Indiana University of Pennsylvania will hold its first symposium on gender and sexuality April 9, 2010, in IUP's Hadley Union Building.

Students, faculty, and staff will offer a variety of presentations throughout the day on topics ranging from gender studies, women's studies, men and masculinities, human sexuality, sexual orientation, gender and sexual rights, gender and sexual minorities, advocacy, media representation, social science, applied sciences, sexual health and well-being, fine and applied arts, sex and gender in the workplace, politics, literature, queer theory, identities, relationships, and intersections.

The morning session will begin at 8:00 a.m. with registration, opening remarks, and a panel of speakers including Mark Wolfe of IUP's Men's Awareness Project; James Dixon, of Indiana, manager of the Bon-Ton; Dr. Sue Gatti, IUP professor of English, retired; Atsushi Iida, IUP professor of Japanese; and the Rev. Joan Sabatino, First Unitarian Universalist Church of Indiana.

The day's activities include four one-hour workshops, eight thirty-minute panels, and six additional panels of paper presentations.

Dr. Beverly Greene, a faculty member at St. John's University, New York City, will present the symposium keynote address at 4:15 p.m. Her address is titled “Dividing and Conquering between Socially Marginalized Groups: What the Same Sex Marriage Debate Hath Wrought.”

Greene has served on the editorial boards of many scholarly journals and is the author of nearly one hundred publications in psychological literature. Nine of these publications have received national awards. She is also the founding co-editor of the American Psychological Association book series Psychological Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Issues.

From noon to 2:00 p.m., there will be a poster session and presentation including dance, music, poetry, storytelling, film, and a performance of Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues by members of IUP's Students Advocating Gender Equality group.

A $5 donation to support a second conference on gender and sexuality is requested in place of a registration fee. More than $300 in prizes will be offered to those making donations.

For more information about the symposium, visit the symposium on gender and sexuality website.