Gender & Sexuality Law Blog

Photo to the left: Urvashi Vaid (© Jurek Wajdowicz). Photo to the right: Dean Spade

This is an extraordinary moment for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) movement. Electoral gains, a pending Supreme Court argument, a friendly national Administration, a community that seems to be more out, and gains in public opinion all attest to significant change in the status queer.

Yet, a critical look at the movement’s goals, practices, institutions, leaders, and arguments suggests the narrative of triumph is incomplete. Two of the leading critical thinkers and activists in the LGBT movement — Dean Spade and Urvashi Vaid — meet in a provocative conversation moderated by academic, performance artist, and activist Rosamond S. King to ask and answer key questions about today’s queer practice.

Does a politics pursuing equal rights produce freedom or an accommodation to neoliberal economic and political norms? Why does the LGBT movement ignore structural racism? Has queerness bound itself to nationalism and anti-feminism in order to be normalized? How can the structure of the civil rights organization form itself be democratized? Where are the new practices of organizing, cultural expression, and resistance?

Three veteran queer activists and scholars tackle these critical questions as they explore how the movement could be transformed to serve the interests of all parts of the queer communities.

Join this lively conversation. RSVP required. Please e-mail clagsevents@gc.cuny.edu.