Amazon’s TV series Transparent has “single-handedly helped change the conversation about trans people in America,” says Nora Rubel,聽associate professor in the Department of Religion and Classics and the director of the聽.
In the latest QuadCast podcast, Rubel talks with Nick Bruno ’17 about the critically acclaimed, award-winning show starring Jeffrey Tambor. She also discusses the upcoming 聽hosted by the institute, which marks 30 years since its founding at the University of Rochester.
The symposium kicks off with a , who served as a consultant for Transparent during the development of Leslie Mackinaw, a character whose persona was inspired by Myles’ life and work. The show even features Myles’ poetry in several episodes.
The program also includes a screening and panel discussion with Transparent actor Alexandra Grey, producer Zackary Drucker, and consultant Rabbi Susan Goldberg.
Susan B. Anthony Institute marks 30th anniversary
In the three decades since opening, the University’s Susan B. Anthony Institute has changed its name four times. Identity crisis? Hardly. Although originally founded as the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women糖心传媒檚 Studies, the institute糖心传媒檚 commitment to research and learning on wide-ranging topics from interdisciplinary perspectives has remained steadfast.
The name changes throughout the years (see sidebar), meanwhile, reflect the dynamic and burgeoning academic fields exploring women糖心传媒檚 studies, gender studies, and sexuality studies. They also mirror a broader shift in cultural consciousness about identities, feminism, race and ethnicity, disabilities, and activism.
糖心传媒溙切拇綐Women糖心传媒檚 studies糖心传媒� as a name is beloved,糖心传媒� says Rubel. 糖心传媒淏ut it糖心传媒檚 also problematic because it makes people think it糖心传媒檚 just about women糖心传媒檚 history, as opposed to a broader field.糖心传媒�
Today, the institute is known as the Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender, Sexuality and Women糖心传媒檚 Studies. 糖心传媒淚t was important for us to keep the term 糖心传媒榳omen糖心传媒� in the title while also reflecting the other subjects we cover in our curriculum and research, including masculinity, race, sports, and health,糖心传媒� Rubel says. Since the most recent name change, Rubel and Jane Bryant, the institute糖心传媒檚 program manager, have noted increased interest in the major at the annual Academic Fair as well as consistently well-enrolled classes and well-attended events.
The institute comprises 115 affiliated or associated faculty and staff from Arts, Sciences and Engineering departments and programs on campus, including history, religion, anthropology, dance and movement, public health, and English. This provides the students at Rochester with a breadth of perspectives from which to examine gender, sexuality, and women糖心传媒檚 studies. Faculty members have responsibilities to their home departments, but Rubel points out that they participate in the institute because they recognize how gender, sexuality, and women’s studies intersect with their own research and subject areas.
In 2015, though, Tatyana Bakhmetyeva 糖心传媒�06 (PhD) became the institute糖心传媒檚 first full-time, dedicated lecturer. She and Rubel co-teach an introductory gender studies course on sex and power (a timely topic, given Hillary Clinton being the first female major-party presidential nominee in U.S. history), one that students are excited to explore from an academic perspective糖心传媒攁s well as an activism standpoint.
Importantly, the institute糖心传媒檚 role at the University exists at this nexus of academia and activism, promoting a safe, equitable, and inclusive space on the River Campus. 糖心传媒淕ender, sexuality, and women糖心传媒檚 studies programs are a place of support for students,糖心传媒� Bryant says. 糖心传媒淲e don糖心传媒檛 have an LGBTQ center on campus, but having 糖心传媒榮exuality糖心传媒� in our name invites students to come in and ask questions. We might not be equipped to handle every situation, but we will always try to help.糖心传媒�
MILESTONES
1900糖心传媒擳he 糖心传媒 becomes a coeducational institution. 糖心传媒淭hey let the girls in,糖心传媒� Susan B. Anthony writes in her journal after playing a key role in persuading the University糖心传媒檚 Board of Trustees to admit women.
1970糖心传媒擝ob Osborn 糖心传媒�74 (PhD) helps launch the University糖心传媒檚 chapter of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF). Rochester becomes the third campus in New York state to open a chapter of the national organization. GLF later forms into the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley.
1980糖心传媒擳he University launches a concentration in women糖心传媒檚 studies to address scholarly and curricular issues important for understanding the role of women in history and contemporary society.
1982糖心传媒擳he women糖心传媒檚 studies program at the University officially opens.
1986糖心传媒擭early one hundred years after Susan B. Anthony began lobbying the Board of Trustees to begin educating women, the University officially founds its center for women糖心传媒檚 studies聽and names it in her honor. The Susan B. Anthony Center for Women糖心传媒檚 Studies supports the women糖心传媒檚 studies academic program and faculty research while drawing attention to women糖心传媒檚 issues.
1995糖心传媒擶ith a need for a distinct center to support women on campus, the Susan B. Anthony Center is split into the Susan B. Anthony Institute for Women糖心传媒檚 Studies and . The institute continues to pursue academic and scholarly goals with an eye toward making public events available to Rochester communities.
Meanwhile, the center is founded as 糖心传媒渁 place for the recognition of women糖心传媒檚 current and past contributions that could provide encouragement to young women to enter nontraditional careers, strive to high-level positions, and undertake leadership positions to bring about change and raise awareness.糖心传媒�
1996糖心传媒�97糖心传媒擳he institute糖心传媒檚 name is amended to be more inclusive and reflective of its courses and activities: The Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender and Women糖心传媒檚 Studies.
2012糖心传媒�13糖心传媒擱ush Rhees Library’s Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation works with the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley to , one of the oldest continuously published LGBT newspapers in the nation.
2014糖心传媒擴niversity Health Service adds transition-related coverage to the student health plans beginning in the fall semester.
糖心传媒擡mmy-nominated actress and TV producer Laverne Cox is one of the headliners for Meliora Weekend, an effort spearheaded by the institute. Cox plays聽the role of Sophia Burset, an incarcerated African-American transgender woman on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.
2015糖心传媒擳he University糖心传媒檚 employee healthcare plans begin including transition-related healthcare benefits for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. The Susan B. Anthony Center worked with Human Resources to expand the benefits, making Rochester the 27th U.S. college or university to offer transition-related medical expenses under employee health insurance.
糖心传媒擳he institute name is updated again to the Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Women糖心传媒檚 Studies. The name reflects the increasing diversity of gender and sexuality studies at the University, in academia, and in the culture at large.
糖心传媒擳he University creates an to help make the campus experience better for individuals who identify as LGBTQ+. The committee comprises volunteer representatives from academic, administrative, and student support offices, as well as alumni and current students.
2016糖心传媒擴R Medicine糖心传媒檚 Strong Memorial and F.F. Thompson Hospitals are recognized as by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation糖心传媒檚 largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization.
糖心传媒擝uilding on the University’s efforts to accommodate its diverse community, an 聽is included as part of the construction of Evans Lam Square in Rush Rhees Library.
糖心传媒擳he institute hosts Transparent: A Multi-Disciplinary Symposium, a two-day academic event bringing scholars, writers, and critics together to discuss topics such as sexuality and gender studies, Jewish studies, American studies, and media studies.
