Leland G Spencer
University of South Carolina, Women's and Gender Studies, Faculty Member
- University of Cincinnati, Communication, AlumnusThe University of Georgia, Communication Studies, Alumnus, and 2 moreadd
- Religion, Gender and Sexuality, Feminism, Rhetoric, Communication, Gender, and 31 moreSocial Movements, Masculinities, Sexuality, Gay And Lesbian Studies, Transgender Studies, Theories of Gender and Transgender, Activism, Gender Studies, Women's Studies, Queer Theory, Rhetorical Criticism, Communication Studies, Rhetorical Theory, Rhetoric and Public Culture, Narrative, Queer Studies, Qualitative Research Methods, Qualitative methodology, Qualitative Research, Queer Theology, Sex and Gender, Masculinity, Religion and Sexuality, Feminist Theory, Media Studies, LGBT Issues, Rhetorical Theory and Criticism, Religious Studies, Political Rhetoric, Feminism and Social Justice, and Public Addressedit
- Leland G. Spencer (PhD, University of Georgia, 2013) is professor and chair in the Department of Women's and Gender S... moreLeland G. Spencer (PhD, University of Georgia, 2013) is professor and chair in the Department of Women's and Gender Studies at the University of South Carolina. Leland holds a graduate certificate in Women's Studies from UGA (2011), an MA in Communication from the University of Cincinnati (2009), and a BA in Communication Studies from Mount Union College (now known as University of Mount Union, 2007).
Leland's research interests are in feminist rhetoric, gender, sexuality, and gender identity, and religious communication. Leland is the author of Rape, Agency, and Carceral Solutions (University of Massachusetts Press, 2023), coauthor (with Theresa Kulbaga) of Campuses of Consent (University of Massachusetts Press, 2019), author of Women Bishops and Rhetorics of Shalom (Lexington, 2017), and coeditor (with Jamie Capuzza) of Transgender Communication Studies (Lexington, 2015). He has published more than forty peer-reviewed articles in journals such as the Quarterly Journal of Speech, Critical Studies in Media Communication, Text and Performance Quarterly, QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking, Women & Language, and others.
Leland's scholarship has received local and national recognition. Leland holds the Randy Majors Award from the Caucus on LGBTQ Concerns of the National Communication Association (NCA), the Janice Hocker Rushing Award from the Southern States Communication Association (SSCA), and the Gender Scholar of the Year Award from the Gender Studies Division of SSCA. Leland has won several awards for conference presentations and publications from the Organization for the Study of Communication, Language, and Gender as well as different divisions of NCA.edit
Research Interests: Religion, Christianity, Gender Studies, Economics, Communication, and 15 moreRhetoric, Theology, Public Address, Leadership, English History, Politics, Rhetorical Criticism, Capitalism, Rhetorical Theory, Rhetorical Theory and Criticism, United Kingdom, Women and Gender Studies, Thatcherism, Margaret Thatcher, and Great Britain
Through an analysis of Lacy Crawford’s 2020 memoir Notes on a Silencing, this essay forwards a theory of injury epistemology and highlights how epistemic violence attends sexual violence. We define injury epistemology as the ways in which... more
Through an analysis of Lacy Crawford’s 2020 memoir Notes on a Silencing, this essay forwards a theory of injury epistemology and highlights how epistemic violence attends sexual violence. We define injury epistemology as the ways in which being injured can lead one to feminist knowledge or understanding.
Research Interests: Creative Nonfiction, Critical Theory, Gender Studies, Philosophy, Epistemology, and 15 moreCommunication, Rhetoric, Sex and Gender, Violence, Literature, Sexual Violence, Gender and Sexuality, Gender, Rhetorical Criticism, Writing, Violence Against Women, Girlhood Studies, Memoir and Autobiography, Women and Gender Studies, and Memoir
Communication scholars are uniquely positioned to engage in complex, interdisciplinary research that integrates insights from different fields alongside a key expertise in the role of human symbol use. Viewing symbolizing as one of many... more
Communication scholars are uniquely positioned to engage in complex, interdisciplinary research that integrates insights from different fields alongside a key expertise in the role of human symbol use. Viewing symbolizing as one of many central elements in complex social problems, we argue that communication scholars benefit when they begin from an interdisciplinary posture in conducting their research. We take as a case study the example of gaslighting. We show how research on gaslighting from philosophy, psychology, and sociology profits from the addition of insights from the field of communication and propose directions for future research on gaslighting that incorporate communication into robust interdisciplinary projects.
