today. Stonewall initiated the queer rights movement and is identified by many LGBTQ+ historians as single-handedly one of the most influential moments in feminist history. In order to effectively understand the basis of gender theory, I will highlight how intersectionality and racial identity also play a role in such conversations by highlighting significant figureheads of the movement, such as Marsha P. Johnson. Initiating conversations about the Stonewall Riots allows us to reflect on where our movement came from and to whom we have to pay homage.

Presenter:

Allie Clark, University of Northern Iowa

***Hybrid Panel

Moderator:

Stephanie Rytilahti, Director WGSC

Queer and Trans Theories in the 21st Century

During the spring 2023 semester, graduate students in UW–Milwaukee’s WGS 740: Advanced Queer Theory class interrogated the field of queer studies in the twenty-first century and examined how contemporary queer and trans theories can be applied to a variety of contexts to understand local and global struggles. The papers presented in this panel are products of these conversations. They explore the legacy of queer theory and its relationship to activism and how a return to its radical roots can be used to fight for social change during the neoliberal period; the tension between visibility, recognition, and regulation in theorizing subjectivity and the political potential of unfixed or unstable identities; and the significance of community archives in remembering rural queer communities and the generation of queer affiliative possibilities. These papers utilize contemporary queer and trans theorists, such as Aren Aizura, Marquis Bey, Sarah Schulman, and Dean Spade, as well as canonical works by Judith Butler, Cathy Cohen, Roderick Ferguson, and José Estaban Muñoz to show the ways in which queer studies has evolved as an interdiscipline over the last thirty years.

Presenters:

Leah Wilson, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Eleanor Clement, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Anthony Guerrero, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
David Ko, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

*This panel consists of four fifteen-minute presentations, plus Q&A.

Queering Ethos In Art Therapy

Queer artist. Trans art therapist. Non-binary activist. What is the relationship between these identities held by the presenter, and what is their significance to Queering art therapy? This is the central question the presenter, as a Queer art therapist, interrogates in this graduate project. Engaging in critical, art-based inquiry, this researcher addresses the historic and contemporary engagement of art therapy and mental health professions within the Queer community in terms of training, practice, and research, pointing to specific ways art therapy has reified material and symbolic forms of oppression and, in turn, caused harm to Queer practitioners and clients. Centering collaborative and individual art-making focused on quilting, comics, and other fiber crafts, the presenter engages in a reflective, intersectional exploration of Queer experience, ultimately proposing the practice of Queering art therapy as a political act. Queering art therapy is a call to action for art therapists to push the field toward a truly inclusive space for Queer people through centering Queer voices and experiences. 

Presenter:

Mikey Anderson, Catalyst Clinical Group

An Examination of Mainstream Media’s Treatment of Female Guitarists

The music press in the United States has historically marginalized and underrepresented female guitarists in rock and blues, especially Black women. This phenomenon can be traced back to widespread gender inequality and racism in white, male-dominated rock’n’roll culture and the masculinization of electric guitar. Previous research about the music press examines how it played an important role in reinforcing the gender-based status quo of rock by systematically denying women artistic credibility in various ways. Focusing exclusively on female guitarists, this study uses quantitative and qualitative textual analysis of 744 articles from 1959 to 2023 about 43 influential female guitarists in ten mainstream publications. Overall, these findings provide evidence to support the lack of media coverage, resulting in symbolic annihilation. By portraying female guitarists as women first and musicians second, the music press denies them credibility and reinforces traditional stereotypes of the guitar as a masculine instrument. In recent years with the rise of digital journalism and the proliferation of niche independent publications, the media has produced more equitable representations of women in guitar; however, the disempowering frame of “female guitarists” continues to exclude and marginalize women from greatness in rock music.

Presenter:

Isabella Fincher, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

Palestinian Issues: Two Sides of the Border

The killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11, 2022, left a deep impact on the collective memory of the Palestinian community. It elicited global reactions, with graffiti as a notable means of protest. In my thesis, I focus on a mural of Abu Akleh that was painted by a Palestinian Israeli artist on the wall of her home facing the street in a small town in Israel. Scholars have noted the unique power of graffiti to rhetorically re/construct places. In particular, Bruce (2019) defines of graffiti as a “space for encounter.” In other words, graffiti constructs space in a particular way, as “a scene for contact, convergence, or conflict. It may be routine, repeated, or rare. It is infused with contingency–a place where politics can happen and imaginations can be set alight. A space for encounter is also a physical or virtual locale that is framed in such a way as to encourage transformative engagements, even when its initial purpose may have been very different” (pp. 2-3). I dive deeper into the different spaces this piece of graffiti provided, informed by a literature review on protests, public memory, and public emotion.

Presenter:

Saja Abd El Hai, University of Northern Iowa

Feminist Praxis in a Digital World: Exploring the “Active” in Online Artistic Activism

This presentation considers feminist artistic activism as it participates in digital spaces. While the Instagram feeds of organizations such as UN Women frequently receive criticism for a presence online but a lack of action in the world, artistic work in an online space can support the feminist solidarity promoted by the social media of these organizations. By responding to such criticism with the creation of artworks that can only be accomplished in an online format, feminist artists enhance the transformative potential inherent to activism for both the audience who witnesses it and the artists who create in digital environments. This presentation considers the author’s own feminist artistic activism project that occurs in conjunction with the “16 Days to End Gender-Based Violence” campaign created by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership and UN Women to explore the question, “What is active about online activism?” Feminist activist Pat Reif pointed out, “You can’t be a feminist without praxis,” and this case study utilizes the vital data generated through research conducted by UN Women to create a dance collaboration grounded in the lived, embodied practices of women performers around the world.

Presenter:

Candice Salyers, The University of Southern Mississippi

***Hybrid Panel

Moderator:

Rickie-Ann Legleitner, University of Wisconsin-Stout

*This panel consists of three fifteen-minute presentations, plus Q&A.

A Fugitive Home and Abroad: An Analysis of the Treatment of African LGBTQI+ Bodies Within the Euro-American Asylum System

In the last few decades, many Africans have fled the continent to plead asylum in Europe and North America based on sexual orientation or gender identity. In most parts of Africa, gender identities and sexual behaviors that do not conform with cisgender heterosexuality are heavily stigmatized and punished by constitutionally authorized imprisonments or death penalties. This has resulted in serious homophobic attacks against those suspected of being LGBTQI+ in Africa and their subsequent flee to seek protection and safety in Europe, North America, and other places with LGBTQI+-friendly policies. There has been an in-depth exploration of the targeted violence LGBTQI+ persons suffer in Africa. However, a full exploration of the treatment of Black African LGBTQI+ bodies within the Western asylum system is still relatively rare. Drawing on discourse analysis of findings from in-depth interviews with African LGBTQI+ asylum seekers in New York and London and by considering the concepts of testimonial injustice and racism, this presentation will argue that the outplay of cultural and religious presumptions, language, accent, migratory stereotypes, and other prejudices are factors that mingle and are responsible for the targeted credibility deficit that African LGBTQI+ persons experience within the Euro-American asylum system.

