City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works

Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS) Centers & Institutes

2011

Visiting CLAGS as a Scholar in Residence

Tuula Juvonen University of Helsinki

How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know!

More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/clags_pubs/105 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu

This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] Visiting CLAGS as a Scholar in Residence By Tuula Juvonen, University oiUelsinki r ^

year ago I was most excited to receive a letter of invitation from CLAGS' executive But most rewarding for a visiting scholar director Sarah Chinn to spend was the insight that CLAGS’s various Athe autumn term 2010 as a Scholar in Residence. The idea of returning to events and local activities were still going CLAGS after 16 years of absence was particularly intriguing for me because strong, offering intellectual impulses I found my last visit there in 1994 most valuable and inspiring for my scholarly and exchange not only for the scholarly work. And I was not to be disappointed this time either. community in the city.

The most obvious changes between then and now had to do with the office space and amount of personnel CLAGS had gained in the meantime—a quite on intersections of race, and activist got elected into the Parliament impressive improvement from the mid sexuality. As I was to find out, CLAGS in 1983, followed by an openly radical 1990s. In addition, CLAGS's Internet is well imbedded in CUNY's overall feminist in 1987. It is noteworthy presence with OutHistory.org and environment, which values and fosters that both were members of the Green International Resource Network offers theory and thinking. In particular, Party—just as were the two first openly today valuable tools not only for those at the seminars and events organized by who got into the Finnish CUNY. But most rewarding for a visiting the Humanities caught my attention, Parliament in 2004 and 2007, although, scholar was the insight that CLAGS's including a seminar on Undoing with a lot more moderate politics. By various events and local activities were Marriage, Remaking the Social Contract, now, along with the Green Party, all the still going strong, offering intellectual but I benefitted also from various guest major parties including the Christian impulses and exchange not only for the lectures held by queer scholars as part, democrats. Social democrats and the scholarly community but for the whole in as it seemed, of virtually any seminar on Liberal democrats, have witnessed in the city. any topic they had to offer. Such a rich Germany both voluntary coming out variety of intellectual offerings helps to of major gay politicians and the Ire-l In particular I have enjoyed CLAGS's make CLAGS a very attractive site for election of their openly gay members two major events of this autumn, the visiting scholars interested in cutting into Parliament. However, it is still first of which has been the wonderful In edge scholarship on queer studies. striking to notice that in Germany the America They Call Us Dykes: Green party remains the only one with openly lesbian MPs [after the Left Party Lives in the 70s conference in October. To be a Scholar in Residence, without It offered an unparalleled cross section administrative or teaching duties, in ceased to have its two out lesbian MPs in 2002). into the lesbian lives, politics and such an inspiring environment, has been theories of the 1970s, and their ongoing, very beneficial indeed also for my own yet often forgotten influence to queer writing. Since September I have written In Finnish politics one can observe not thinking and activism today. The second more than 200 pages for my forthcoming only a party bias that limits openly gay was the annual Kessler lecture, this book on openly lesbian and gay politicians to the Green Party, but also November held by a renowned lesbian politicians in German Federal Republic an even stronger gender bias when it activist and organizer Urvashi Vaid on and Finland. It has been fascinating comes to making political careers as an race, sexuality and the future of LGBT to do work in New York on a European openly homosexual. In Germany of those politics. Less spectacular, but not less centered topic, which spans over three ten MPs who have outed themselves and thought provoking were also the other decades, at a time when in the U.S. there currently hold seats in the Parliament, events provided by CLAGS, such as the have been national elections with a Tea only two have done that as lesbians. impressive panel discussion of winners Party attendance, repealing DADT has Yet when it comes to Finland, there is of the Since Stonewall 0uthistory.org again been brought up in discussions, still no out lesbian elected officials in contest, or the wide variety of ongoing the "It Gets Better" campaign goes the Parliament, despite the fact that 42 series of academic talks offered by viral (resulting even into a book "Kaikki percent of Finnish parliamentarians are visiting scholars. muuttu paremmaksi" being published women. in Finland in December 2010) and Tony I was also delighted to learn that CLAGS Kushner's Angels in America has been Curiously enough, when one compares was collaborating with young queer restaged. That makes one look back and the (federal) legislation in these two activists in the city by offering space ask oneself, does it really get better? countries, one nevertheless finds for the Counterpublic Collective and its And if so, what is the role openly lesbian the development rather alike when inspired queer theory reading group. and gay politicians have played in that it comes to decriminalization of Likewise, I will be missing the lecture process? homosexual deeds (G: 1969, F: 1971), equal age of consent (G: 1994, F: 1998), series organized by the Graduate Center's queer students' group QUNY In Germany, the first openly gay rights Antidiscrimination/Equality Act (G: 2006,

