St. Mary’s College To Host 26th Annual Women, Gender And Sexuality Studies Colloquium

ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. — Scholars, artists and students will gather at St. Mary’s College of Maryland later this month for a two-day event exploring the power of language to challenge systems of inequality.

The college’s Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies program will host its 26th Annual Colloquium on March 25-26 at the Campus Center’s Cole Cinema. The event, held during Women’s History Month, is free and open to students, faculty and the general public.

This year’s theme, “Speaking Back: Language as Rebellion,” will examine how language, in forms ranging from storytelling and speech to art, performance and cultural practice, can both reinforce social hierarchies and serve as a powerful tool for resistance and social change. Organizers say the program will highlight how women and gender-diverse communities use language creatively to challenge marginalization and reshape meaning.

A Tradition Of Dialogue And Creative Expression

The annual colloquium has been a longstanding academic tradition at St. Mary’s College since its first event in 2000. Supported by the Alice McLellan Birney Women’s Studies Fund, the gathering regularly brings interdisciplinary scholarship together with artistic expression, including lectures, performances, exhibitions and film.

Over the years, the series has attracted large audiences and sparked campus-wide conversations about issues affecting women and gender-diverse communities.

Featured Speakers And Events

The two-day program will feature several guest speakers and presentations exploring the theme from different academic and cultural perspectives.

On Wednesday, March 25, the event begins at 4:45 p.m. with a lecture by sociolinguist Jenny L. Davis, an associate professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. Her talk, “More than just ‘a word’ for us: Exploring the possibilities of Indigiqueer Language Futurisms,” will examine connections between Indigenous language revitalization and queer linguistics.

Later that evening, filmmaker Glorimar Marrero will present a program at 7:30 p.m., continuing the conversation about language, identity and storytelling through film and artistic practice.

On Thursday, March 26, sociocultural linguist Dozandri C. Mendoza will deliver a lecture titled “Throwing Shade and the Political Wit of the Femme Queen.” The presentation explores the cultural roots of verbal performance traditions in Black and Latinx ballroom communities and their connections to resistance against colonialism and linguistic oppression.

The colloquium will conclude Thursday evening with presentations and dialogue featuring St. Mary’s College students alongside the visiting speakers.

Exploring Gender Through Interdisciplinary Study

The event is hosted by the college’s Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSX) program, a cross-disciplinary field that examines how gender and sexuality shape society through perspectives drawn from the humanities, social sciences and sciences. The program brings together faculty from more than 30 disciplines and encourages students to explore issues of identity, culture, power and social justice.

Organizers say the colloquium reflects the program’s mission to foster critical discussion and creative scholarship while connecting campus conversations to broader social issues.

The 26th Annual Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Colloquium will take place March 25-26 at Cole Cinema in the Campus Center at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. All sessions are open to the public.

For more information, visit the event page through the college’s website.

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