Presenter:

Emillion Adekoya, Stony Brook University

Institutional Protection and Oppression: A Study of the Recent Supreme Court Judgment on Same-Sex Marriages in India and How it Dictates the Private Space of Same-Sex Couples

Five years post-September 2018, India’s landmark decriminalization of homosexuality by repealing Section 377 still hasn’t eliminated institutional discrimination faced by the queer community. Despite legal changes, queer individuals lack fundamental rights and are unable to marry, establish next of kin, or adopt children. In 2023, the Indian Supreme Court addressed same-sex marriage, aiming to extend equal rights. Paradoxically, the government that nullified Section 377 opposed the case, refusing to implement an inclusive marriage act ensuring equal rights. The imperative lies in formulating laws dismantling institutional discrimination and offering equitable lives for same-sex couples. In response, the queer community celebrates enduring bonds through symbolic ceremonies, persisting in the struggle against institutional oppression. My paper explores how institutions in India control the personal lives of same-sex couples, claiming to provide equal rights. Through case studies, it examines how these couples resist while trying to lead normal lives. Drawing parallels with the United States, where institutions dictate lives and marginalize individuals, the study highlights organizations combating oppression at the grassroots level, aiding people in protecting human rights. This research sheds light on people’s resistance and the promotion of equality despite the daily failures of institutions.

Presenter:

Sneha Basu, University of Northern Iowa

Access to Information for Minority Groups: On Health Literacy, Environmental Literacy, and Ecofeminism

Ethnicity, gender, education, and immigration have an acute impact on individuals’ health worldwide. The aforementioned core indicators cause limited access to healthcare and health literacy, which can increase inequalities among minority groups. Furthermore, climate change generates a myriad of health problems that increase the incidence of certain diseases that perpetuate systems of oppression, exclusion, and gender-based health disparities. The United States Department of State alludes to the corollary effects of climate change for certain minorities: “Climate change impacts are also compounded for women and girls of color, Indigenous women and girls, women and girls with disabilities, and LGBTQI+ persons, among others” (2023). How do access to information, health literacy, and environmental literacy contribute to lessening the disproportionate disparities within these groups? In this presentation, a multifaceted approach is taken to the collected data and textual analysis of scholarly articles that include the social determinants of health and ecofeminism. This analysis will provide a framework to examine health and (mis)information in an era wherein the sociopolitical apparatus has attempted to obliterate notions of being and belonging to society for minority health groups.

Presenter:

Mayra Bonet, State University of New York–Maritime College

Moderator:

Valerie Murrenus-Pilmaier, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

*This panel consists of four fifteen-minute presentations, plus Q&A.

Resigning Women: Institutional Violence, Trauma, and Non-Instructional Staff Considering Leaving Higher Education

This study investigates the feminization of higher education. The increase in the number of women entering the higher education workforce has created a structural transformation devaluing the work and a loss of prestige of higher education. This trend is an extension of the neoliberal context that results in a growing similarity of working conditions for faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and staff of all gender identities, wherein they have lower wages, fewer benefits, less agency and opportunities for advancement, as well as heightened anxiety over job security. This is particularly true for non-instructional staff workers who now serve larger numbers of students and other employees than ever before. In this study, 276 women-identified non-instructional staff participants completed a career history and surveys about imposter syndrome, work-life balance, career satisfaction, career mobility, mentorship, and campus climate. This presentation will highlight a series of findings on the importance of equal or greater emphasis on improving organizational governance, policies, and practices of higher education that can limit or advance (in)equity and inclusion as opposed to individualized development to improve campus climate and outcomes for marginalized staff.

Presenter:

Angela Clark-Taylor, Case Western Reserve University

Navigating the Landscape: Reflection on Student Centers in Higher Ed, Ensuring Inclusive Campus Spaces: Sustaining Viability & Equity for Student Centers

This proposal seeks support for a study focused on the evolving history, challenges, and imperatives facing student centers in US universities. The study aims to examine the historical evolution of these centers, assess the current challenges jeopardizing their sustainability, and propose strategies to ensure their continued effectiveness. The objectives include conducting a historical analysis, investigating contemporary challenges and threats, evaluating the impact of budget cuts and austerity measures, identifying best practices, and developing recommendations for sustainability. The study is significant as it will contribute to academic scholarship and serve as a practical guide for universities seeking to strengthen their commitment to diversity and support structures for marginalized student populations.

Presenter:

Maryam Mohieddin-Rad, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Cripping Space: Disability Cultural Centers and the Spatial-Rhetorical Politics of Access

Following almost two years of coalitional efforts and student organizing, the University of Wisconsin–Madison Disability Cultural Center (UW DCC) opened its doors in January 2023. The provision of a physical space that celebrates disability at UW sustains the legacies of disabled students and organizers, serving as a site of support and community for disabled folks on a vastly inaccessible and ableist campus. The creation of the UW DCC poses critical questions about the latent subtexts that underlie “inclusion” and “accessibility.” How are access needs honored in frictive situations? What does it mean to forge a crip-aligned politic in a higher education institution? How do we locate and grapple with the strictures and power dynamics of access and accommodation? The Disability Cultural Center can be a site of possibility, a place for worldbuilding and imagining crip futurities, a place for radical care, and a place for rest. Join Emmett Lockwood and Katie Sullivan to further trace the history of the student movement for a DCC and to examine the spatial and rhetorical politics of access, cultural center space, and disabled student activism.

Presenter:

Katie Sullivan, Vanderbilt University
Emmett Lockwood, Vanderbilt University

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Coalition Building

This presentation will explore equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in a challenging political climate, specifically that of the state of Wisconsin. How does EDI connect to the Wisconsin Idea? How does EDI support job readiness and support Wisconsin’s future workforce? What language shifts might be necessary to help a wider audience understand the value of EDI? How can we work together – staff, faculty, administration, industry leaders, and community organizers – to support the goals and objectives of EDI, even when disagreements arise? While there might not be clear answers, during this session, we will explore strategies and build coalition together.

Presenter:

Rickie-Ann Legleitner, University of Wisconsin–Stout

***Hybrid Panel

Moderator:

Stephanie Rytilahti, Director WGSC

Feminist Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon

Wikipedia is a key site for preliminary research, but after a 2011 survey found that less than 10% of contributors to the site were women, Art+Feminism was founded to create edit-a-thons and training materials that encourage cis and trans women, non-binary people, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities to become Wikipedia editors. As the platform is now referenced not only by humans but also by artificial intelligence engines, eliminating bias and diversifying the perspectives of its contributors is all the more critical. Ten years after Art+Feminism’s founding, this workshop will contribute to the ongoing labor of demystifying the editing process and making it more broadly accessible, with an expanded focus on topics beyond the arts. Participants do not need to have any previous experience but should bring a laptop or tablet with wireless connectivity. We will cover how to track the development of an article over time, demonstrate basic formatting, including how to cite sources, and work to strategize how individuals might best contribute to the site as editors. Finally, we will address how educators can incorporate feminist edit-a-thons into their teaching.

Presenter:

Anna Campbell, University of Wisconsin–Madison

*This panel consists of three fifteen-minute presentations, plus Q&A.

“W.I.T.C.H.”: Empowering Voices in the Age of Digital Feminist Discourse

My scholarly investigation into Devon Cole’s song “W.I.T.C.H.” centers on the impact of digital feminist discourse on women’s (and marginalized individuals’) autonomy amidst the 2022 Roe v. Wade reversal and increasing anti-abortion legislation. The inquiry examines how Cole’s portrayal of witches as “Women In Total Control of Herself” aligns with feminist theories, particularly in reproductive justice. Two main objectives guide this exploration: a focused analysis of Cole’s portrayal on #WitchTok, emphasizing the symbolic link to women’s autonomy, and an assessment of the lyrics’ resonance within broader feminist theories amid contemporary challenges. Against a backdrop of legal shifts and sociopolitical changes, the enduring witch symbol emerges as a potent representation of feminist resistance in digital spaces. Artists like Devon Cole strategically use this symbol to infuse social commentary into their works, sparking meaningful dialogues on women’s rights. This presentation underscores the importance of reinterpreting the witch archetype in feminism, emphasizing its relevance to contemporary gender issues. By analyzing Devon Cole’s “W.I.T.C.H.,” the aim is to illuminate the dynamic interplay between art and feminist theory, offering insights into the cultural and social dimensions shaping our discourse on women’s rights in the digital age.

