Queer Activism, Queer Scholarship

In contemporary queer religious scholarship, the category of liminality has emerged as a site for positioning queer identity within religious frames. Yet out in the activist world, fixed identities ("born this way") have been shown to be more politically effective. When do our activist interests and scholarly interests intersect, collide, and fight with one another? Does a queer approach to text lead to a particular political affiliation?

Jay Michaelson, author of the book "God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality” (Beacon, 2011), will address these questions in the context of his own work as a queer scholar-activist. Michaelson’s decade of advocacy for LGBT people in religious communities has been featured in The New York Times, NPR and CNN. He has taught at Yale University, Boston University Law School, City College, and in communities around the country.

Bring your lunch; CLGS will provide dessert and drinks.