Panel discusses creating gender, sexuality major

With the introduction of the cinema studies major next year, talk of establishing other innovative majors has been circulating campus.

Last night, a panel discussion focused on the formation of a prospective gender and sexuality major meet as part of QPenn's schedule of events. The panelists included Van Pelt Library Reference Librarian and Bibliographer and professor in English and Folklore David Azzolina, English professor Heather Love, History professor Kathy Peiss and Center for Community Partnerships Integrated Pluralistic Arts Education Director Jacqui Sadashige.

The speakers answered questions that had been submitted prior to the event. Topics ranged from the word "queer" as a label, to which departments would contribute to the interdisciplinary program, to the validity in studying such a new subject.

"Most of the articles that I use in class are only 20 years old or younger," said Love, who currently teaches "Secrecy and Sexuality in the Modern Novel."

"One of the great things about the class is that students feel like they are participating in a live debate, and in fact, they actually are," Love said.

The goals of the proposed program were a major topic of debate.

"We don't mean for a student to walk out of a classroom and say, 'My God, I didn't know gay people wrote novels,'" Sadashige said.

In addition, Love said, "How do you tell the history when this idea of gay people has only been around for 100 years? What do we want from history? I think those questions are very alive for scholars and are great teaching tools."

Throughout the discussion, the faculty urged students to push for this area of study by comparing Penn with other universities that already sponsor departments on sexuality. Likewise, Azzolina stressed the importance of building a library of queer literature as a starting point in the creation of the program.

The professors looked optimistic for Penn's future -- especially with University President-elect Amy Gutmann's policy on diversity. Also, the University has been hiring a number of professors who specialize in areas dealing with sexuality and gender, according to Peiss.

About 30 students, faculty and community members attended the panel discussion in the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center.

"I think it was a very useful discussion especially for UPenn in trying to formulate a major in lesbian and gay studies," College sophomore Jaime Leggett said. "I've very sure that having a sexuality studies [program] at Penn would improve the school's prestige and further gay acceptance."

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