Research Interests: Critical Theory, Social Theory, Epistemology, Communication, Interpersonal Communication, and 15 moreRhetoric, Violence, Research Methodology, Interdisciplinarity, Cultural Theory, Personal Relationships, Communication Theory, Research, Interdisciplinary Studies, Interpersonal Relationships, Interpersonal Romantic Relationships, Interdisciplinary research (Social Sciences), Communication Studies, Emotional Abuse, and Gaslighting
Political women who lead with firmness get castigated as heartless. Margaret Thatcher represents that stereotype, most concisely captured in the sobriquet "Iron Lady." We argue that the film The Iron Lady and the Netflix series The Crown... more
Political women who lead with firmness get castigated as heartless. Margaret Thatcher represents that stereotype, most concisely captured in the sobriquet "Iron Lady." We argue that the film The Iron Lady and the Netflix series The Crown offer versions of Thatcher that critique Thatcher's supposed failures of femininity. Rather than centering their framing of Thatcher on the harms of her policies, these texts excoriate her for her parenting and her inappropriately masculine style. We conclude by asking how we might remember public figures in ways that offer critical analyses of policies without resorting to sexist tropes.
Research Interests: Gender Studies, Communication, Media Studies, Rhetoric, Film Studies, and 15 moreTelevision Studies, Mass Communication, Stereotypes, Gender, Rhetorical Criticism, Feminism, Rhetorical Theory, England, United Kingdom, Tropes, Film and Media Studies, Sexism, Margaret Thatcher, Great Britain, and Netflix
In 2019, Joy Ladin published The Soul of the Stranger, a book that offers a transgender critical reading of the Torah along with Ladin's personal reflections as a transgender member of a Jewish community with a background in Torah... more
In 2019, Joy Ladin published The Soul of the Stranger, a book that offers a transgender critical reading of the Torah along with Ladin's personal reflections as a transgender member of a Jewish community with a background in Torah observance. This essay offers an analysis of The Soul of the Stranger, arguing that Ladin constructs a transgender Jewish tradition in the text. Ladin disavows the ostensible incompatibility of trans and Jewish experiences by showing how her reading of Genesis and Jonah accords with rather than departs from traditional rabbinic approaches to Jewish texts in two key ways: by reinterpreting apparent binaries in the creation narratives and by explaining biblical figures' trans-related experiences. Ladin's reimagining of foundational Jewish texts forecloses transphobic Torah interpretations by refusing to allow potential detractors to set the terms of the conversation. By appealing to Jewish tradition and, thereby, simultaneously constituting it, Ladin imagines and creates a trans-inclusive Judaism framed on its own terms rather than in opposition to voices of exclusion.
