Queer IQ At MSU

Why?

Why not?

Why? Ask Matthew Shepard.

Just as legit as "Women's Studies", "African American Studies", etc.

Which, of course, is an open ended statement... depending on how legit you think those other two are.

Steve from Yellowstone:

Spoken like a white, upper-middle-class man. If you don't know "why," then maybe you can use the education MSU is offering.

Oooooh! Now I can get a degree in FABULOUS!!!

Excuse me, but they're missing some letters.

What about (FABGLITTER) Fetish, Allies, Intersexed and Transsexual Engendering Revolution? What are they? Chopped liver?

Clearly they're a bunch of bigots up there at Montclair State.

Will there also be a minor in Straight Studies? Just askin'.

LIFE is a minor in straight studies.

Seriously, the reason these types of minors exist is because they focus on segments of society that do not get as much attention as others. If you don’t like it, feel free to become a professor, then become a chair of a department, and then start a Straight Studies minor for anyone interested.

Straight Studies is only offered during white history month.

African American & Women's Studies are both quite legit, Mike. My manly man is a Women's Studies minor and an English major. Yeah, he's probably the best boyfriend in the world.

Wonderful! There is no limit to the ingenuity of publicly supported academics for creating self employment projects.

Yeah, he's probably the best boyfriend in the world.

(sound)

Katie, how many pushups can your boyfriend do?

If doing push ups mattered I'd tell you he's in the Air Force (which he is) so come up with your own number. Fortunately they do not matter. Why is it that women believe they need to date someone who is into wasting time watching sports & jerking it to the Girls Gone Wild slobs? Mark is great, he's a very smart and unique boy. Taking his Women's Studies courses has taught him to view women as people, not sexual objects. It wasn't my idea for him to take the classes, he has a mind of his own, you know.

"Why is it that women believe they need to date someone who is into wasting time watching sports & jerking it to the Girls Gone Wild slobs?"

Oh, is that what women do Katie?

Have you signed up for your classes yet?

Katie, you need to take a 'chill' pill. Why so defensive? You started up with the manly man stuff? Can't you take a little humor?

Didn't you realize my comment was a double entendre?

ROC, I actually learned that's what men do in my Men's Studies courses. You do know I was a Men's Studies minor at MSU.

Maybe it was a joke MellonBrush, or maybe you really wanted to know the number, it's 217.

Taking these courses doesn't make you any more or less many or womanly, IMHO. To me, it just seems like the balkanization of what used to be called anthropology or sociology courses. I guess it remains to be seen if the requisite number of students sign up for them to make it worthwhile for the university to offer them.

Some people here are clearly ignorant...

This minor (it *is* a minor - 18 whole credits, 6 whole classes) - could prove very useful to many.

A straight Marketing major could better understand how to sell to the lucrative gay market.

A straight Counseling major could better understand who GLBTQ are, and what the issues they face in everyday life.

A gay or gender-confused 19 yer old could learn more about who they are, and the history of similar folks.

As Sally McWilliams said:

"It can enhance a student's major course of study and better prepare them for careers in business, education, law, health, social work, community service and other fields where they may work with diverse populations."

many=manly

Katie, how many sets did it take?

I did 250 yesterday in 6 sets. I wanted to find out if I'm a manly man too. ;)

"It can enhance a student's major course of study and better prepare them for careers in business, education, law, health, social work, community service and other fields where they may work with diverse populations."

Oh please, we weren't born yesterday. It's the academic version of "candy". It's narcissism raised to the level of college credit.

He did it all in one set, in his sleep - he's that good. You are not a manly man, I'm sorry.

Katie, that's very impressive, seriously, but how the heck did he do pushups in his sleep?

When you're a manly man you can do push-ups when you're sleeping, driving a car, eating dinner, etc.

I don't think women will EVER be able to stop men from watching sports. We are more likely to see peace in the Middle East before that happens.

I think this is a perfectly fine major that will enable a young professional to more than adequately compete for high payinging jobs in the US (or any) marketplace. Any potential employer would give no more weight to an undergrad degree in business, engineering, math etc. Heck no, they are all equal in their eyes. I know my kids for one hope oodles of folks sign up for that major.

My wife considers me a manly man (I look terrible in a dress) and sports leave me cold. No interest in them.

Katie,

I wasn't saying that *I* didn't see a point to any of the three "Studies" minors in question, just that if someone was going to find one valid, then all 3 were valid and vice versa.

The second part of my comment was more to the effect of not being able to change some people's opinions, no matter how valid and well worded your argument (see ROC's "candy" post above).

Also, your boyfriend is waaaay manlier than I. I haven't done a push up since high school and am proud of it. :-P

Cheeseblahblah:

I think what you need is a reading comprehension course. See CosmicKid's post above.

