LGBT conference focuses on graduate student work

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies program will
host its fifth annual QGRAD Conference on Saturday, which allows
graduate students to present essays they have written on gender
issues and sexual orientation.

The QGRAD conference is among the few held in the United States
that allow graduate students to present their work on LGBT issues.
The conference consists of workshops that allow students to read
their essays to an audience.

Tammy Ho, a graduate student in comparative literature and LGBT
program assistant and undergraduate counselor, said the conference
is a way for graduate students to gain support in their
studies.

“The students get feedback on their papers from a
supportive community, other students and faculty experts in their
field,” Ho said.

Kristen Schilt, a graduate student in sociology, has helped with
QGRAD conferences in the past, and will present this year for the
first time.

Schilt’s work is in the area of transgender studies. She
originally wrote the paper for an LGBT course, and is now in the
final stages of revising it for the conference. Schilt said the
conference is a place to meet graduate students from all over the
world and a good way to network.

“I’ve gotten to meet professors from other schools
and talk to them about their research,” Schilt said.

The process of selection for presenters involves invitations
mailed to universities across the country, asking graduate students
interested in doing work on sexual orientation to send a one-page
abstract and a resume to UCLA. These are reviewed by a faculty
committee that decides which students to accept.

On average, the committee receives 70 applications a year, but
is limited to choosing 40. In the past, the committee took almost
all applicants, but due to an increase in applications over the
years, they have had to turn some away.

The resumes and abstracts are accepted based on topic of
interest and quality. The students chosen are given the opportunity
to work with professionals in the field.

This year, a select group of students was chosen to work with
experts in gender and sexual orientation studies, including two
UCLA professors, Sue-Ellen Case, an expert on lesbian identity,
theater and performance, and William B. Rubenstein, who specializes
in sexual orientation law. The experts chose two students to
mentor, helping them develop their essays over the course of the
year.

The conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Royce
Hall. Admission is free.