14 CLAGSnews I Spring 2011 his year's Kessler Lecture the Asian American Writer's Workshop F: 1995], registered partnership IG; and was complete with delicious hors 2001, F: 2002), or step-child adoption featured the dynamic Urvashi (G: 2005, F: 2009). In Finland alternative Vaid, who was described by Nan d'oeuvres, wine, while providing a space insemination for single women and Hunter as "a force of nature to reflect and continue the conversation lesbians continues to be legally available andT a multi-dimensional activist serv­ on race and gender in the LGBT move­ since 2006, unlike in Germany, where it ing roles as street activist, fundraiser, ment. This year's Kessler Cocktail Hour is still illegal. One could argue that more mentor and an intellectual leader of the provided space for those who attended than the presence or absence of openly LGBT movement." The Kessler Lecture the lecture to decompress and engage lesbian and gay politicians, the directives is the premier event for CLAGS high­ in intimate conversations around this presented by European Union since lighting Scholarship, Art, and Activism. compelling topic and life experience for the 1990s are resulting in legislative In addition to focusing on the unique many LGBT individuals. The 19th Annual measures pushed forward in both experience of this lecture, it is also a Kessler Lecture was a success and pro­ countries in roughly the same speed. fundraiser event where we invite our vided a way to engage communities and current and potential major donors to donors in a meaningful and sustainable Although openly lesbian and gay experience the best of our work here way. CLAGS is delighted to be a leader politicians have obviously been at CLAGS. This year's topic, "What Can in engaging our community around advocating and advancing anti- Brown Do For You? Race, Sexuality and scholarship, art, and activism and discriminatory legislation in a manner the Future of LGBT Politics," bridged a Urvashi Vaid's lecture encompasses the dictated by the politics of their respective compelling cross section in the discus­ complete package of our mission. As party of origin, the cultural importance of sion race, gender, and sexuality. CLAGS approaches its 20th Anniversary, such politicians' presence (or absence) The conversation continued at the Kes­ my hope is that this lecture will motivate might thus be located elsewhere. In a broader base of donors to support our Germany openly homosexual politicians sler "Cocktail Hour" reception, held were the first publicly known lesbian as a fundraiser to support our work strategic direction and inspire our exist­ and gay figures to elevate themselves at CLAGS. The reception was held at ing donors to grow their involvement. from the realm of crime and illness—and this continued to be so until mid-1995. Moreover the media coverage of openly OutHistory.org Update lesbian and gay politicians offers an by Lauren Gutterman excellent opportunity to follow the shifts This semester has been a busy one for the OutHistory.org team... that have taken place in the attitudes towards homosexuality among general n October we held a public panel at which three of the winners from the public, as well as in the understanding "Since Stonewall Local Histories Contest" presented their online histori­ of lesbian and gay identity and politics cal exhibits. Megan Rohrer, Cindy Bray, and Lindsay Branson each took of coming out. Coming out, which used audience members on guided tours of their exhibits representing FTM to be understood as a radical political Mentorship in San Francisco, LGBT communities in Richmond, Virginia, and Gay statement, embedded in the lesbian I Liberation in New York City, respectively. The three winners also talked about the and gay movement of the 1980s, has rewarding process of creating their entries for OutHistory.org. by the end of 2010s transmuted into a personalized statement of political In addition, this fall we organized a series of unconventional Seminars in the City credibility, more intimately connected held in the computer lab at the CUNY Graduate Center. At these hands-on events, with party politics than any sort of queer members of the public received one-on-one instruction about how to use OutHis- movement. tory.org allowing them to create a free account, comment on existing pages, and create new historical exhibits. Participants began building exhibits on various topics In Finnish society the persistent silencing of homosexuality in higher of LGBT life in including life in Staten Island, and lesbian hip hop artists. levels of public realm has been cracking As usual, OutHistory.org's content grew substantially during the past semester. only in the late 2010s, likewise after Please visit the site to discover several new exhibits including those on images the appearance of the first openly gay and excerpts from the 1921 memoir of a individual known alternately politician. Contrary to Germany, openly as Earl Lind, Ralph Werther, and Jennie June. Other material includes informa­ lesbian parliamentarians still remain nonexistent in the public politics of a tion from the La Guardia and Wagner Archives' City Council Collection document­ country which otherwise appears to be ing changes to New York City laws affecting the LGBT community, as well as a rather equal. Figuring out reasons for timeline of religion and homosexuality in the U.S. that will keep me busy after I go home to If you value LGBT history as much as we do, we hope that you will consider mak­ Finland at the end of the year. Yet even ing a contribution to 0utHistory.org so that we can continue to publicize and pre­ after finishing my book, I will no doubt be able to draw from my experiences, serve the history of our community. As you look ahead to the spring, please mark impulses and friendships gained during your calendars for our second annual fundraiser, which will be hosted by Kate my visit in New York. Clinton and Urvashi Vaid and will be held on Thursday, April 7th from 6 to 8pm. Contact outhistory.orgl3gc.cuny.edu to learn how to purchase tickets.

CLAGSnews I Spring 2011 1 5