The Center at Camden County College is hosting a lecture series on gender and sexuality. The series offers six mini-lectures from artists, therapists, scholars, and educators. Assistant Director of The Center, Ellen Hernandez, said the idea for the series originated after the “Gender Revolution” issue of National Geographic (December 2016) and several documentaries on the subject of gender identity and expression were published to critical acclaim. The series is open to the public.
“To find speakers, we started with those cited in “Gender Revolution,” said Hernandez. “The Center prides itself on obtaining experts who publish and lecture on each topic. For this subject matter, we felt it was important to also include those serving this community through health care, mental health, education, and worship.”
All lectures are free and open to the public. “Sex, Gender and Sexuality: Navigating a Shifting Landscape,” lectures will take place on the Blackwood campus of Camden County College at 200 College Drive, in Blackwood.
The series began on September 18 with “The Body as Social Sculpture.” with Transgender artist, Cassils, who sees transgender not as a crossing from one sex to another, but rather as a continual process of becoming. Then on September 28, “The Science behind Biological Sex” will feature Dr. Jacqui Bowman and Quincy Greene from the Center for Education and Public Initiatives at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. They will explain the biological processes behind sex assignment and sex determination.
The series continues on October 5 with “Gender-Fair Classrooms,” with Rebecca Kling, artist and educator for the National Center for Transgender Equality in Washington, DC, speaking on how to integrate transgender individuals into classrooms and school communities. On October 12 at 7pm “Talking about Gender Change,” will feature panelists Danna Bodenheimer (Walnut Psychotherapy Center), Dr. Thomas Delgiorno, and Dr. Genny Beemyn (Stonewall Center, University of Massachusetts — Amherst) discussing issues surrounding gender identity, expression, and transition.
“Sexuality and Well-Being” will be discussed on October 19 at 7pm. Allie Miller, licensed therapist and Director of Starting Point Therapy Center in Haddon Township, will speak about the after-effects of stress, anxiety, and depression on sexuality, as well as the impact of external factors such as discrimination, rejection, and abuse for those in the LGBT community. The series ends with “Creating Safe Spaces: An Interfaith Exploration” on October 26 at 7pm with Yahya Alazrak (Board Member, Transfaith), Rabbi Jennifer Frenkel (Congregation M’Kor Shalom), and Pastor Jennifer Bradley (First Baptist Church of Moorestown) with a Q & A session on the role of religion in the lives of members of the LGBT community.
For more information on the series contact Julie Yankanich via email or call 856- 298-3035.
