InQUEERy, an LGBTQ research collaborative, held a workshop on Monday focused on teaching students and professionals in the field of social work about non-binary views on gender.
“Beyond the Binary” was the organization’s second meeting so far in 2015. While the group used to focus its attention largely on internal research, it has shifted to greater engagement with the rest of the academic community, according to co-chair Vern Harner.
“I’m hoping that, as the semester continues, we keep getting the word out about what we’re doing and we keep reaching more people who want to learn more about this community,” Harner said. “A lot of us here are already doing the work and have a pretty good knowledge around it.”
Still, Harner was able to skip over some of the most basic elements of sex and gender to turn to some of the more complex issues brought forth when working with trans* and genderqueer communities. While the group is looking to reach a wide audience, Harner said that a certain level of knowledge is needed for conversations to be most productive.
“If we expanded too much, I think we would get a little too topical,” Harner said. “I think that we’re doing okay with bringing a really diverse group of people together with the focus still being on, not necessarily social work, but on helping people.”
In line with that philosophy, InQUEERy is not formally affiliated with ASU’s school of social work. Still, Natasha Mendoza, an assistant professor at the school, co-founded the collaborative and continues to work with the group.
Mendoza said that the organization’s original purpose when it was created last year was networking for a small group of students within the college who were working with the LGBTQ community. The group has grown dramatically since then, Mendoza said.
“It’s all about sharing information to do research responsibly with the community, and also to network,” Mendoza said.
Throughout the presentation, Harner also emphasized the importance of understanding gender models in practicing responsible research and the potential problems a binary gender system creates for trans* and genderqueer people.
“If we’re teaching people about transgender things, we shouldn’t be teaching them the wrong way first and then correcting them,” Harner said.
The absence of that kind of gender education in a social-work curriculum was a point of concern for a number of the students who attended the event.
“It’s actually surprising — in the school of social work — that students are the ones who have to bring up racial and LGBTQ issues,” Tony Hack, a social work graduate student, said during the meeting. “I think there should be a whole class.”
Mendoza said that knowledge of LGBTQ issues and perspectives is critical to studying LGBTQ groups for any kind of research. While Mendoza said that there are other programs within the school that provide levels of collaboration on LGBTQ topics, she said that InQUEERy was filling a vital gap.
“It’s nothing quite like this,” Mendoza said. “This is kind of a different animal. It really is aimed at inquiry — research.”
While Harner’s presentation focused on gender binaries, future topics and presenters will vary. Topics on specific groups and research topics, as well as strictly networking-driven events, are planned for the rest of the semester.
The group’s next meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 16. It’s expected to feature De’shay Thomas presenting “The Health and Help-Seeking Behaviors of Black Gender and Sexual Minority Women”
Contact the reporter at jdchesl@asu.edu