Presenter:

Daniella Orias, Florida Atlantic University

My Story, My Choice: Contending with Privacy and the Implications of Sharing Stories Across Social Media

When the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case was brought before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022, they determined that the Constitution does not confer the right to abortion. Since this decision, there has been an increase in the rhetorical use of stories to advance advocacy for and against reproductive justice. I contend that the quick circulation of stories of reproductive [in]justice on Instagram, along with the ease of editing and changing visual and textual information, is a danger to the privacy and safety of storytellers, who are often sharing their vulnerable stories in hopes of influencing positive change without full knowledge of potential embodied experiences of those digital interactions (Johnson et al, 2015). Feminist scholars have an important role to play in the use of digital stories and the material bodies connected to them. Even with good intentions, activist accounts that share stories of reproductive injustice in digital spaces cannot promise the protection of the storyteller’s privacy. Considering the high stakes, I call on fellow feminists to engage critically and carefully with these stories, how they are used for advocacy in digital spaces, and what the impacts are on the embodied experiences of the storytellers. 

Presenter:

Danielle Koepke, Marquette University

Artificial Intelligence and Robotics: Gender-related Challenges and Dystopian Scenarios

This presentation analyzes the gender-related political, economic, and social influences of recent artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics initiatives. AI and robotics both present challenges in terms of gender bias, which can affect vital employment, health, and safety considerations. The rapid proliferation of these technological initiatives can make public policy efforts to mitigate the problems involved especially difficult. The presentation draws from the book Good Robot, Bad Robot: Dark and Creepy Sides of Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Systems, and Robotics (written by the presenter in 2022), as well as recent news stories and academic research. The presentation will focus on three case studies (including one involving facial recognition technologies) and elicit some audience feedback on how the situations should be addressed.

Presenter:

Jo Ann Oravec, University of Wisconsin–Whitewater

***Hybrid Panel

Moderator:

Jennifer Schuttlefield-Christus, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

*This panel consists of three fifteen-minute presentations, plus Q&A.

Queer Coding as Queer Theorization: Rituparno Ghosh and the Possibilities of Chokher Bali

This paper will study the queer, trans director Rituparno Ghosh’s cinematic adaptation of Chokher Bali, a Bengali novel by Rabindranath Tagore, as an exercise in queer scholarship. It will attempt to understand how text-to-screen interpretation changes the various registers of gender, sexuality, and domesticity in Ghosh’s filmography. The novel was published in 1903, and Ghosh’s 2003 adaptation adheres closely to the novel’s plot but uses the formal elements of the film to indicate that the characters make queer choices that afford them greater agency in their restrictive 19th-century domestic setting. This paper will argue that Ghosh employs “queer-coding” to reinterpret characters and elements beyond their gendered significations, opening up new lines of inquiry in historical and feminist scholarship on the Bengali Renaissance period. The film subverts the perceptions of rigid gender norms in classical Bengali literature, layers a faithful adaptation with a queer gaze, and utilizes cinematic technique as a theory of queer ways of being and associating beyond desire. This film can expand Ghosh’s positionality as a transitioning public figure in a queerphobic environment (where homosexuality was still criminalized in Ghosh’s lifetime) therefore stressing the “implicit and fugitive” modes of theory that creative queer figures have sought out.

Presenters:

Ipsa Samaddar, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Pratiti Ketoki, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

Resisting Binarism: Teaching Non-binary Communicative Strategies in Catalan and Spanish as Additional Languages

While Spanish and Catalan-speaking queer communities are being creative in finding ways to express dissident gender identities within extremely binarily-coded languages, linguistic authorities are pushing back against inclusive practices, such as the non-binary gender neomorpheme (-e for Spanish, -i for Catalan), or the use of x in written texts. Both Real Academia de la Lengua Española and Institut d’Estudis Catalans (institutions that set what “correct language” should be like) have issued statements reminding the public, the authorities, and the press that these practices fall outside of what is considered normative language and should therefore not be used in contexts aiming at correctness. However, renouncing strategies to break the gender binary within language leaves non-binary speakers not only unable to express their gender in an accurate way but also blocks them from using the only gender marker that can render their non-binary identity recognizable to others. Within the framework of queer pedagogy and drawing primarily from the work of Norton, Knisely and Paiz, Díaz et al., and Daussà and Pera-Ros, this paper argues that despite institutions’ ideological rejection of non-binary languaging, an honest, accurate language teaching practice must include non-binary communicative strategies that render queer linguistic expression possible and understandable for new speakers.

Presenter:

Bel Olid, University of Chicago

Poverty, Shame, and a Space for Healing: Creating Feminist Conversations and Community-Based Education in Public Universities

How can people learn to heal from the shame of poverty? Do public universities have the capacity to support this learning? Although institutions offer some forms of aid to people experiencing financial hardship, capitalist and neoliberal structures often prevent conversations around personal experiences of stigma, which maintains shame and barriers between economic classes. Utilizing memoir, my presentation reflects on growing up with poverty and its integral relationship with gender, education, religion, and community. I interrogate overarching Christian religious contradictions about gender, sexuality, heteronormativity, and poverty, while also recognizing ways to heal from shame. The intersections of feminist discourse, community-based education, and vulnerability can challenge social structures that reinforce shame by creating necessary conversations around financial hardship within secondary education spaces. My memoir strives to push for a world where those who have experienced shame, poverty, sexism, and trauma can grow, fight for a space to heal, and build community together while also extending conversations between different socioeconomic classes.

Presenter:

Rachel Slaybaugh, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Moderator:

Finn Enke, University of Wisconsin-Madison

*This panel consists of three fifteen-minute presentations, plus Q&A.

An “Old Perhapser”: George Moore’s “Albert Nobbs,” Asexuality, and Trans4Trans Missed Connections

“Albert Nobbs” was first published as part of George Moore’s A Story-Teller’s Holiday, which was privately printed in 1918, and then revised for inclusion in Celibate Lives (1927), along with some of the stories from Celibates (1895). In my paper, I will explore how Moore situates Albert Nobbs’ complex and shifting relationship to gender identity that responds to both Nobbs’ interior sense of self, as well as the emotional and economic possibilities and limits of late-Victorian manhood and womanhood. Nobbs becomes a man in order to pursue wider employment options as a waiter in London and Dublin, and yet retains these womanly tears as he tells of his loneliness to Hubert Page, who turns out to be another person who was assigned female-at-birth and now lives as a man. Still, Nobbs is unsuccessful in copying Page’s marriage and domestic contentment and the two “perhapsers” miss becoming a couple themselves by a matter of a few days. By putting these repeated missed connections in conversation with one another, I look to trace the shifts in the gendered possibilities for these characters and begin to contextualize these changes within Victorian and early twentieth-century literary genealogies of trans identities.

Presenter:

Lisa Hager, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee at Waukesha

Homonormative Objects: Queers of Color as Caricature on Screen

Despite efforts to increase the representation of racial and sexual minorities in film and T.V., we must be invested in how these portrayals of minoritized populations interact with the real-life viewers they intend to represent. This paper analyzes television representations of racial and sexual minorities, such as The Wild’s (2022) Ivan Taylor and Gossip Girl’s (2021) Julien Calloway. This caricature appears as a well-to-do, Black, Brown, multi-racial, or multi-ethnic character who is explicitly queer or steeped in queer aesthetics and is the mouthpiece of the presupposed failings and extremes of a “progressive agenda”—a scapegoat. This character is written to meld into white heteronormative space without experiencing the multi-layered impacts of their social location that would be inevitably felt in real life. I locate the impossibility of this character’s existence off-screen and argue that the growing popularity of this caricature exposes the ways “progressive” actions are vulnerable to affirming the systems of marginalization they claim to resist. I use Black feminisms and Queer of Color critique to navigate conceptual frameworks surrounding racialized caricature, Queer (im)possibility, and consumption. I engage with autoethnography to tease out my own ambivalence toward this caricature as a viewer whom the caricature superficially represents. 

