Category: GSL + Subgroup: LGBTQ+ Reading Group

On Friday, September 6, 2024, DKU faculty, staff, and students gathered for our first reading group session on “Embracing Diversity: Developing Cultural Competence for Inclusive Education.” This marks the second year of hosting this event, and we were excited to welcome returning participants as well as first-year students.

In this session, we began with an activity titled “LGBTQ Inclusive Language: Dos and Don’ts.” Participants engaged in a vocabulary exercise, discussing words to avoid and more inclusive alternatives. Together, we explored key concepts such as pronouns, gender identity, intersectionality, and privilege within the LGBTQ community. The activity was well-received, with many finding it eye-opening. Participants noted how certain terms can carry unintended negative connotations, potentially causing discomfort for gay and lesbian individuals. We also highlighted the importance of moving away from binary language to promote inclusivity for people of all genders.

Next, we transitioned into a discussion of our reading material: the study conducted by Evans et al. (2017) titled “Vocies from the stories untold: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer college students’ experiences with campus climate.” This research presented findings from another university, identifying three major challenges faced by their LGBTQ community: discrimination, isolation, and avoidance.

We emphasized to participants that while it’s important to read and be informed about the experiences of others, it’s equally critical to focus on understanding the specific concerns of our own student body. Recognizing this, we unanimously agreed on the need to initiate a comprehensive survey to gather feedback from DKU students. The survey will explore a range of topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, giving students the opportunity to share their experiences, challenges, and suggestions on these important issues.

During the session, we developed the first draft of the survey and conducted a round of critique with participants. This process proved highly successful, as we received valuable feedback to refine the survey items. By actively involving participants, we aim to ensure the survey accurately reflects the voices and concerns of our student community. The results of this survey will be pivotal in shaping faculty members’ pedagogical approaches, ensuring that classroom practices meet the diverse needs and perspectives of DKU students.

The event was organized by Zhenjie Weng, Assistant Professor of English Language Education, and Yanan Zhao, Senior Lecturer of English for Academic Purposes, from the Language and Culture Center. The event was sponsored by the Humanities Research Center, covering the fees for event promotion and refreshments for attendees.

By Zu Gan, Class of 2025

On the 27^th of August 2024, the HRC’s Gender Studies Initiative and the CSCC’s Meanings, Identities, and Communities Cluster co-sponsored a workshop and a talk by Hu Ying. Hu Ying is a PhD Candidate in Literary Studies from the Department of English, Linguistics and Theater Studies, National University of Singapore. There were over 50 people and 3 faculty in attendance across both events.

The workshop with students was held informally to encourage lively discussions between the speaker and DKU students. Hu Ying started by sharing his own academic journey. He highlighted how he first started learning about queer theory during his undergraduate studies. This soon morphed into a “learning trouble” for him at graduate school because of the realization that the theories he was learning were the other’s trouble. This led him to seek ways in queering queer theory as well. Besides sharing on his own personal journey, Hu Ying also answered questions from students on life in academia as well as pursuing studies in Singapore.

After the workshop, Hu Ying delivered a talk on “Queering Zhuangzi’s Wuwei Towards a Politics of Spontaneous Life.” He covered a critical exploration of the intersections between queer theory and traditional Chinese philosophy, particularly through the lens of Zhuangzi’s concept of wuwei (non-action). Hu Ying presented a nuanced discussion on how Zhuangzi’s philosophy, with its emphasis on spontaneity, non-interference, and living in accordance with the Dao (the Way), can offer an alternative framework for understanding queer life beyond the confines of neoliberal and liberal social norms.

He started his talk by introducing the combination of “flat refusal” (tangping) with queer liberalism. He explained the meaning of wuwei and applied it to a queer form of life. By using the film “Spring Fever,” he presented queer desire as outside of neoliberal subjectivity and a queer spacetime of wuwei where a life’s social situatedness no longer matters. In addition, he emphasized sexual life through its material texture which is a queer posture of taking things as they are a function of desire.

One of the key points addressed was the idea of a “queer life” that transcended socio-political relevance. He proposed a reimagining of queer existence in a cosmological order that defies conventional Western paradigms. This perspective challenges the Western-centric views of queer theory, suggesting that Zhuangzi’s teachings could lead to a more inclusive and culturally diversified understanding of queer identities.

Hu Ying also raised questions about the potential of wuwei to foster a vision of queer Asia that is liberated from existing subjectivities and socio-political constraints. This idea was further expanded by discussing how wuwei could serve as a means to disrupt the normative frameworks of identity and belonging, offering a way of life that is more fluid, spontaneous, and less bound by rigid categories.

In conclusion, the lecture encouraged a rethinking of queer theory through the lens of Zhuangzi. Hu Ying suggested that such an approach could lead to a richer and more complex understanding of queer existence that is less tied to Western liberalism and more open to diverse cultural interpretations.

Reported by Lia Smith, Class of 2026

This lecture and workshop was a part of the Gender Studies Initiative’s event series. Each event connects gender to a range of topics where gender, sexuality, and feminism are discussed.

On March 29th, 2024 this event brought Professor Frances Hasso from the program in gender, sexuality and feminism at Duke University and 14 event attendees for a discussion of Professor Hasso’s most recent book, Buried in the Red Dirt. This book brings together a myriad of sources to tell a story of life, death, and reproduction, and missing bodies and experiences, during and since the British colonial period in Palestine. The discussion was based upon chapter 3, which focused upon the eugenic practices of both the British and Zionist colonizers of Palestine.

British colonial authorities blamed Palestinians for poverty, hunger, and disease, conveniently sidestepping the harsh realities of colonial extraction. This perspective, deeply rooted in gendered and racialized dynamics, perpetuated inequities in healthcare provision for Palestinians.

Central to the discourse was the exploration of demographic anxieties and eugenicist ideologies that tainted British and Zionist approaches to birth control in Palestine. Despite legal constraints, contraception and abortion emerged as vital methods of birth control for women across all communities, challenging simplistic explanations based solely on religion or culture.

The event unveiled the fallacy of portraying Palestinians as hyper-reproductive, offering a nuanced understanding of their reproductive desires and practices. Contrary to popular belief, Palestinian demographic competition with Jews has been largely irrelevant since 1948, with Palestinian fertility rates shaped by multifaceted factors beyond Zionist anxieties of demographic competition.

DKU faculty and students raises numerous questions throughout the discussions. Many questions tackled methodology, in particular Professor Hasso’s creative use of both archival sources and oral testimonies. Other questions pertained to the modalities of colonial rule, from the level of collaboration/conflict between British and Zionist colonizers, to the ways religious and racial differences were simultaneously deployed by the British to govern Palestine. Finally, questions concerning the contemporary situation in Gaza were raised, such as the differing positions towards the war amongst various Middle East and North African States, to the effect of the war in Gaza on US domestic politics.