Sex, Gender, and Sexuality: A Lecture

By Cassandra Stephens (Email Cassandra at: ces1601@live.esu.edu)
SC A&E Editor

On Wednesday, February 29th, ESU Alumni Gabriel Hooghuis will be delivering a lecture on Sex, Gender, and Sexuality in Beers Lecture Hall at 7PM.

Hooghuis describes himself as “a self-proclaimed unemployed blogger”, but he really is much more than that. After graduating ESU in May 2011 with his degree in Public Administration and double minors in English and Women’s Studies, Hooghuis continued to blog, yes, but also took up volunteer positions with The Anti-Violence Project and CONTACT We Care! organizations. While at ESU, Hooghuis built his reputation on campus by “[beginning to lecture] to college classrooms about gender and sexuality in 2007” . He also served as a Student State Representative for the PASSHE LGBTQIA Consortium (2010-2011), “helped design the first queer studies course offered at ESU”, participated in various organized efforts toward equality, and “has been called an expert on the topics of gender and sexuality by professors and scholars in the field(s) of women and gender studies”.

Although many people on ESU’s campus may know Hooghuis as “that outspoken trans-gender kid”, I know him as an extremely intelligent, compassionate person; I would also call him my friend. We met in Professor Broun’s Creative Non-Fiction class in the spring of 2011. Through reading his running memoir, which addressed topics such as coming out, beginning to take testosterone shots, and the daily struggles related to changing his identity, I felt compelled to learn more. Unbeknownst to Hooghuis, I began regularly reading his blog. What I discovered only proved what I already knew: Hooghuis has a gift for making seemingly foreign topics seem ordinary. Naturally, when I heard he would be giving a lecture on Sex, Gender, and Sexuality, I felt I must attend. But I also know my attendance alone is not enough: in order to make a difference, Hooghuis’s story and the academic argument toward deconstructing – and ultimately dissolving – gender roles must reach those who do not have the privilege of knowing Hooghuis  personally.

Attending Wednesday’s lecture will be an awesome opportunity for anyone curious or unfamiliar with the topics of sex and gender roles.  With catchy prompts like “Let’s Talk About Sex”, Hooghuis navigates the gray areas with humor and clarity. Through a historical, sociological, and psychological discussion of the topic, Hooghuis aims to enlighten his audience through education. This event is open to the public, and I urge all to attend. It’s not often that I endorse anything through the newspaper, but this is a cause near and dear to my heart.