Presenter:

Isha Shallah, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign

“Come Buy, Come Buy”: Sex and Temptation Through Visual Interpretations of Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market” 

Full of beautiful imagery and rife with thinly veiled sexual metaphors, Christina Rossetti’s poem “Goblin Market” (1862) has maintained its popularity throughout the past 160 years, and with each new publication comes new visual interpretations. Exploring representations of “Goblin Market” reveals varied societal views surrounding sex and temptation. This paper focuses on four different visual interpretations of “Goblin Market” spread throughout the last 160 years. The first illustration was created by Dante Gabriel Rossetti when the poem was published in 1862 and is discussed in this paper in the context of Victorian England and their views of feminine sexuality being nonexistent, that before marriage young girls need to remain virtuous and after marriage women still need to be chaste. Then the paper shifts to the 1933 illustration by Arthur Rackham and discusses its meaning within the context of 1920s and 1930s England, as women started to gain more sexual freedoms, including the use of contraceptives. The third illustration was created by Kinuko Y Craft in 1973 and was published in an issue of Playboy, leading to a discussion of sexuality not just in the context of the ‘free love’ movements of the 1960s and 1970s in the United States, but also how where an illustration is published is just as important as when it is published. Finally, Georgie McAusland’s illustration from 2021, published in the wake of social movements like Time’s Up and #MeToo, Laura’s encounter with the goblins is not due to her own shortcomings but puts the blame on the lecherous goblins. The vagueness of the poem allows the artists to apply it in their own contexts, not leave it in the past.  

Presenter:

Kaitlyn Hein, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

Moderator:

Kim Reilly, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

*This panel consists of three fifteen-minute presentations, plus Q&A.

Writing the Self as Social Justice: Centering Social Justice in the Capstone Classroom

Feminist pedagogy and praxis encourages us to effect social justice at the individual and collective level. What better way to do this than in a capstone class? This presentation describes the creation and implementation of an English capstone course focused on issues of social justice, moving from an interrogation of Freire’s notion of the “banking” versus “liberation” methods of education to the repercussions of that banking method of education in Spiegelman’s Maus I and Maus II. Then there’s prison slavery in du Vernay’s 13th and the erasure of Indigenous culture resulting in personal and environmental violation/devastation/trauma in Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass. We then move to speaking truth to power in Gay’s Hunger and Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure and end with the repudiation of societal censoring of the individual in West’s Shrill. Students are required to create their own social justice-focused final projects that are live-streamed at the end of the semester and archived in the Digital Humanities Archive at UW–Green Bay. 

Presenter:

Valerie Murrenus Pilmaier, University of Wisconsin–Green Bay

Exploring Personal Narratives in Teacher Education: Pre-service Teachers Reflecting on Sexism and Gender Oppression

There is an urgent call for increased attention to gender studies within teacher education, recognizing the positive impact teachers can have on students through gender-sensitive pedagogy. However, integrating gender issues in teacher education goes beyond mere awareness; it involves a political act capable of instigating social change and dismantling gender inequality and sexism within one of the most influential social institutions—education. My study analyzes the written reflections on gender-related topics of 74 pre-service teachers enrolled in a social justice course from 2018 until 2022. Using critical and feminist approaches, my research investigates how a curriculum centered on gender studies applied in a social justice course enriches pre-service teachers’ comprehension of sexism, gender oppression, and masculinity. The findings emphasize that employing a critical feminist approach in the study of sexism and gender oppression provides pre-service teachers with a platform to share, learn, and reflect on the impacts of sexism at multiple levels. Additionally, it cultivates feminist and critical perspectives, empowering pre-service teachers to practice more gender-sensitive pedagogy. This study offers concrete recommendations for future research and suggests that teacher education programs adopt a deliberate and conscious approach to include gender issues as an integral part of coursework in teacher preparation.

Presenter:

Marcos Viveros Cespedes, Oregon State University

“They Story” as Method: Queer and Trans Activism in the Intro to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Classroom

Up against the pressure to set the narrative straight, I have discovered that my writing background offers a unique opportunity to dispel the misconceptions of mainstream feminism. By centering trans narratives and disability justice, I wish to dispel the myth of “a single story” and inspire students to think beyond “single issue” work. I designed my first WGSS course to move through three creative projects: 1) a feminist manifesto, 2) the “They Story,” and 3) a justice poster/zine. The materials I assign prompt questioning, deepen understanding, and model project design. As we discuss bending gender and genre, students are prompted to first examine their own identities and construct positionality statements, then interview someone and compose an intersectional analysis that does not impose a narrative arc upon the other person’s story. The justice poster/zine project gives students the opportunity to build on that work and recast their learning in an activist form. Thus, queer and trans activism offers creative methods to confront what we don’t know and question both social norms and narrative scripts.

Presenter:

Kara Pernicano, Stony Brook University

Moderator:

Kathryn Klein, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Level Up and Wise Up: Women and the LGBTQIA+ Community in Online Video Gaming

My presentation will cover the evolution of the representation of women and LGBTQIA+ groups in the development of video games, specifically how their roles in the video game world have evolved alongside the growth of gaming and its shift to the online sphere. This expansion has come at a cost, namely the working conditions of these groups and their treatment at the hands of several corporations. I will examine incidents such as the Blizzard Activision lawsuit, how pledges to increase diversity may look fruitful on the surface but are increasingly superficial with each passing patch release, and which companies are truly committing to the cause of diversity and equity.

Presenter:

Angel Bronk, University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point

Benevolent Sexism, Hostile Sexism, and Career Aspirations in Emerging Adult Women

Ambivalent sexism theory (Glick and Fiske, 1996) suggests that sexism includes negative feelings toward women who behave in nontraditional ways (hostile sexism), as well as positive feelings toward women who behave in traditional ways (benevolent sexism). Experiences of certain types of benevolent sexism have been linked to lower feelings of competence and higher levels of self-doubt, but other types have been linked to higher self-esteem (Dumont et al., 2008; Oswald et al., 2019). However, little is known about how benevolent sexism links to career aspirations in young women. Via Amazon Mechanical Turk, we recruited a sample of 236 adult women ages 18-30 to explore their experiences of sexism and career aspirations. Data are fully collected and cleaned, and we are currently in the analysis stage, which will include four multiple regression analyses to see how experiences of hostile and benevolent sexism predict levels of general career aspirations, educational attainment goals, achievement ambitions, and leadership pursuits. We anticipate that hostile sexism and benevolent sexism experiences will each uniquely negatively predict career aspirations. Results have implications for young women’s perceptions of career success, sense of self-efficacy, and social pressure around career choices.

