Thursday, October 8, 2020 ● Special Edition
The Daily Wildcat • 11
LGBTQ + PRIDE SPECIAL | Arts & LIFE
Queer programs at the UA continue to grow BY KATIE BEAUFORD @beauuford
In 1993, a small group of graduate students and assistant professors started what would become the University of Arizona’s Institute for LGBT Studies. Almost 30 years later, the institute continues to work to provide resources, events and programs to LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff at the UA. When UA Film and Television professor Beverly Seckinger reflected on starting the Institute for LGBT Studies, which was, at the time, the Committee on LGB Studies, she described demanding the Office of the Provost establish the organization. “We stormed the Provost Office and demanded to be made a thing,” Seckinger said. “[We told them], ‘We need a queer thing at the UA! Because it’s happening at NYU and happening at SUNY, it’s happening in other places. So we need our thing, too.” Over the next 20 years, the “thing” would grow into the Committee on LGB Studies and then the Institute for ANA BELTRAN | THE DAILY WILDCAT LGBT Studies. But when it started, the THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA Institute for LGBT Studies promotes LGBTQ+ research, curricula and public programming. The institute was founded as The Committee Committee on LGBT Studies was the “smallest thing” it could be, according on Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Studies at the University of Arizona back in 1993. to Seckinger. “We got a committee, which is coursework. that in a transdisciplinary way,” said Z and host seminars and presentations, the smallest thing that existed, that “If the university really cares about Nicolazzo, who teaches in the College including a conference called Sex and was a formalized thing. An invisible creating queer and trans coursework, of Education. Scholarship. thing,” Seckinger said. “Invisible to the then they need to invest financially The Trans Studies Research Cluster “It’s a long history with a lot of homophobic legislature of the time. has developed many impactful projects in queer and trans people and queer amazing accomplishments,” Seckinger So not a budget line in the university’s and trans knowledge,” Nicolazzo said. over their short time, including a said. “Considering the beginnings budget, it was a smaller thing than “They need to create a climate that’s weekly symposium, a reading group of this little gang of powerless grad that.” conducive for queer and trans people, focused on trans and queer literature, students and assistant professors who The Committee for LGB Studies was not just to be recruited but to be and the hosting of postdocs at the UA, went into the Provost Office saying, granted a “teensy” budget and one retained here.” who are able to research and share ‘We want resources.’” course release for the committee head, There is still a lot of work to do in their work and knowledge. The committee became the institute so they could have time off of class to order for the UA to become the best Although the institute has been able in 2007 and is now comprised of do the work of the committee. to do a lot of great, impactful work over institution that it can be for lesbian, a staff of professors, graduate and A small start and few resources were the years, it’s facing a similar issue now gay, bisexual, transgender and queer undergraduate students. The Institute enough, however, for the committee faculty, staff and students. However, as it did 20 years ago: limited funding. for LGBT Studies hosts weekly events, to launch a few successful projects, “The institute is highly underfunded, according to Seckinger, there is research projects and initiatives, the first of which was a sapphic film evidence that positive change can which means that there’s a lack of including the Trans Studies Research series called “Lesbian Looks,” which happen, and happen quickly. ability for the institute to do what they Cluster. was hosted on Tuesday nights in the “[Seeing] this change in my lifetime could be doing,” Nicolazzo said. The Trans Studies Research Modern Languages building. The ... tells me that you can see social Improved funding isn’t the only Cluster is a group of professors at committee also was able to add an change happening in the space of, not thing that the UA can do to support the the UA working together to “support, interdisciplinary gen-ed LGBT studies even a lifetime,” Seckinger said. “Then encourage, and promote trans studies,” LGBT faculty and staff who are doing course that, according to Seckinger, “is that tells you, ‘Oh, wow, it really does this work. Nicolazzo stated that the as stated on the institute’s website. still on the books.” matter what I do. I could join forces UA should start providing transgender “Part of [our work] is about In the years following, the committee generating knowledge and thinking with people who want to make change.’ healthcare, hiring more trans and received funding to hire a director And actually, it will make change.” queer teachers and creating the about creating a particular hub for full time, bring scholars in residence infrastructure to develop more queer trans knowledge at the UA and to do
