Toronto Metropolitan University has approved creating a sexual minorities studies minor to further advance representation in academia. .“Bringing together students in a constellation of queer and trans courses will allow students to develop a complex body of knowledge that they can integrate into their own programs of study and into their work inside and outside of campus,” said TMU professional communication professor Marty Fink in a blog post. .The blog post said sexual minorities studies will be offered in the 2023 academic year. It said the program, which will be administered by the sociology department, will help to build connections between sexual minority faculty and students and highlight how this field has shaped contemporary world perspectives. .Drawing on courses from the Faculty of Arts, the Creative School and the Faculty of Community Services, the minor builds on existing TMU course offerings centring sexual minority experiences and communities..The blog post went on to say the courses making up the minor are offered as liberal studies or open electives, so they are accessible to students from all programs. .It said students must complete six courses to obtain the minor, including one of two required courses: Queer Sociology or LGBTQ2S+ Histories. Some of the electives offered include the Language of Love, Sex, and Gender; Queer Interior; and Race and Gender in Public Policy. .The blog post said offering courses affirming sexual minorities will allow students to connect with historic and present movements and engage students from these communities. It added the program will offer students a better understanding of sexual diversity and its intersections with other aspects of identity. .TMU history professor Art Blake, the leading faculty member of the working group advocating for this minor, said formalizing sexual minority studies provides students who identify with these communities a safe space as they discover themselves. Blake said it enables students to be themselves when they might be unable to at home, with their families, or in their communities. .Fink said this program gives students a chance to imagine queer and trans utopias and rethink what inclusivity can look like. .This social justice-oriented minor comes after the University of Calgary posted a job ad for a medicine professor who had knowledge of disability and race issues in 2021. .READ MORE: U of C looking for ‘mad studies’ expert with critical race theory expertise.“This role requires expertise in the areas of community development, advocacy and activism, leadership and innovation, professional and research ethics, and inclusive practices,” said U of C. .“Areas of expertise may include mad studies, queer studies, critical disability studies, health equity, population health, social justice, and critical race theory.”