Research Interests: Religion, Gender Studies, Communication, Rhetoric, Jewish Studies, and 15 moreTheology, Transgender Studies, Gender and Sexuality, Biblical Studies, Gender, Rhetorical Criticism, Theories of Gender and Transgender, Religious communication, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Transgender, Religious Studies, Communication Studies, Torah, and Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Research Interests: Religion, Christianity, Gender Studies, Communication, Rhetoric, and 15 moreQualitative methodology, Spirituality, Gender and Sexuality, History of Sexuality, LGBT Issues, Gender, Rhetorical Criticism, Mormonism, Christian Spirituality, Qualitative Research Methods, Communication Studies, Asexuality, Sexual Behavior, LDS Church history and doctrines, and Communication and media Studies
Philosophers have theorized epistemic violence as a form of harm committed against people primarily in their capacities as knowers. In this essay, we apply a modal materialist perspective to understand epistemic violence as a rhetorical... more
Philosophers have theorized epistemic violence as a form of harm committed against people primarily in their capacities as knowers. In this essay, we apply a modal materialist perspective to understand epistemic violence as a rhetorical process that is made possible through binary, hierarchy, and perfecting tendencies of language. Taken together, such tendencies form a script in which interlocutors are divided into "rational" actors, who are legitimated to define knowledge in particular contexts, pitted against "irrational" actors, who are made enemies of knowledge and excluded from knowledge-creating processes. We then apply this script in a reading of two narratives about transphobia by philosopher Veronica Ivy that discuss forms of epistemic violence. We show how such violence is underwritten by our script at the rhetorical level, concluding with three counter-rhetorical strategies to epistemic violence: fomenting empathy, dislodging supremacist power structures, and practicing radical listening.
Research Interests: Critical Theory, Gender Studies, Philosophy, Philosophy Of Language, Epistemology, and 15 moreCommunication, Rhetoric, Transgender Studies, Gender and Sexuality, Rhetoric and Social Theory, Gender, Gender Equality, Rhetorical Criticism, Communication Theory, Theories of Gender and Transgender, Gender And Violence, Transgender, Gender Identity, Communication Studies, and Gaslighting
Research Interests: Gender Studies, Queer Studies, Communication, Education, Rhetoric, and 15 moreSex and Gender, Higher Education, Transgender Studies, Queer Theory, Sexuality, Sexual Violence, Gender and Sexuality, LGBT Issues, Gender, Learning And Teaching In Higher Education, Higher Education Management, Higher Education Policy, LGBT Studies, University, and Consent
Research Interests: Communication, Media Studies, Media and Cultural Studies, Rhetoric, Performance Studies, and 15 moreCritical Race Studies, Race and Racism, Global media, Critical Race Theory, Race and Ethnicity, Media Literacy, Periodical Studies, Rhetorical Criticism, Communication Theory, Media, Print media, Rhetorical Theory, Rhetorical Theory and Criticism, Apology, and Media analysis
Gaslighting is defined as a dysfunctional communication dynamic in which one interlocutor attempts to destabilize another's sense of reality. In this article, we advance a model of gaslighting based in an epistemic rhetoric perspective.... more
Gaslighting is defined as a dysfunctional communication dynamic in which one interlocutor attempts to destabilize another's sense of reality. In this article, we advance a model of gaslighting based in an epistemic rhetoric perspective. Our model directs attention to the rhetorics used to justify competing knowledge claims, as opposed to philosophical models that tend to rely on objective truth-value. We probe the discursive manifestations of gaslighting in logocentric, ethotic, or pathemic terms. We then apply our model to explain sexist and racist gaslighting that derives power from normatively instantiated discourses of rape culture and White supremacy. Specifically, our analysis identifies the appeal structures used to legitimate such gaslighting in response to disclosures of sexual violence and testimony about racial injustice.
Research Interests: Gender Studies, Philosophy, Ontology, Epistemology, Communication, and 15 moreRhetoric, Women's Studies, Violence, Race and Racism, Feminist Epistemology, Sexual Violence, Race and Ethnicity, Gender, Rhetorical Theory, Rape Culture, Communication Studies, Ethos, Sexism, Epistemic Injustice, and Black Lives Matter
National Geographic magazine’s January 2017 special issue focused on gender around the world, including the magazine’s first explicit discussion of gender identity and transgender lives. I argue that the issue enacts a colonizing rhetoric... more
National Geographic magazine’s January 2017 special issue focused
on gender around the world, including the magazine’s first explicit
discussion of gender identity and transgender lives. I argue that the
issue enacts a colonizing rhetoric of new discovery to address
gender identity, whereby the magazine obscures past and
present understandings of gender identity from cultures around
the globe to position itself (and the United States) as especially
innovative and progressive. I name the phenomenon of talking
about the present in ways that forecast a brighter tomorrow by
deflecting other pasts and presents futurespective kainotēs.
on gender around the world, including the magazine’s first explicit
discussion of gender identity and transgender lives. I argue that the
issue enacts a colonizing rhetoric of new discovery to address
gender identity, whereby the magazine obscures past and
present understandings of gender identity from cultures around
the globe to position itself (and the United States) as especially
innovative and progressive. I name the phenomenon of talking
about the present in ways that forecast a brighter tomorrow by
deflecting other pasts and presents futurespective kainotēs.