Presenters:

Ashley Lenarz, Winona State University
Amelie Pflamminger, Winona State University
Isabelle Alladin, Winona State University

Female Husbands: Long-Lost Stories of Trans and Queer Victorian Lives (1760-1905)

In studying female husbands, we can use modern transgender and queer theories to make comparisons between the lives of Victorian-era individuals who were assigned female at birth but wholly embraced lives as men/husbands and the lives of present-day trans and queer individuals. In sharing their stories, we can validate the lives of people whose existences were spun into narratives generated by the newspapers of the time rather than through their own voices. This form of coverage rarely accounted for the viewpoint of the female husband. Pronoun use varied greatly depending on the known details of the female husband, and these details tended to revolve around physical sex characteristics (which the public felt entitled to know) as opposed to how they publicly identified. Keeping one’s sex assigned at birth a secret was crucial for a female husband’s safety and survival, and many of these revelations were only discovered after the examination of their bodies upon their deaths. We must continue to seek out and share the lived experiences of all LGBTQ+ individuals, and fostering community through storytelling is one way to reclaim our strength through an increasingly difficult cultural climate.

Presenter:

Dallas Berka, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

A Study of Academic Research and Resistance in Context of Marginalized Sections of Society

The Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy (CSSEIP) at the University of Jammu, in Jammu, India, focuses on the study of socially excluded groups such as Dalits, Tribals, Gujjars and Bakerwals, religious minorities, women, people of Pahari areas, the disabled, and other disadvantaged groups including LGBTQ, queer, sex workers, and more. The Centre is actively involved in creating social awareness programmes among socially excluded groups regarding the inclusive policy of the government through lectures, social interactions, extension activities, seminars, conferences, workshops, publications, and research projects. Against this background, this paper will highlight the extensive research carried out on marginalized sections of society for an understanding of the nature and dynamics of discrimination and exclusion of these groups, with a focus on formulating a blueprint for protecting the rights of these groups and eradicating the problem of exclusion and discrimination. The paper also focuses on the difficulties and resistance concerning logistics that hamper the development, spread, and reach of the research to these marginalized sections of society.

Presenter:

Jasbir Singh, University of Jammu, India

I Run to Me: Exploring the Religious Oppression of LGBTQ Youth Through Autobiographical Photo Collage

The new wave of anti-LGBTQ laws targeting trans youth give conservative religious parents license to police the gender and sexual identities of their LGBTQ children (e.g., laws forcing educators to out LGBTQ students to parents and anti-LGBTQ laws predicated on religious freedom), which compels many LGBTQ youth to flee their homes. “This Blood is my Wine” is a photo collage I created in 2023 to generate a discussion of the religious oppression of LGBTQ youth. My presentation is informed by queer, feminist, and decolonial theories and reflects two common experiences for LGBTQ youth raised in Evangelical Christian households: 1) the harm experienced by LGBTQ youth who try to conform to appease the expectations of conservative religious parents and 2) the joy LGBTQ youth can experience when they run towards their true selves, including the tenuousness of this joy when it results in running into other issues such as homelessness, poverty, or discrimination. Ultimately, this presentation asserts that LGBTQ youth deserve the freedom to explore their true selves, which includes challenging anti-LGBTQ laws and accessing the structural support necessary for such exploration.

Presenter:

Liam Grossman, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire

Thoughts, Attitudes, and Perceptions of the LGBTQ+ Community in Rural, Urban, and Suburban Areas

Building upon existing research, this investigation explores the obstacles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals based on the size of their community. Findings reveal that rural areas exhibit significantly higher levels of internalized homophobia and that feelings of safety and security were lowest in rural settings, highlighting the unique challenges encountered by LGBTQ+ individuals. The study also identifies a significant correlation between political ideologies and prejudiced opinions, with individuals holding far-right beliefs displaying increased levels of bias against LGBTQ+ individuals. Considering the lack of safety and security in rural areas, urgent attention is required to address safety concerns and create a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ residents. To promote inclusivity and safety, our study recommends proactive measures by local entities—employers, organizations, churches, and individuals—in support of LGBTQ+ equality in communities of all sizes. This grassroots approach, initiated at the local level, holds the potential to create a positive ripple effect and contribute to a more welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ individuals in their communities. Recognizing the diversity within rural communities and considering identity markers such as race and religion is crucial for a more accurate and inclusive understanding of LGBTQ+ experiences.

Presenter:

Natalie Riddle, University of Wisconsin–River Falls

Postfeminism Goes Alt-Right: Trappings, Tropes, and the Implications of the “Tradwife” Influencer Movement

Our research examines the “tradwife social media influencer” phenomenon through a critical feminist social-psychology lens. The “traditional wife” (tradwife) movement is a conservative backlash to liberal feminism and postfeminist ideas, which advocates for a return to an idealized version of the 1950s patriarchal, domestic life. The movement promotes the role of the traditional housewife, emphasizing motherhood as a refuge for the burnt-out career women of the post-Metoo era who feel disillusioned by feminism, particularly concerning the “third shift.” While women undoubtedly choose to occupy “traditionally” feminine roles and exist as housewives/stay-at-home mothers around the world, with a variety of political leanings, our research seeks to understand this movement through the positionality of tradwife influencers on social media who are typically cisgender, white heterosexual, Christian women who promote the tradwife lifestyle and ideology for profit. Through empirical, visual, and discursive analysis, we explore the sociocultural, psychological, and political factors driving this anti-feminist movement and its ties to the alt-right and white supremacy. Our research uses visual motif analysis to identify key tropes across the tradwife landscape.

Presenters:

Claire McGinley,  New School University 

“Hold me, water”: Exploring Care Collectives and Colonial Realities in Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis

Traditional discussions of political resistance raise images of masculinized forms in the cultural imagination, while feminized efforts are obscured or overlooked. In her novel Cantoras, Carolina De Robertis crafts the tenacious world of five queer women who find refuge from the violently enforced silence of Uruguay’s civic-military dictatorship through acts of feminine care and community building. How can femme care collectives heal the pain imposed by neoliberal ideologies and authoritarian oppression? The novel’s radically communal femininity coexists with Uruguay’s material reality as a nation founded on colonial invasion. As these women resist through care, they too are implicated in a long history of violence against and erasure of indigenous lives and cultures. Addressing this tension between healing and harm recognizes the significance in continuing to understand that liberation for any must be liberation for all.

Presenter:

Noelle Candler, University of Wisconsin–Madison

When Feminists Disagree: Pedagogical Responsibilities in Teaching Feminist Theory

Feminism is not a monolith. Throughout its history, there exists disagreement between Marxist, liberal, radical, and various other feminist theories. Just as conflict exists amongst theorists, students also have various interpretations and applications of feminism. Although the feminist classroom inherently analyzes critiques of the social status quo, there exists a gap between the presence of disagreement amongst students and the practice of disagreeing in the classroom. Disagreement has powerful influence on students’ understanding and engagement with content as well as democratic participation beyond the classroom. Cultivating and properly navigating disagreement amongst students themselves while making space for them to adequately critique their curriculum, professors, and peers provides opportunity to improve both. This paper employs a philosophical approach to teaching feminist theory by analyzing its purpose, exploring current classroom dynamics, and providing methods to better encourage student disagreement. Current political discourse already exhibits critique of the feminist classroom from those arguing that these spaces are not amenable to open discussion and debate. To both address these critiques and improve the learning of GWS students, this paper ultimately asks: what are the pedagogical responsibilities when teaching feminist theory in higher education?

Presenter:

Anna Nelson, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Gentrification of Queer Spaces

Gentrification can take place anywhere; it is the process of taking places that are considered lower class or run down and remodeling them. This often leads to displacement of individuals who were a part of a community before the remodeling but cannot continue to be because of the cost. Displacement and gentrification are not the same. I discuss the differences between gentrification and displacement, the history of queer people being affected by and participating in gentrification, the importance of political organization in these communities, and the erasure of communities. I also cover intersectional voices within the queer community and the effect of intersectionality on the queer community including how erasure affects intersectional voices and ways to stop displacement while renovating and gentrifying these areas. I look at the history of queer gentrification in the western world while acknowledging ways that the eastern world is affected. I explore the questions: What is the history of queer gentrification and how has it affected queer people and BIPOC in the past? Why is having queer communities important? And how can we fix up buildings without displacing the queer people that live there?

