United Methodist Church polity bars "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" from ordination and prohibits same-sex wedding celebrations in their churches or by their clergy. Recently, the consequences for disobeying church polity have increased in severity and the denomination is expected to split. This paper profiles three churches who…

Introduction to Sociology is a widely enrolled course that gives students both an overview of the field of sociology and tools to view and analyze the social worlds we live in. This course provides students new ways to see and understand themselves and the world around them. This teaching note describes ways to queer the Introduction to Sociology…

July 28, 2019, marks the 50th anniversary of a police raid on the Stonewall Inn. During this raid, police verbally, and in some cases, physically accosted patrons of the Stonewall Inn. Events from this encounter eventually set off a series of protests by members and allies of the LGBT community. These protests came to be known as the Stonewall…

Venue-based strategies offer effective means of targeting men who have sex with men. Few studies have sought to focus on where younger men congregate and understand risk behaviors that may occur at lower (i.e., community centers) versus higher risk venues. Data from 1,311 young men who have sex with men (YMSM) aged 12- to 24-years-old recruited…

The study evaluated the acceptability of text message- and voice-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods among a sample (N = 74) of young men who have sex with men (MSM). We assessed the acceptability of text message- and voice-based EMA methods. Almost all participants (96%) reported that they would be willing to accept texts on their…

Social Activism Through Theater" chronicles the author's first full year as a teaching artist in New York City, including the launch of National Queer Theater and its inaugural show, Speechless, as well as his experiences investigating film and storytelling with teenagers at the Refugee Youth Summer Academy.

New York City (NYC) is considered to be one of the world's most progressive cities and gender and sexuality diversity (GSD)-inclusive education departmental policies appear to reflect these values. However, even within such a context, NYC educators report challenges in their work to meet the needs of trans/gender-diverse students and the…

Background: This evaluation explores experiences with, and motivations for, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing among black and Hispanic school-aged young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Methods: Participants were recruited at community-based organizations that serve YMSM in New York City,…

In this article, I argue that schools are public spaces for the public they serve--the students of that school. Access to public space and the public forum is necessary for diverse groups to create justice in a pluralistic society (Jacobs, 1961; Young, 1990). This participatory action research project examined the language and behaviors that…

The New York Civil Liberties Union's Teen Activist Project (TAP) and Youth Organizing Institute are peer educator and organizing programs for high school students in New York City. In recent years, students from both programs have identified bullying and harassment and the lack of comprehensive sex education as major problems in New York City…

Traditionally, schools have often made decisions about instruction, discipline, and other schoolwide policies without youth involvement. And yet, research suggests that when students have choice, control, and leadership opportunities, their motivation and engagement increase, which in turn is linked with better educational outcomes. This new guide…

This article addresses some of the common issues that arise when striving to develop multicultural competencies in the classroom using an experiential, intersectional, feminist, and anti-oppressive approach, in the hope of providing support to others doing similar work and contributing to the conversation around the personal impact of liberation…

Young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) account for approximately 10% of the total HIV infection in the United States but represent <1% of the population. Few interventions exist that address their unique needs, and those that do adopt a narrow, risk-based framework for prevention. Qualitative data from the Brothers Connect Study were…

Although many students at Barnard College, Columbia University select the elite, women's liberal arts college because of its feminist legacy, students often report that their understanding of gender and sexuality evolves during their time on campus as they become more knowledgeable of feminist discourse and queer theory. As a result, courses open…

Many public school districts across New York State provide sex-ed instruction that is inaccurate, incomplete and biased. This report examines sex-ed materials used during the 2009-2010 and 2010-11 school years from across New York State. Among the New York Civil Liberties Union's (NYCLU's) key findings: (1) Lessons on reproductive anatomy and…