Events By Quarter
Wonderful/terrible: Being non-binary in a world still trying to figure out what that means
Dr. Lee Airton
MCC Theater; Book signing in the MCC Lounge
Gender is wonderful, and gender is terrible. It is a way of finding joy in one’s self as well as community and connection with others, and it is a way that people harm each other in small and large ways on a daily basis. This is true in transgender communities, among cisgender people, and in spaces where cis and trans people share space together. For Dr. Lee Airton, the question has always been: how can each of us make gender more joyful and less harmful, for ourselves and for everyone we interact with whether we know them or not?
After a lifetime of feeling their way through the maze of gender binary expectations within and outside of transgender communities, in 2011 Dr. Lee Airton founded They is My Pronoun, the first Q&A-based blog on gender-neutral pronouns. Ten years later in 2021, they archived the blog for good because every question coming in had already been answered. In this talk, Dr. Airton reflects on the decade (2011-2021) in which they came to know they were non-binary, and society came to realize that gender is more than most people had ever thought possible. Coming out as non-binary and finding their forever pronouns (they/them) happened while Dr. Airton was starting a career as a university professor, researcher and gender diversity educator who today supports dozens of public and private organizations in welcoming all the ways people live gender. They will reflect on that experience and make predictions for the future, sharing stories from their book Gender: Your Guide that bring to life how gender is – for everyone, whether cis or trans – wonderful and terrible, but also hilarious.
– Book signing to follow in the MCC Lounge
– Co-hosted with Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity
– Co-sponsors: CITRAL, DEI, Women's Center, LGBTQ Studies Minor in the Department of Feminist Studies, Title IX
BIO:
Dr. Lee Airton is an Assistant Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies in Education at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. In 2012, Dr. Airton founded They Is My Pronoun, the first Q+A-based blog about gender-neutral pronoun usage and user support with over 30,000 unique visitors in 2017 alone. In 2016, Dr. Airton founded the No Big Deal Campaign, a national social media initiative that helps people show support for transgender peoples' right to have their pronouns used. In 2021, Dr. Airton and their research team launched gegi.ca [pronounced gee gee dot c a], the first bilingual self-advocacy resource for K-12 students who are experiencing gender expression and gender identity discrimination at school. In recognition of their advocacy work, Dr. Airton received a 2017 Youth Role Model of the Year Award from the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity.
Dr. Airton's first book, Gender – Your Guide: A Gender-Friendly Primer on What to Know, What to Say and What to Do in the New Gender Culture offers practical steps for welcoming gender diversity in everyday life, and has been adopted as a key professional development text in teacher education programs, school districts, public sector and private sector organizations. With Dr. Susan Woolley, they recently edited Teaching About Gender Diversity: Teacher-Tested Lesson Plans for K-12 Classrooms (Canadian Scholars Press), the first such anthology to be published.
Dr. Airton's SSHRC-funded research program on gender diversity, human rights, policy, law, teaching, and learning has received 10 merit-based research grants since 2018 alone. Their research explores how the Ontario K-12 education system is responding to the inclusion of gender identity and gender expression protections in human rights legislation, and how to make the collection of gender-based data in large studies more reflective of how gender is read and negotiated. Dr. Airton also leads an action research project in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University, collaborating with staff to remove barriers for transgender and/or gender non-conforming teacher candidates. Dr. Airton is a frequent speaker and media commentator, and has been interviewed over 60 times in nationally and internationally on topics related to gender diversity. Dr. Airton’s scholarly publications have appeared in top-tier research journals such as Teachers College Record, Gender and Education, and the Journal of Education Policy."
Cup of Culture
Small Island Big Song, An Oceanic Songline - Film Screening
MCC Theater
Filmed over three years on 16 Island nations across the Pacific & Indian Oceans, this grassroots musical follows the ocean highways uniting ancient musical lineages. From Madagascar to Rapa Nui/Easter Island, Taiwan to Zenadth Kes/The Torres Strait. A heartfelt plea for environmental awareness and cultural preservation from those on the frontline of the climate crisis.
Producer BaoBao Chen / Director, Production & Music Tim Cole / Cinematographer Tim Cole & BaoBao Chen / Length 83 mins / Year 2019
Co-sponsor: Center for Taiwan Studies
Art Exhibition Opening Reception
Art Exhibition Opening Reception - A Showcase of Cultures
MCC Lounge
OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, April 21st at 6pm
This quarter’s art exhibit showcases the wonderful and unique experiences of the various communities here at UCSB. With over 20 student artists, the exhibition seeks to highlight diversity, promote cultural exchange and build campus community through art!
EXHIBIT RUNS: April 18th to June 10th
Co-sponsors: International Student Advisory Board, Office of International Students and Scholars, and Campus Learning Assistance Services
Artwork by Meiya Sidney and Tonglin Wu
Music Performance
A Night of Tuareg Music from Niger
Les Filles de Illighadad
MCC Theater
REGISTRATION REQUIRED AT SHORELINE
Fatou Seidi Ghali, lead vocalist and performer of Les Filles de Illighadad is one of the only Tuareg female guitarists in Niger. Sneaking away with her older brother’s guitar, she taught herself to play. While Fatou’s role as the first female Tuareg guitarist is groundbreaking, it is just as interesting for her musical direction. In a place where gender norms have created two divergent musics, Fatou and Les Filles are reasserting the role of tende in Tuareg guitar. In lieu of the djembe or the drum kit, so popular in contemporary Tuareg rock bands, Les Filles de Illighadad incorporates the traditional drum and the pounding calabash, half-buried in water.
Co-sponsored by KCSB-FM and Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Music (CISM)
