WOW:
Harvard to endow professorship in gay studies. This is a significant advancement, dontcha think?
Harvard University will announce tomorrow that it will establish an endowed chair in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender studies, in what is believed to be the first professorship of its kind in the country.
Harvard President Drew G. Faust described the academic post as “an important milestone” in an ongoing effort by faculty, students, and alumni to raise the profile of LGBT studies at the university.
The university has received a $1.5 million gift from the Harvard Gay & Lesbian Caucus, a 4,900 member group, to endow the F.O. Matthiessen Visiting Professorship of Gender and Sexuality. Matthiessen, who Harvard says stands out as an unusual example of a gay man who lived his sexuality as an “open secret” in the mid-20th century, was an American studies scholar and literary critic at Harvard and chaired the undergraduate program in history and literature.
A growing number of colleges have begun offering academic programs related to sex, sexuality, and sexual orientation, though LGBT studies is a relatively young discipline. The City University of New York began the first gay and lesbian studies program in 1986.
Boston
Globe.
And for those following with bated breath...
Waiting on word from New Hampshire:
The New Hampshire state Senate this morning approved a compromise gay marriage bill by a 14-10 party line vote. Now we’re just waiting to see what the N.H. House will do.
The vote comes about two weeks after the House defeated an earlier amendment to a gay marriage bill that had already passes both houses because Gov. John Lynch said he would veto gay marriage unless the amendment was added to strengthen protections for those with religious objections with gay marriage.
That House vote two weeks ago was 188 to 186, and today’s vote on the revised amendment is expected to be just about that close.
Dallas
Voice
