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I am looking forward to making myself uncomfortable in this course.

Gender and sexuality affect us all in different ways, and I want to find out what others' gender experiences have been like. I also want to do my best to share my gendered life with others. Most of all though, I want to get a better sense of how I can be an effective advocate for gender equity and rights. I read a really excellent queer theorist over the summer named Riki Wilchins, and the ultimate goal that Wilchins was working toward was very strongly social justice-oriented. I think all too often gender, sexuality, women's, queer (& whathaveyou) scholars get too bogged down in the theoretical and academic life of their work. I don't want to get lost in the privilege I have by default as a student at Haverford. I think as a class we need to strive to keep the human component of the study of gender and sexuality as visible as we possibly can. That being said, it isn't always easy to reconcile our privilege and the real injustice in the world around us. I think that's why it will be hard for me, and probably for others in the class. Let's work together on it.