Ithaca College Duo Publishes Book: Gender Diversity

ITHACA, NY — A faculty member and an administrator at Ithaca College have teamed up to publish a book exploring the multiple ways in which the universe of gender — from the usual to the unusual — is socially, culturally and historically constructed. Released by Westview Press, “Doing Gender Diversity: Readings in Theory and Real-World Experience” is a text intended for use in undergraduate courses on gender, women’s studies and sexualities, among other disciplines.“Doing Gender Diversity” was edited by Lis Maurer, program director of Ithaca College’s Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Education, Outreach, and Services; and Rebecca Plante, associate professor of sociology.The culmination of years of collaboration and conversation between the two, the collection examines the various ways in which culture intersects with individuals to produce the range of presentations of self that we call “gender.” This includes those born male who grow up to become adult men, lesbian women, transmen — and everyone else on the diverse gender spectrum. It shows readers how gender is developed, experienced and presented by the range of persons who “do” gender (namely, everyone).The readings in the anthology include such topic titles as “Whatever I Feel, That’s the Way I Am,” “Defining and Producing Genitals,” “Masculine, Feminine or Human?” “Intimate Transitions: Transgender Practices of Partnering and Parenting” and “When the Girls are Men: Negotiating Gender and Sexual Dynamics in a Study of Drag Queens.”Maurer is the founding director of Ithaca College’s LGBT Center and has been a sexuality educator, consultant and trainer for more than 20 years. She has published several articles in national publications on sexuality, sexual orientation and gender identity and was a contributing author to the books “GenderQueer: Voices from Beyond the Binary” and “Sexual Lives: Theories and Realities of Human Sexualities.”Plante’s writing and research focuses on various aspects of sexualities and gender. She is the author of “Sexualities in Context: A Social Perspective” and coeditor of “Sexualities: Identities, Behaviors, and Society,” and the project coordinator for a multi-campus study on hooking up, casual sex and the dating habits of college students.For more information, visit http://www.perseusbooksgroup.com/westview/.