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Schedule of Events

9:45 - 11:15 a.m. | Considering Gender

Kaiya Brown, “It Was Never a ‘You’ Problem: The Influences that Keep Competitive Dance Culture Alive”*

Carole Cobos, “A Ticket to Opera, Please” and “A Real Boy”*

Joe Giambelluca, “The Rigid Gender Binary is a Prison and How the Queer Umbrella Sets Us Free”

Alexandra Master, “Lavender Has Never Smelled So Nice”

1:10 - 2:40 p.m. | Awards and Keynote Address

Presentation of the 2026 Ziegler-Gee Award and the 2026-2027 Virginia J. Cyrus Scholarship 

Keynote address by Kate Okeson

"We’ve Always Been Here: 
LGBTQIA+ Histories, Figures, and Contributions
Inclusive Pedagogy and Why it Matters”

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Kate Okeson is a dedicated educator and advocate serving as the Executive Director of the LGBTQIA+ Youth Equity Commission at the New Jersey Department of Education. Drawing on 27 years of experience as a public school art teacher, Kate champions the affirmation, acceptance and positive outcomes of LGBTQ+ youth through targeted education and community building. Her recent work centers on empowering educators, school leaders, and communities of care to successfully and sustainably implement the letter and the spirit of New Jersey’s LGBTQIA+ inclusive education mandate with authenticity and integrity.

2:50 - 4:20 p.m. | Gender & Queer Theory in Policy, Athletics & the Arts

Student panel

• Amanda Aoun, “From Right to Privilege: The Hyde Amendment and Abortion Access”
• Ella Hess-Sallach, “’It’s a Bad Religion’: An Exploration of Queer Theory through channel ORANGE”
• Samantha Killin, “Gender Differences in Stress Levels and Coping Styles among Collegiate Athletes”*
• Sydney Stahl, “The Avengers and the Fallacy of Feminism”

*Student panelists who will present their work at the New Jersey Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium Colloquium at Rutgers University, March 28, 2025.  

This event is sponsored by the Gender and Sexuality Studies program and the College of Arts and Sciences. It is free and open to all members of the Rider community, including parents. All events take place in Lych Adler Hall 202. If you have any questions, or are interested in becoming a GSS minor, please contact program director Dr. Erica Ryan at eryan@rider.edu.