“Reflecting on Hofstra’s LGBTQ+ Studies Symposium, ‘Deviant’ Pasts, Subversive Futures? By Miguel Giral



On April 23, 2020 I had the opportunity to attend a panel entitled “Decarcerating Disability, Abolishing Gender, and Decolonizing our Future”, which included four panelists: Liat Ben-Moshe, Marquis Bey, S.M. Rodriguez and Kai Breaux. This was the first Hofstra event that I have attended since the quarantine went into effect on March 10. Admittedly, it was odd seeing the panelists on my laptop screen rather than on a stage at first, but the speeches quickly grabbed my attention. It was also the first time that I attended an LGBTQ+ Studies event, and so much of what I was hearing was new territory for me. Despite not being well versed in some of the theoretical terms used, it was very eye-opening to learn of the struggles that the LGBTQ+ community faces, both in the United States and all over the world. A mixture of racist, sexist, and homophobic sentiments has converged to heighten harassment of members of the community; the struggle needs to be aimed at these sentiments and the bigger systems that have been keeping people oppressed.   

The fight for LGBTQ+ rights is not one that is commonly taught in high schools and universities. Whole cultures and ideologies have been forged in a way that encourages us to believe that concepts like one’s gender and identity are written in stone. Limiting someone in their ability to express themselves creates a sense of shame and humiliation that is far from deserved. As a young straight male, I have not experienced this type of discrimination, but I have seen the bullying that goes on in the media and in schools. Unfortunately, the root of the problem is buried deep in people’s minds, and their desire to hate those who they deem to be different from society’s “normalcy.” Thankfully the panelists are now educating people on what is truly going on in our communities. Attending this event taught me things that I would not have otherwise known and it is making me realize that, although progress has been made, there is still a long way to go.

Miguel Giral is a first year student in the NOAH Program, and he has served as Student Fellow of the Center for "Race," Culture and Social Justice this academic year.



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