September 19, 2014
Dr. Kylan Mattias de Vries is an assistant professor of Sociology and the Coordinator of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon. His article, “Intersectional Identities and Conceptions of the Self: The Experience of Transgender People,” argues that sometimes when transpeople transition from one gender to another, others’ perceptions of the transperson’s race, economic class, and sexuality also change. This discovery shows that gender discrimination isn’t an isolated prejudice, but is always interconnected with other identities and differences. You can read his study here.
He is also the co-author of the article, “Race, Religion, and Opposition to Same Sex Marriage,” which explored the gap between White and Black support for same-sex marriage in the United States, and confirmed that this gap in attitudes could be explained in part by religion.
Dr. de Vries has a long history of activism for women, people who are queer, and transpeople. At SOU, he teaches in the Social Justice House, a program where students conduct four years of educational projects on the themes of inequality, poverty, and violence. He has worked with rape crisis centers, transgender alliance organizations, and hosted a genderqueer conference.
posted by Dr. Alena Amato Ruggerio
