About the GSSI

The Gender and Sexuality Studies Institute is the new central intellectual home for people working in the field of gender, sexualities, and LGBTQI+ studies, providing a hub for rich and diverse forms of scholarship, creative practice, and public programming.

Co-founded by Chiara Bottici, Associate Professor of Philosophy, and Lisa Rubin, Associate Professor of Psychology, the Institute brings together faculty and students from across the university involved with the Gender and Sexuality Studies graduate certificate and the Gender Studies undergraduate minor, as well as those teaching or taking courses in the history of feminist thought and action; masculinity studies; gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender studies; and queer theory.

The New School has been a pioneer in the field of Gender Studies, and the Institute honors that history while supporting new initiatives. Plans for the 2021-22 year include hosting talks and other open events; hosting the spring annual Gender Matters symposium; and connecting students with relevant scholarships, job opportunities, and research mentorship.

Gender Matter Symposium 2023 – April 28th and 29th

Friday, April 28th – Day 1. Register here. 

10:00–11:30AM. Gender, Migration, and Radical Care. Organized by Alexandra Delano and Marcia Morgan. Speakers: Angeles Donoso Macaya, Alexandra Délano, Yajaira Saavedra, and Marcia Morgan.
11:30AM–1:00PM. Learning from Latin America. Organized by Terri Gordon. Speakers: Angeles Donoso Macaya, Maristella Svampa, Verónica Gago, and Terri Gordon-Zolov.
1:00–2:00PM. Lunch Break. Affinity Space curated by Lang Civic Engagement and Social Justice.
2:00–3:30PM. Translating Difference. Organized by Chiara Bottici. Speakers: Emily Apter, Rebecca Karl, and Rose Rejouis.
3:30–5:00PM. Who Is Afraid of Chastity? Organized by Chiara Bottici. Speakers: Batsheva Hay, Lisabeth During, Gwen Grewal, and Jamieson Webster.
5:00–6:30PM. Queer Echoes: Challenges and Practices of Queer Memory. Organized by Joao Eduardo Freitas. Speakers: Joao Eduardo Freitas, Yuri Fraccaroli, Theodore Kerr, and Yanni Young.
6:30PM. Gender and Its Discontents Procession. Organized by Chiara Bottici, Mariah Guevin, and Brian Mcgrath. Speakers: Everybody is invited to join! Chiara Bottici will open the procession, followed by (among others) Emmanuel Auerbach, Austin Burke, Anh Chu, Penelope Deutscher, Ellen Freeberg, David Sanchez Garcia, Maria Geenen, Mariah Guevin, Caitlin D. McKoy.

Saturday, April 29th – Day 2. Register here.

10:00–11:30AM. Gender and Design in E1027 and Beyond: A Round Table Discussion with MFAID Students. Organized by Eva Perez de Vega, Michele Gorman, and Kiki Goti. Speakers: Eva Perez de Vega, Michele Gorman, Kiki Goti, Sara Helmy, Zoha Tasneem, and Sydney Moss.
11:30AM–1:00PM. Postfeminism Goes Alt-Right: Trappings, Tropes, and the Implications of the “Tradwife” Influencer Movement. Organized by Sanjana Basker, Pani Farvid, Juliana Riccardi, Ciela Chavez-Gilbride, Ivol Frasier, Rebekah Nathan, and Claire McGinley. Speakers: Sanjana Basker, Pani Farvid, Juliana Riccardi, Ciela Chavez-Gilbride, Claire McGinley, and Rebekah Nathan.
1:00–2:00PM. Lunch Break.
2:00–3:30PM. What Would a Non-heteronormative City Be Like? Organized by Brian McGrath and Cotter Christian. Speakers: Brian McGrath, Cotter Christian, and Ethan Philbrick.
3:30–5:30PM. Abortion Matters. Organized by Mariah Guevin and Lena Nowak-Laird. Speakers: Lena Nowak-Laird, Mariah Guevin, Marina Calloni, Hennessey Garcia, Penelope Deutscher, and Karen Weingarten.
5:30–7:00PM. Sexual Justice Symposium. Organized by and featuring Christen Clifford.
7:00PM. Raving: A Book Reading. Featuring McKenzie Wark.

Spring Events

Wednesday, February 1st. 6:00-8:00PM EST. Tehran Tourist: A State of One’s Own. Film projection and discussion with Roxanne Varzi.
Friday, February 10th. 4:00-6:00PM EST. Book Panel: “A Feminist Mythology”. Co-sponsored with the NSSR Philosophy Department. A book panel with Christen Clifford, Jean-Michel Rabaté, and Rose Rejouis, with a response by Chiara Bottici.
Wednesday, March 8th. 6:00-8:00PM EST. Iran in Focus – The Fall of Zahak: The Revolutionary Possibilities in Iran. Register here.
Thursday, March 23rd. 6:00-8:00PM EST. Book Discussion: “Cannibal Capitalism”. Speakers: Nancy Fraser, Alyssa Battistoni, David Harvey, Rocio Zambrana. Register here.
Friday, March 24th. 4:00-6:00PM EST. Book Discussion: “Colonial Debts: The Case of Puerto Rico”. With Nancy Fraser and Veronica Gago, with an answer by author Rocío Zambrana. Moderated by Chiara Bottici. Register here.
Monday, March 27th. 6:00-8:00PM EST. The rise of the alt-right and gender rights regression. Presented by Anna Loretoni. Register here.
Mondays, March 27th – May 29th. 11:00AM-12:30PM EST. ONLINE | 10 Week Seminar: Decolonizing and Globalizing LGBTQ+ Studies. Seminar Leaders: Paweł Leszkowicz and Tomasz Kitlinski. Register here.
Thursday, April 6th. 12:00-1:30PM EST. Inclusive or expansive gender language? Comparing experiences within and outside social media. Vera Gheno and McKenzie Wark in conversation, moderated by Chiara Bottici. Register here.
Thursday, April 6th. 6:00-8:00PM EST. Feminism as a Politics of Articulation: bell hooks and the Trouble of Identities. Speaker: Paola Rudan. Register here.

Explore an archive highlighting some of our past events here.