Presenter:

Jak Kielpikowski, University of Wisconsin–Platteville

Epistemology of the Erotic: Sexual Epistemic Injustice and the Promise of a Feminist Pornography Knowledge Project

From Foucault to Freud, philosophers have sought to explore the notions of perversion, pleasure, and power as they function in the production and consumption of pornography, yet there are no current frameworks under which we might establish the clear functions of injustice brought about by pornography and further work to alleviate and prevent these injustices. This project establishes an epistemic injustice framework specifically tailored to sexuality and pleasure, utilizing Audre Lorde’s notion of the erotic as a marker of the pleasure that sexual-epistemic agents are effectively blocked from accessing due to the epistemic implications of mainstream pornography. Locating Audre Lorde within the context of the sex wars of the 1970s and 80s while providing a close textual analysis of her 1978 essay, Uses of the Erotic, I seek to build a framework for a feminist pornography knowledge project in alignment with her ideology, while addressing the tensions between the erotic and pornography, and negotiating her strict anti-pornography stance in favor of an erotically liberatory mode of producing, consuming, and distributing pornography.

Presenter:

Amelia Teske, University of Wisconsin–Madison

***Please note that this workshop begins at 1:45pm***

As powerful thinkers whose work is grounded in lived experience, feminist scholars have an obligation to advance public discourse around issues affecting women and girls, racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, indigenous peoples, LGBTQAI individuals, those who are disabled or neurodivergent, and others whose experiences have been marginalized or whose very existence is threatened by policy and/or shifts in the cultural tide. This workshop offers practical guidance for amplifying your voice through public-facing writing. Presenters will share their own experiences and provide practical advice for pitching ideas to magazines, newspapers, and blogs in key print and online forums, as well as brainstorming potential topics and pitches based on attendees’ interests and expertise.

***Please note that this workshop begins at 1:30pm***

Want to relax and put some paint on a canvas?  Come with an open mind and you’ll be guided to create a one-of-a-kind abstract painting. The participants will be introduced to mark making, layering, highlighting, and quieting using acrylic paint. Time: 1.5 hours to 2 hours

Feminist Teaching in Backlashes and Upheavals: How Can the Syllabus Be Used as a Tool for Resistance?

As feminist educators, we are troubled by the backlashes against women’s and gender studies and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, but also by the impact of the last several years on students’ lives and learning (e.g. the COVID-19 pandemic, police violence, the overturning of Roe v. Wade and affirmative action, etc.). In this context, we have found ourselves shifting our attention to the radical potential of our syllabi. If we believe in liberatory education, how does that show up (or not) on our syllabi? Are our policies rooted in compassion or driven by university mandates? Do they convey a desire for compliance or for claiming one’s education? Have we allowed the requirements of “the syllabus” to discipline us and tamper our resistance? How do we flip that and use the syllabus as a site of resistance for ourselves and our students? In this workshop, we interrogate the syllabus as the framework for our feminist pedagogy. We will discuss ideas about teaching philosophies and examine how specific policies, such as attendance, assignment deadlines, late penalties, and grading/ungrading, align with those ideas. Participants will be invited to share their strategies for teaching and resistance at this moment.

Presenters:

Ayana K. Weekley, Grand Valley State University
Danielle M. DeMuth, Grand Valley State University

*This panel consists of five fifteen-minute flash talks, plus Q&A.

From Pampering to Empowerment: Comparing Self-Care and Radical Self-Care Content on TikTok

Since 2016, the concept of self-care has seemingly become commodified on popular mediums like social media. To combat this, Black feminists created the term radical self-care to differentiate and reclaim the original intentions of self-care. The purpose of this research study was to compare themes of care, discussion of activism, engagement, and the levels of commodification seen in “self-care” vs. “radical self-care” content on TikTok. Findings suggest that Black feminist theorists were correct that self-care has become extremely commodified and beauty product-centric on social media platforms. Moreover, self-care content mainly contained advertisements in the form of product placement, which was the most pervasive form of advertising in this study. Data suggest that radical self-care content was mainly focused on emotional and mental self-care, activism, and collective communal care. However, engagement findings indicate that self-care content received statistically higher engagement overall compared to radical self-care content. This finding suggests that the general public’s main perception of self-care is a highly commodified, beauty-centric version. How can we combat this notion of self-care, and is it possible to bring self-care back to its Black feminist and activist roots?

Presenter:

Isabel Garlough-Shah, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Breaking the Silence: A Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis of Arabic and English Language Gender-Based Violence Activism on TikTok

Gender-based violence (GBV) continues to be a threat to women and girls around the world, significantly impacting their well-being and lives. In today’s digital age, online platforms are considered battlegrounds, where users fight against GBV by launching online campaigns aimed at raising awareness and advocating against the abuse of women. TikTok is a prominent platform where hashtags are repeatedly used to spread awareness about GBV against women. Guided by Lazar’s feminist critical discourse analysis framework, the present study analyzes 80 TikTok videos associated with one English and one Arabic hashtag to systematically explore the gendered power relations and linguistic differences present in the discourse surrounding GBV activism in different cultural contexts. Our analysis yielded two counter-discourses, namely, breaking the silence and redefining cultural norms. The study further presents a semiotic analysis of different elements in the videos, such as transitions, emojis, colors, and music. Finally, our results shed light on the gendered relations and power dynamics as depicted in each hashtag. (Aliaa El Shabassy, a graduate student from the American University in Cairo, Egypt, co-authored this research paper.)

Presenter:

Isabella Fincher, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

Resistance Through World-Queering in “Marauders” Fantexts

Fandom scholars understand online fandom communities as safe spaces for a variety of minority groups, especially the LGBTQIA+ community. Fantexts, such as fanfiction or social media posts about the source media, provide fans with opportunities to explore nonhegemonic identities within the bounds of already established worlds and characters. But fantexts can also serve as an opportunity for world-queering. World-queering, coined by Dr. Diana Floegel, describes the ways fans erase and/or reorient cisheteronormative worlds within and outside the source material when creating fantexts. For example, the “Marauders” fandom, an offshoot of the Harry Potter fandom, consciously works alongside and against the transphobic and racist views of J.K. Rowling. In contrast to the racism, cisheteronormativity, and autonormativity of the world we live in and the world the original Harry Potter series inhabits, Marauders fantexts foreground characters of color, characters of diverse gender identities and sexualities, anarchical relationship dynamics, and more. Through analysis of different tropes in the Marauders fantexts, we posit that these world-queering efforts by Marauders fans constitute a vital act of queer resistance and a fugitive space for individuals for whom the source material is inaccessible due to the harmful views of the creator.

Presenters:

Kendra Stiers, Miami University
Wren Burks, Miami University

“Let’s do the time warp again!”: Anti-Feminists in the Digital Age

The digital age has not only revolutionized the ways in which we communicate and engage with societal issues but has also given rise to a new breed of influencers challenging the core principles of gender equality. This paper aims to examine the strategies employed by these digital anti-feminists and the historical threads connecting their narratives to earlier eras of anti-feminist rhetoric. The research will delve into the content, strategies, and impact of contemporary digital anti-feminist influencers. By drawing parallels with historical movements such as the anti-suffragists and the anti-ERA rhetoric of figures like Phyllis Schlafly, the paper aims to illuminate the ways in which these digital influencers echo and build upon past anti-feminist discourse. This paper will contribute to our understanding of the current dynamics of gender discourse in online spaces and provide valuable insights into the persistence and evolution of anti-feminist ideologies across different historical periods, ultimately allowing for an exploration of the intersections of digital culture, historical rhetoric, and contemporary gender politics.