Research Interests: Critical Theory, History, Social Theory, Gender Studies, Communication, and 15 moreMedia Studies, Rhetoric, Feminist Theory, Gender History, Transgender Studies, Gender and Sexuality, Colonialism, Gender, Rhetorical Criticism, Media, Public Memory, Rhetorical Theory, Gender Identity, Magazines, and National Geographic
Dominant paradigms of epistemology conventionally separate the rational from the emotional. In contradistinction to those views, we build on a rich tradition of scholarship about feminist anger to make the claim that outrage, in... more
Dominant paradigms of epistemology conventionally separate the rational from the emotional. In contradistinction to those views, we build on a rich tradition of scholarship about feminist anger to make the claim that outrage, in particular, has epistemic value. We understand feminist outrage—especially in the sense of a gross or malicious wrong or injury to principle—as a source of knowing, rather than an obstacle to it. Though the epistemic usefulness of anger has long been recognized among feminists, particularly Black feminists and other feminists of color, the disciplining of feminist outrage in the scholarly publication process invites our attention and demands our response. We define outrage epistemology as a way of knowing through felt, reflective awareness of injustice.
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This article offers two suggestions for the future of queer communication studies: First, we should continue to use language carefully and thoughtfully, especially about gender, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Second, queer... more
This article offers two suggestions for the future of queer communication studies: First, we should continue to use language carefully and thoughtfully, especially about gender, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Second, queer communication scholarship should be intentionally and meaningfully intersectional, eschewing superficiality and tokenism related to race, ethnicity, and nationality.
Research Interests: Gender Studies, Communication, Media Studies, Rhetoric, Transgender Studies, and 15 moreQueer Theory, Race and Racism, Academic Writing, Gay And Lesbian Studies, Critical Race Theory, Race and Ethnicity, Gender, Racism, Theories of Gender and Transgender, Rhetorical Theory, Communication Studies, Rhetoric and Composition, LGBT Studies, Media and Communication Studies, and Media theory and Research
Transgender individuals often face a barrage of questions from family, friends, medical professionals, and others, asking them to account for and explain their identities. Ultimately, these questions all come down to one fundamental... more
Transgender individuals often face a barrage of questions from family, friends, medical professionals, and others, asking them to account for and explain their identities. Ultimately, these questions all come down to one fundamental concern: "Why do you feel this way?" This essay offers one potential answer. By turning to the philosophical concept of reincarnation through the methodological approach of autoethnography, this essay posits a relationship among past lives and current lives as one potential way of accounting for one author's (trans) identity. We present an exploration of one author's identity in the form of a dialogue with the other author, a supportive friend curious about his interlocutor's beliefs in reincarnation and excited to learn.
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In this article, we trace arguments for the sacredness of Black life from Sojourner Truth to the Combahee River Collective to the founders of Black Lives Matter, arguing that Black women have consistently drawn on sacred and ritual... more
In this article, we trace arguments for the sacredness of Black life from Sojourner Truth to the Combahee River Collective to the founders of Black Lives Matter, arguing that Black women have consistently drawn on sacred and ritual structures to argue not just that Black life matters but also that Black life has inherent value. As such, we conclude with reflections on Black feminist ethics as an extension of the doctrine of imago dei.
