More than one hundred children and adults walked through metal detectors and past bomb-sniffing dogs to attend Drag Queen Story Hour at a community church in northeastern Ohio in December 2022. Just the day before, federal authorities arrested a neo-Nazi man for attempting to “burn... the entire church to the ground” with Molotov cocktails. These events coincided with a national surge in anti-transgender legislation and criticism of drag performances, with anti-trans activists explaining that they aimed to protect children from pornographic dangers. To what extent are these concerns new, and how can we understand how we ended up here? This lecture discusses the history of transgender people in America as well as the importance of the figure of the sexually endangered child in American politics.
10–10:30 a.m. Light breakfast and coffee served for in-person attendees
10:30 a.m.–noon Lecture
Registration required. No walk-ins.
This lecture is part of the Morning Coffee & Conversation Lecture Series
*Please select in-person or remote option