Presenter:

Meredith Walker

Jennifer’s Body: The Flaw in “Female Rage”

This presentation focuses on a genre of horror with growing popularity: “female rage” films. There is a long history in feminist horror studies of bestowing a specifically “female” quality to certain types of rage, often to argue that representations of such rage are in some way empowering or feminist. I challenge this framework through an analysis of the 2009 film Jennifer’s Body, demonstrating how its purported feminism relies on reinvestment in gender roles and binary sex, ultimately reifying the very structures upon which patriarchal oppression relies. By showing how a simplistic reading of Jennifer’s Body as a site of “female rage” precludes other avenues for analysis and overlooks troubling power structures inherent to the titular character’s actions, I hope to demonstrate that “female rage” is not a useful framework for feminist horror studies. Rage in and of itself is not feminist simply because it is expressed by a female, and horror criticism that reinvests itself in the notion of a unique, particular “female” rage ultimately does more work to perpetuate gender roles than to break free of them.

Presenter:

Grace Files, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

***Hybrid Panel.

Fostering Feminism in Student-Centered Spaces

Our presentation will discuss the collaborative efforts and high-impact practices between Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) and the Women’s Resource Center (WRC) at UW–Milwaukee. Resource centers are as important as ever because they provide community spaces, support, and resources combating attacks on choice, the spreading of violent misogyny online, threats against trans students, and more. Representing WGS, Morgan will discuss how she has expanded internship opportunities for students at centers across campus. Next, Kacie, director of the WRC, will talk about her perceptions of innovative collaborative efforts between the WRC and WGS. She will also discuss the role interns play in the WRC and how important mentoring is to their development as students and as feminists. The other four panelists, Katherine, Lexy, Kaitlyn, and Grace, will share their experiences as interns at UWM. They will explain what they did, what they learned, and how these internships helped them deepen their understanding of feminist praxis and its application to real-life work. Underscoring the importance of student centers and their roles on university campuses, this panel will highlight the urgent need for student centers and the programming they provide, as campus centers are often havens for students who are marginalized.

Presenters:

Morgan Foster, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Kacie Otto, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Katherine Maloy, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Grace Hewitt, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Kaitlyn Hein, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Lexy Lunger, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

Black Women’s Narratives of Struggle, Resistance, and Change

In 1974 a group of Black women who identified as lesbians gathered in Boston to form the Combahee River Collective. They named their collective after the 1863 Combahee River Raid to commemorate Harriet Tubman’s role in the raid, during which she led over 150 enslaved African American men to the river to fight with the Union Army. In 1977, the collective published the Combahee River Collective Statement, which became a founding text for modern Black feminism and for theorizing what Kimberlé Crenshaw later called “intersectionality.” This panel celebrates the women of the Combahee River Collective and three African American women artists–Lorraine Hansberry, Nina Simone, and Gloria Naylor–who worked tirelessly to disrupt and dismantle the multiple oppressions that stood in the way of Black women’s liberation and the realization of their deferred dreams.

Presenters:

Sandra Adell, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Yujie Cao, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Jnae Thompson, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Moderator:

Stephanie Rytilahti, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Feminist Praxis: Field Experience as a Tool for Feminist Futures

Michele Berger and Cheryl Radeloff define feminist praxis as “the integration of learning with social justice,” and state that “[p]raxis is about applying one’s knowledge to challenge oppressive systems and traditions” (2022). Like many other women’s, gender, and sexuality studies (WGSS) programs, we completed 60-hour field experiences as a capstone of our feminist education. In this panel, we highlight our different capstone projects, where we put our WGSS education into practice alongside our learnings in our different majors. Throughout the fall 2023 semester, we organized around reproductive justice, queer issues, victim advocacy, and sexual health and pleasure to challenge oppressive systems at Winona State University and in Winona. Through the discussion of our different capstone experiences on this panel, we will examine how feminist pedagogy in practice can be utilized to create change in our current communities and in our futures as feminists. The theme “Feminist Pedagogy and Praxis” offers a jumping-off point for exploring our activist capstones in gender and sexuality studies and the importance of applying social justice theory on our campus and in our communities.

Presenters:

TL Jordan, Winona State University
Karina Kpahn, Winona State University
Autumn Patterson, Winona State University
Amelie Pflamminger, Winona State University

Moderator:

Mary Jo Klinker, Winona State University

“A” is for Abortion Activism: Understanding Information Needs in a Post-Dobbs Wisconsin

After Roe v. Wade was overturned, a group of activists in a mid-sized Wisconsin city came together to learn about how they could become an abortion information hub for their community. In order to do this, they decided to learn about how people search for abortion information in a specific Wisconsin county. Using a community-based participatory research model, the group distributed a survey via Facebook groups, emails, flyers, and community outreach. Collectively, they received over 70 responses. These findings discussed the negative consequences of anti-abortion imagery and discourse in the community, as well as opportunities for sharing abortion information through activism and community connections. In this panel presentation, learn about the formation of the activist group, the survey, its distribution, and how the findings will be implemented. Additionally, you will learn about community-based participatory research and how it has the potential to impact social justice on local levels.

*This panel consists of three fifteen-minute presentations, plus Q&A.

A Pedagogy of the Full Self: Being and Inviting Full Selves Into Academia

A pedagogy of the full self (PFS) is about being and inviting full selves into academia. It began with a chapter on how Black feminisms, taught by Black feminists, showed me I could–and should–bring my full self into the rooms I enter. It developed into a way to challenge systemic oppressions in academic spaces by being my full self in those academic spaces. From writing how I think to including that I am autistic when I introduce myself to my students, a PFS is a teaching praxis that requires vulnerability and strategic self-disclosure in order to facilitate student learning and classroom community building.

Presenter:

Casey Anne Brimmer, Virginia Tech

Religion Matters: Toward a More Inclusive Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies

Gender, women’s, and sexuality studies (GWSS) informed by feminist, queer, and trans theories give students a lexicon of resistance and resilience that describes and celebrates the vast diversity of the human experience. These studies articulate ideas like ambiguity and fluidity while encouraging acts of justice and radical inclusivity. Although the academic study of religion is rooted in colonialism and white supremacy, in recent decades, it has expanded to include womanist, queer, trans, feminist, mujerista, and postcolonial theologies and theories. A self-aware study of religion and religiosity adds necessary context to the GWSS conversation. I argue that for GWSS to reach its full potential as an interdisciplinary framework, it must consider the scholarship of the academic study of religion. From my position as a survivor of religious trauma, I see religion as a significant marker of identity. To ignore its impact deemphasizes the experiences of religious women and LGBTQIA+ people who subvert norms and seek empowerment within their faiths. Moreover, given that religiously-charged patriarchy, misogyny, white supremacy, and heteronormativity permeate US society, it is imperative that GWSS take religious studies into account.

