One-Day Queer Student Conference, April 2

TO SEE CONFERENCE PAPERS VISIT (http://qtc.wikispaces.com/)

Queer student organizations at the University of Texas at Austin hosted a one-day conference on April 1-2, 2010. The conference, formerly the Queer Texas Conference (QTC), in the past focused solely on queer activism but now has a new academic slant. This year's conference was entitled "New Diections in Queer Studies and Advocacy Symposium" and focused on the theories (and tests of theory) that underpin queer activist efforts. Why the change? Because theory informs action, and action affects activist outcomes. Therefore, we can be better activists if we have theory that explains closely the real world.

Past activists have relied almost exclusively on psychological, sociological, feminist and queer theories to explain the world of LGBT people. And in most cases these theories have created exciting new directions in queer activism, e.g. feminist theory's focus on transgender people causing their inclusion to gay and lesbian activism. But aspects of enduring questions like "should we mainstream or create revolution" change with social progress, and we need new theories to know what to do next. And because queer people and issues are complex we also need the broadest possible scope for potential new theory.

1st Workshop (9:30-10:45am) by Michael J. Ritter "Quality Care for Queer Nursing Home Residents: The Prospect of Reforming the Nursing Home Reform Act."

2nd Workshop (11am-12:15pm) by Timothy Mattison "Austin Gay Men's Sexual Health and Influences on Attitudes toward Gay Community."

3rd Workshop (1:15-2:30pm) by Stephen Low "Does a Queer Public Exist?"

4th Workshop (2:45-4pm) by Shane Whalley "Peers for Pride: Acting for Change."

The Next QTC is scheduled for October 15-16, 2010. For more information contact the Gender and Sexuality Center at GSC@uts.cc.utexas.edu.