Political Art and the Public Sphere presents Boy I Am film screening and discussion

WHAT: The Political Art and the Public Sphere (PAPS) series presents a screening of the film Boy I Am followed by a discussion moderated by Mike Murphy, UIS assistant professor in Women and Gender Studies.

WHEN: Monday, October 18, 2010 at 6 p.m.

WHERE: Brookens Auditorium on the lower level of Brookens Library at UIS

DETAILS: Boy I Am explores the plight of women struggling with their gender identity as they encounter adversity from both heterosexual society and the lesbian community. Some lesbians, for example, view female-to-male transitioning as anti-feminist, or as a “trend” that takes advantage of male privilege.

Boy I Am is a feature-length documentary that aims to promote dialogue about transgender issues through a look at the experiences of three young transitioning people in New York City. The film not only includes their stories, but also the voices of lesbians, activists, and theorists who raise and address questions that many have but few openly discuss.

Dr. Murphy’s research and teaching interests include feminist approaches to visual and popular culture, critical men’s and masculinity studies, LGBTQ Studies/Queer theory and rape and sexual assault prevention programs.

The PAPS series is a monthly event on the UIS campus featuring a showing or a performance of some kind of “political art,” followed by an hour or two of group discussion. Each of the three installments in the fall 2010 series aims to raise social and political questions related to gender and sexuality.

For more information contact Dr. Richard Gilman-Opalsky, professor of Political Philosophy at rgilm3@uis.edu or 217/206-8328.