Presenter:

Jarita Bavido, University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point

Insider-Outsider: A Transnational Feminist Autoethnographic Reflection on a Faculty-Led International Immersion Program

Considering our increasingly globalized world and the mobility of academics, this paper delves into the methodological complexities of taking undergraduate students from a predominantly white institution (PWI) on a faculty-led international immersion program to India in January 2023. As a WGSS faculty and a woman of color from the Global South, I strove to facilitate this program as a critical path for students to put transnational feminist theoretical frameworks into practice. Specifically, as a faculty that teaches transnational feminism, I recognized the urgency and need for my predominantly white and Western students to recognize their positionalities, practice self-reflexivity, revoke ideas of the white savior complex, and consciously challenge reductive Western constructions of “third world” and “Global South women” as “collectively oppressed” (Mohanty, 1984). My transnational feminist autoethnographic reflections outline the use of feminist research methodologies to enable the “researchers” (students) to critically analyze the historical, socio-political, and economic factors that shape the research site (immersion program). I delineate issues regarding unequal power differentials, ways to counter them, building rapport and solidarity with participants (feminist partners in India), and the politics of engaging travel/tourism in a globalized world fraught with the legacies of Western colonialism and cultural imperialism.

Presenter:

Josephine Kipgen, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire

Moderator:

Emillion Adekoya, Stony Brook University

*This panel consists of two twenty-minute presentations, plus Q&A.

Activism and Aging: It’s All the Rage

“Activism and Aging: It’s All the Rage” grows from a two-year archival project. This project centers on issues of aging and activism and focuses on our exploration of Madison and Dane County Raging Grannies’ local Wisconsin performance activism over the course of several decades. In this paper, we explore the key themes they have focused upon in the past decade, the wide variety of protest activities they have enacted across Wisconsin, and their creative response to COVID-19 constraints. This research will help audiences understand: (1) the reach of the Raging Grannies’ political work, (2) the immense social value of investing time in grassroots protest activities, and (3) the organization, enthusiasm, and sacrifices this work often entails. Furthermore, using the lens of feminist ethics of care theory, our analysis will focus on community building and grassroots organizing, as well as the significance of personal relationships that have been formed in the process of this elder activism. This paper, above all, seeks to acknowledge the intellectual and creative contributions of the Raging Grannies and their ongoing commitment to improving the lives of those in their local WI communities and beyond.

Presenters:

Christine Garlough, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Orion Risk, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Amber Palson, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Beatriz Botero, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Haritha Bhairahabhatla, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Hannah Kennedy, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Carrie Danielson, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Kelsey Card, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Somewhere Between Adult Ed and an Open Mic: Lesbians WriteOn’s place in the Post-Pandemic Zoom Sphere

Lesbians WriteOn is a collective of six lesbians, self-appointed producers of weekly programs focused on lesbian adult literacy in community—reading and writing texts by lesbians and archiving our political activism and social and private lives. In our first year working together, we produced 51 programs on Zoom and amassed an audience mailing list of over 300 lesbians. We six met during the pandemic when we found the Gulfport, Florida Public Library’s LGBTQ+ Center’s annual conference called ReadOut online. After the conference, it became clear to us that ReadOut really wanted to be and return to a local program, not a worldwide Zoom program. So we six moved on. This presentation will include an examination of the producer/audience relationship, our broad content trends, what a presenter does, who our audience is, and the constraints and challenges we face in our community of lesbians.

Presenter:

Monica Barron, Lesbians WriteOn

Moderator:

JoAnne Lehman, Gender and Women’s Studies Librarian

Anti-Racist Feminism and Resistance to State Violence

As political prisoner Susan Saxe once stated: “My feminism does not drive me into the arms of the state, but even further from it” (quoted in Mariame Kaba, We Do This ‘Til We Free Us, 2021). This claim is one that connects our research to antiracist feminism. This panel builds from student scholarship analyzing the importance of abolition feminism and decolonial practice in relation to exposing state control and violence. We will examine our intersecting research on disability justice, abortion and mutual aid, and feminist responses to fascism in Brazil. A portion of the discussion will examine how feminist students use their studies to enact anti-racist feminist practices in our communities. We use the theme “Resistance Across the Globe” as an entry point into examining transnational connections between these movements.

Presenters:

Mary Jo Klinker, Winona State University
Jess Weis, Winona State University
Olivia Shoenbauer, Winona State University
Anastasia McFarlane, Winona State University

*This panel consists of four fifteen-minute presentations, plus Q&A.

Femicides and Colonized Masculinity/Los femicidios y la masculinidad colonizada

This paper will focus on the impact of colonialism on gender formations in Central America, and in particular, the coexistence of the post-colonialist nation and colonized masculinity that are integral parts of the investigation of female bodies and the violence against them. The experience of gender is always connected to national identity and language planning. The national language has a specific valuation of the female body that creates a specific role for these bodies in society. Why does violence against the female body exist, and how does this violence relate to the concepts of the nation and post-colonial gender? To start, I will define some terms and their etymology, such as femicide, post-colonial nationalism, and colonized masculinity. With this information, I will investigate the creation of nationality in some parts of Central America and its relation to gender. Finally, I will take a perspective on the relationship between national identity and the death and rape of millions of women. With this research, it is possible that the issue of rape and violence against women can be better known in the world to improve the situation and distinguish the reasons that create these dangerous spaces.

Presenter:

Michele Haeberlin, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

Deconstructing Power in the Language of Sexual Assault

This presentation investigates problems with popular rhetoric such as “survivor” and “gender-based violence” and brainstorms alternative terms that better promote inclusivity, agency, and empowerment. Using Chris Linder’s power-conscious framework, I explore how “survivor” ignores inherent power dynamics. Additionally, a power-conscious analysis of “gender-based violence” reveals how the popular term renders intimate partner violence within the LGBTQIA+ community invisible by focusing only on people’s genders and not their relationships with one another. As such, this presentation encourages interrogation of the common terms used in the #MeToo Movement and Time’s Up Movement vocabularies. To make the theoretical practical, I bring personal perspectives to highlight creative ways of interacting with the language of sexual assault. To conclude the presentation, I discuss how our individual learning in this space can best be implemented in our respective organizations and our personal lives.

Presenter:

Riley Brennan, Adler University 

Imagining Intersex Futures

At the first public intersex rights demonstration in 1996, the protestors presented a simple demand: to end nonconsensual, non-emergent surgeries on intersex children. This action can be understood as a demand for intersex futures, to give intersex children the opportunity to grow up into intersex adults in the bodies they were born with and the full knowledge of this reality. Despite the simplicity of this call for developmental integrity and bodily autonomy, it remains unfulfilled. Over the past three decades, intersex bodies have continued to be pathologized, forcibly altered, and invisibilized by medical systems while treated as a symbol or abstraction in many queer and trans studies contexts. Increases in recognition and protection for intersex human rights have been considerable but have been unable to overtake the social, legal, and medical suppression of any perceived threats to the hegemonic sex and gender binary. This presentation will discuss these past and present struggles for the realization of intersex futures and the potential for both appropriation and liberation in a fugitive understanding of intersex lives and bodies.

Presenters:

Sam Sharpe, Kansas State University
Marissa Adams, InterConnect

Pedagogical and Institutional Resistances to Universality of Human Rights: The Case of Iran

“Cultural relativism” can be abused by theocratic-authoritarian states to erase dissidents, resist gender equality, manipulate the global institutional arrangements for the implementation of universal rights, and cause disastrous consequences in the human rights domain. In this essay, I focus on the appropriation of cultural relativism committed by the Iranian state to sustain a gender-apartheid system, hinder citizens’ access to universal human rights, create “states of exception,” and justify the violence committed within the insurmountable walls of state sovereignty. Simultaneously, through an auto-ethnographic account, I demonstrate how “cultural relativism” is sometimes taken up by educational institutions and their social circles, whom I call “magic circles,” to breed indifference regarding women’s rights violations and anti-gender ideologies in the global south. I end by accentuating a transformative approach that centers on individual sovereignty, a framework that can potentially create conversational spaces to place the well-being question above all other considerations, including law abidance and group rights.

Presenter:

Sona Kazemi, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse

***Hybrid Panel.