Betsy
02-28-05, 11:12 PM
Intersex symposium report
The symposium got underway on Tuesday, 2/21 with a screening of “Size Matters”, the forthcoming segment in the “In The Life” episode on gender in America. Steph Watts, the producer of the segment introduced the segment and noted that it has caused some controversy with some PBS affiliates. This is due to the current political climate in our country.
Prior to the screening, Julie Zando-Dennis, the Editor in Chief of the Cardozo Women’s Law Journal had me on the verge of tears introducing the symposium, talking about how it came about, and our friendship which goes back over a decade.
I had not seen the segment prior to it seeing it then, and it was great! I’m very excited about it.
We then screened the oft-seen Discovery Channel documentary, “Is It a Boy or a Girl?”. Linda Edwards, a PhD Candidate in The Visual and Cultural Studies Program at the University of Rochester then commented on it and critiqued some parts of it from a filmmakers perspective. She was brutal in the critique of Dr. Glassberg yet her comments on how the filmmakers were able to visually bring that to light was very insightful.
The second panel that day was focused on gender issues. Moderated by Chris Straayer, Chair of the Cinema Studies Department at NYU , the panel featured presenters from a diverse background of disciplines.
Jo Bird, Ph.D. Candidate and faculty member at the School of Law at the University of Melbourne in Australia did an overview of the state of intersex in Australia. She focused on legal aspects and inroads that have been made and talked on some of the work Tony Briffa is doing there on behalf of the intersex movement. Jo is actually from the same town as Tony and knows him quite well.
Natascha Gruber, Professor, Universities of Vienna and Innsbruck in Austria spoke about cultural issues surrounding gender.
Jessica Knouse, Esq., Appellate Court Attorney, New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department, Albany addressed some of the legal implications of gender assignment and identity documents.
Saru Matambanadzo, Esq., PhD candidate, Women’s Studies, University of California, Los Angeles presented on gender assignment and particularly intersex surgeries being a way to subjugate women. Her presentation was particularly insightful.
Elizabeth Reilly, Associate Dean and McDowell Professor of Law, University of Akron School of Law had a impassioned presentation on the benefits of eliminating gender markers.
Chris Straayer did a wonderful job in the moderation. After the presenters, she made comments that the theory was great, but questioned how it impacts real life and how will it enact actual change and forward movement in the intersex movement.
Day one ended with a short wine and cheese reception for all attendees. It was great opportunity to meet folks attending.
I’ll do a summary of day two tomorrow…(hopefully)
The symposium got underway on Tuesday, 2/21 with a screening of “Size Matters”, the forthcoming segment in the “In The Life” episode on gender in America. Steph Watts, the producer of the segment introduced the segment and noted that it has caused some controversy with some PBS affiliates. This is due to the current political climate in our country.
Prior to the screening, Julie Zando-Dennis, the Editor in Chief of the Cardozo Women’s Law Journal had me on the verge of tears introducing the symposium, talking about how it came about, and our friendship which goes back over a decade.
I had not seen the segment prior to it seeing it then, and it was great! I’m very excited about it.
We then screened the oft-seen Discovery Channel documentary, “Is It a Boy or a Girl?”. Linda Edwards, a PhD Candidate in The Visual and Cultural Studies Program at the University of Rochester then commented on it and critiqued some parts of it from a filmmakers perspective. She was brutal in the critique of Dr. Glassberg yet her comments on how the filmmakers were able to visually bring that to light was very insightful.
The second panel that day was focused on gender issues. Moderated by Chris Straayer, Chair of the Cinema Studies Department at NYU , the panel featured presenters from a diverse background of disciplines.
Jo Bird, Ph.D. Candidate and faculty member at the School of Law at the University of Melbourne in Australia did an overview of the state of intersex in Australia. She focused on legal aspects and inroads that have been made and talked on some of the work Tony Briffa is doing there on behalf of the intersex movement. Jo is actually from the same town as Tony and knows him quite well.
Natascha Gruber, Professor, Universities of Vienna and Innsbruck in Austria spoke about cultural issues surrounding gender.
Jessica Knouse, Esq., Appellate Court Attorney, New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department, Albany addressed some of the legal implications of gender assignment and identity documents.
Saru Matambanadzo, Esq., PhD candidate, Women’s Studies, University of California, Los Angeles presented on gender assignment and particularly intersex surgeries being a way to subjugate women. Her presentation was particularly insightful.
Elizabeth Reilly, Associate Dean and McDowell Professor of Law, University of Akron School of Law had a impassioned presentation on the benefits of eliminating gender markers.
Chris Straayer did a wonderful job in the moderation. After the presenters, she made comments that the theory was great, but questioned how it impacts real life and how will it enact actual change and forward movement in the intersex movement.
Day one ended with a short wine and cheese reception for all attendees. It was great opportunity to meet folks attending.
I’ll do a summary of day two tomorrow…(hopefully)