Yeah one time I saw Mark do like 5,000 push-ups in one set, in like 2 minutes.

I've been doing pushups continuously since 1997. I'm up to a quadrillion billion!

Saw that Kate. Dang, not a major? Still, a minor in "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (GLBTQ) Studies" will not only take up a lot of room on a resume, it'll look impressive as well!

I think this is a great idea.

It's interesting to hear the *exact* same responses that were thrown around when Women's Studies and Afro-American Studies were first introduced into the curriculums of colleges and universities.

In the end, students will decide. If they're not interested, they won't take the courses.

"Why is it that women believe they need to date someone who is into wasting time watching sports & jerking it to the Girls Gone Wild slobs?"

Please, Katie, is that what you derived from you MSU minor in Mens Studies??

Also you seem confused as to what constitutes a push-up. It doesn't constitue a push-up when you are underneath providing a cushion. That may explain your confusion as to the number. You probably missed the lecture in Mens Studies regarding how men perform when they are not "jerking it".

Still, a minor in "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (GLBTQ) Studies" will not only take up a lot of room on a resume, it'll look impressive as well!

While in the minority, a lot of people go to college to learn about what interests them, as opposed to padding their resume.

I think they should also add pagan religion studies.

Yeah one time I saw Mark do like 5,000 push-ups in one set, in like 2 minutes.

Sports photographers have tried to photograph katie's boyfriend doing pushups, but his torso goes up and down so fast it's physically impossible to capture on film. By comparison the beat of a hummingbird's wing is like a sloth licking his toenails.

Isn't MSU a little late to the party?

Univeristies need to get in touch with reality and be on the forefront, not come in 10 years later with the "latest and greatest" course work!

Get ahead of the curve academia!

I might take the course only to find out what "Queer" means, if it doesn't mean lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered.

Walleroo, sometimes you're comments completely crack me up. I'll read one and start to laugh. People in adjoining cubicles look at me like I'm some kind of mental patient.

The image of someone doing 5,000 pushups in 2 minutes, their torso a blur is just too f'ing funny!! And then comparing it to a Hummingbirds beating wings just takes the cake.

Well done!

I too would love to know the meaning of "queer" in this context as it suggests it is different than LGorTG.

I have no comment on the minor, but would love to know the answer to this, you know, for future reference.

I just read this blog posting, and all its attendant comments, to the class I am teaching at MSU.

.. and ..

They sat in stony silence.

Not sure what your point was but ok. I don't really think anyone was too worried that actual college students might eventually read this. No shortage of opinions here.

If any bright-eyed students at MSU are reading these posts, and their heart is sinking, please take heart. Part of the expressions on this site seem to be a flirting tet-a-tet. The straight guys say something in response to some post, and the straight women tisk-tisk them. Notice how the discussion stopped when they saw students were reading the posts.

First, it doesn't matter if your logic is flawed or your tri-gendered from mars, when the post runs its course, it's over. Second, no matter your life choices, personal or professional, the prejudices of the stupid will NOT be affected by a college class and if you don't get the ramifications of majority opinion to who you are and how to chart a life accordingly, this ain't gonna do it. It's not "credit course" material at a University.

Thanks, Mellon. There'll always be a sinecure for you in my administration.

I just read this blog posting, and all its attendant comments, to the class I am teaching at MSU.

Posted by jaygee | November 9, 2007 1:07 PM

Is that because you're teaching BLOGGER 101 or behavioral psych?

There is a dire need for academic study of gender and sexuality issues. Affected people want to participate in the same institutions that straight people enjoy, and told "no" for no apparent reason. Study needs to be done in so many areas. The straight community would benefit too. Staight men define the worth of other men in terms of their sexuality. Why? if everyone was treated with equal respect, I agree, there would be no need for study. Why do straight people feel threatened by gay marriage? If there was no problem, you would hear straight people say. "Sure! It's great that they can get married. The greatest threat to our marriages is divorce and my drinking! The more the merrier. And their kids can benefit from the extra money. No taxation without representation, that's what this country is all about!" Why don't you hear that from them? Study study study.

One reasonable suspicion is that Montclair State (which somehow never comes to mind as in the same academic league as places like the Ivies and Oxford and Cambridge) had one eye on publicity for itself re the hyping of enrollment figures for this new minor. And another on the desperate courting of students to register for something seemingly so "current" since more traditional offerings often leave 'em bored.

What is unanswered so far is the actual academic (and post-academic, in the "real" world) value of such a minor, and the scholastic rigors its courses will entail. Plus whether such an examination of sexual demarcation (which some will surely view as encouragement and endorsement)is even necessary. In lieu, say, of shoring up the English or Chemistry or Classics departments.

There was a time, too, when places like Montclair State (the "true" MSU is of course in Michigan and its colors are green and white), created to turn out teachers, were known as "normal" schools.