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WCSU hosts Women’s History Month discussion on March 28

Image of Jennifer Finney Boylan
Jennifer Finney Boylan

DANBURY, CONN.— Western Connecticut State University will host Jennifer Finney Boylan, the Anna Quindlen Writer in Residence at Barnard College of Columbia University, for a Women’s History Month talk, “Gender and Resistance,” at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, in Ives Concert Hall in White Hall on the university’s Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury. The talk will be free and the public is invited.

WCSU Professor of History and Non-Western Cultures Dr. Leslie Lindenauer, who organized the Women’s History Month event, said, “Boylan’s program reflects the university’s attention to and celebration of diversity. As one of the foremost advocates for LGBTQ civil rights, Jennifer Finney Boylan brings to WestConn decades of experience in the public sphere, as well as significant contributions to the academy. Her dedication to fostering public conversations about gender and diversity — as a columnist for the New York Times, among other outlets — is sure to inspire and energize the university community.”

Created in 2014, the Anna Quindlen Writer in Residence position honors one of Barnard’s most esteemed alumnae. As part of the position, Boylan teaches two writing courses each year while also engaging with Barnard students and faculty in ways that support the growth of young writers.

In addition to her role at Columbia, Boylan is the author of 15 books and writes the column “Men and Women” for the New York Times. Her 2003 memoir, “She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders,” was the first best-selling work by a transgender American. A novelist, memoirist and short story writer, she also is a nationally known advocate for civil rights. She has appeared on the “Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Live with Larry King,” “The Today Show,” the “Barbara Walters Special,” NPR’s “Marketplace” and “Talk of the Nation.” She also has been the subject of documentaries on CBS News’ “48 Hours” and The History Channel. Boylan served on the board of directors of GLAAD, the media advocacy group for LGBT people worldwide, from 2011 to 2018, and as co-chair of GLAAD’s board of directors from 2013 to 2017.

For more information, contact Lindenauer at lindenauerl@wcsu.edu or the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

 

 

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.