“Reflecting on Hofstra University's 7th Annual LGBTQ+ Symposium” by Warlyn Ramirez



On April 23rd, 2020, I attended the 7th Annual LGBTQ+ Studies Symposium at Hofstra University, entitled Deviant Pasts, Subversive Futures? I attended two panels, respectively titled “Decarcerating Disability, Abolishing Gender, and Decolonizing our Future”, hosted by Kai Breaux, S.M. Rodriguez, Marquis Bey, and Liat Ben-Moshe, and “Re-envisioning Care, Nurture and Hope for a Queer Future”, hosted by Liz Montegary, Phillip Opsasnick, and Ren-yo Hwang. Even though the panelists were using highly theoretical terms on their presentation, mostly unfamiliar to me as a freshman student, the following are some of my takeaways.

“Decarcerating Disability, Abolishing Gender” focused on identifying the roots of the problems that lead to the challenges the LGBTQ+ community routinely experinces, and it addressed some of the measures that are needed to avoid such issues for future generations. Kai Breaux started the presentation by highlighting intersectionality (“The complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect”, according to Merriam-Webster.com) to which the LGBTQ+ community is exposed. Breaux explained that poor minorities who are part of the LGBTQ+ community have a higher level of oppression and discrimination on their shoulders, because multiple forms of discrimination overlap. S.M. Rodriguez and Marquis Bey talked about their research on patriarchy and gender oppression. One of their main arguments was that society should accept and promote “gender abolition”, while seeking gender justice and gender democracy. Liat Ben-Moshe also emphasized the need for institutions to help stop abuse against women, reinforcing protections.

By attending these online panels, I gained a better understanding of how and why the LGBTQ+ community is oppressed, and some of the strategies that we can use to help eliminate that oppression. From the “Re-envisioning Care” panel, one of the presentations I enjoyed the most was Liz Montegary’s, which focused on one of the main reasons why the LGBTQ+ community faces discrimination. Montegary talked about cultural norms that shape the definitions of what is considered “normal” and what is not; since we were born, society has placed high levels of social expectations that lead to an identity formation under pressure. Some of those social expectations are stereotypes like “men are strong and rude”, “women are soft”, “this is a job for women/men”, “this is a men’s color or this is a women’s color”, etc. Montegary highlights the need for a more open-minded community.

Warlyn Ramirez is a first year student in the NOAH Program, and served as Student Fellow at the Center for "Race," Culture and Social Justice this academic year.




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