Events

Where Did All the Porn Go?: The Sexual Sanitation of the Web with FOSTA/SESTA

March 18, 2019

In 2018, the US passed legislation called FOSTA/SESTA. Advertised as a bill to stop sex trafficking, this bill had the side effects of further criminalizing prostitution, holding technology platforms liable for any sexual content that could be construed as prostitution, and has caused major websites to restrict sexual content. While the bill may have been well-intentioned; it has caused significant collateral damage; shutting down safety networks for sex workers; and pushing LGBTQ and other marginalized sexual communities off of the web. FOSTA/SESTA is a case study in how legislators, designers, and technologists must include all relevant stakeholders to prevent unintended effects.

Event: December 17: International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, SWOP Pittsburgh

December 17, 2018

This day was created to call attention to hate crimes committed against sex workers all over the globe. Inaugurated by Dr. Annie Sprinkle and started by the Sex Workers Outreach Project USA, the first annual day was in 2003 and was held as a memorial and vigil for the victim of the Green River Killer […]

Roundtable Participant: Feminist/Queer Pedagogy Roundtable, University of Pittsburgh

November 8, 2018

Faculty roundtable discussion of issues in queer and feminist pedagogy. 

Public Talk: Moving “Smart Justice” Forward: Community Narratives, ACLU of Pennsylvania

October 24, 2018

Join the Campaign for Smart Justice to hear panelists from the community share narratives on moving forward to foster Smart Justice in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. 

Guest Lecture: Motherhood, Sex Work, and Stigma, Susquehanna University

October 24, 2018

Guest Lecture to Public Sociology Senior Seminar on motherhood, sex work, and stigma.

Conference Presentation: Niches By the Thousands: Phone Sex in an Internet Age, Association of Internet Researchers

October 12, 2018

This panel explores the connections between our own technological moment and media

of the past to analyze the ways that we conceive of — and practice — notions of

intimacy.

Conference Presentation: Instruments of Crime: Condoms, Prostitution, Prosecutors and Public Safety in Pennsylvania, Beyond the Wall: Reentry Summit and Prison Healthcare

October 5, 2018

Beyond the Walls brings together the communities that are affected by the crises of mass imprisonment. With a focus on community-led responses to the crisis in the criminal justice system, workshops reflect the needs of prisoners and former prisoners and will highlight the work being done to improve conditions inside the prison walls and in the communities to which prisoners are returning.

Conference Presentation: “Where’s the B(eef)? Bisexuality beyond stereotypes and stigma” with Celeste Pietrusza, Bi-Visibility Community Conference

September 23, 2018

Bi Visibility Day Community Conference On-stage conversation on the history and issues in bisexuality (from 20th century to contemporary bisexuality), including: – psychology and pathologization of bisexuality – bisexuals and bisexuality in LGBTQ+ culture and activism – mainstream culture and bisexual representation (including “swinger” and “threesome” representations) – queerness and bisexuality – gender and bisexuality […]

Conference Presentation: “Media, Sexuality, Power” Plenary Panel, American Sociological Association

August 10, 2018

Plenary Discussion Panel
*Sponsored by Emerald Studies in Media and Communications
Media, Power, and Sexuality
Organizer and Moderator: Apryl Williams

Moderator: “Queer Relationships” Panel Moderator, Theorizing the Web

April 27, 2018

Our expectations of romantic relationships are deeply heteronormative. The experiences and transgressive actions of queer people stand to change that for everyone.