Research Interests: Religion, Christianity, History, Gender Studies, Philosophy, and 15 moreEthics, Communication, Rhetoric, Feminist Theory, Theology, Narrative, Critical Race Theory, Race and Ethnicity, Women, Social Activism, Black feminism, African American Studies, Rhetorical Theory, Ritual Theory, and Women and Gender Studies
Research Interests: Creative Writing, Critical Theory, Gender Studies, Communication, Rhetoric, and 15 moreSex and Gender, Women's Studies, Violence, Performance Studies, Sexuality, Gender and Sexuality, Social Justice, Performativity, Gender, Performance, Theatre, Rape Culture, Advocacy and Activism, Communication Studies, and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Research Interests: Critical Theory, Gender Studies, Communication, Rhetoric, Composition and Rhetoric, and 15 moreWomen's Studies, Languages and Linguistics, Transgender Studies, Academic Writing, Gender and Sexuality, English, Gender, Rhetorical Criticism, Writing Studies, Communication Theory, Rhetorical Theory, Transgender, Gender Identity, Communication Studies, and English Studies
Research Interests: Religion, Christianity, Gender Studies, Queer Studies, Communication, and 15 moreMedia Studies, Rhetoric, Sex and Gender, Theology, Television Studies, Popular Culture, Queer Theory, Sexuality, Gender and Sexuality, Gay And Lesbian Studies, Bodies and Culture, LGBT Issues, Gender, Media, and Argumentation Theory
Research Interests: Religion, Christianity, Gender Studies, Ontology, Communication, and 15 moreRhetoric, Sex and Gender, Intersexuality, Women's Studies, Transgender Studies, Spirituality, Sexuality, Gender and Sexuality, Biblical Studies, LGBT Issues, Rhetorical Criticism, Evangelicalism, Religious Studies, Women and Gender Studies, and LGBT Studies
In 2012, Chris Stedman, then the Humanist chaplain at Harvard University, published the memoir Faitheist. Stedman (2012) argues that nonreligious people ought to join with people of faith in working toward social justice in the world... more
In 2012, Chris Stedman, then the Humanist chaplain at Harvard University, published the memoir Faitheist. Stedman (2012) argues that nonreligious people ought to join with people of faith in working toward social justice in the world rather than taking antagonistic positions on religion in the vein of so-called New Atheism. To build his argument, Stedman reflects on his own upbringing in a passively nonreligious family, his teenage conversion to evangelical Christianity, his discovery of his own queer identity, his subsequent acrimonious rejection of religion, and his eventual shift to a less militant atheism that sought commonality with persons of faith. Drawing on scholarship about the role of civility in public discourse and the study of narrative genres, this essay builds the case that Stedman's narrative includes a number of conversion stories, as well as a coming out story (which shares many features of the conversion narrative genre). The generic (that is, related to genre) patterns that emerge in these various stories cohere to help Stedman make a case for the radical potential of (non)religious civility-amid differences-by finding common ground in shared values.
Research Interests: Religion, Christianity, Gender Studies, Communication, Rhetoric, and 15 moreAtheism, Narrative, Queer Theory, Sexuality, Gender and Sexuality, Gay And Lesbian Studies, Storytelling, LGBT Issues, Gender, Religious Conversion, Genre Theory, Narrative Theory, Citizenship, Religious Studies, and Communication Studies
Research Interests: Gender Studies, Communication, Rhetoric, Self and Identity, Sex and Gender, and 15 moreWomen's Studies, Public Address, Transgender Studies, Sexuality, Mass Communication, Gender and Sexuality, Identity (Culture), Gender, Political communication, Social Activism, Internet memes, Biopolitics, Gender Identity, The Internet, and Advocacy and Activism
Research Interests: Black Studies Or African American Studies, Gender Studies, Queer Studies, Communication, Media Studies, and 15 moreRhetoric, Feminist Theory, Television Studies, Popular Culture, Queer Theory, Race and Racism, Gender and Sexuality, Gay And Lesbian Studies, Critical Race Theory, Race and Ethnicity, Gender, Rhetorical Criticism, Critical Media Studies, Racism, and Black feminism
Research Interests: Religion, Christianity, Gender Studies, Queer Studies, Communication, and 15 moreHealth Communication, Theology, Disability Studies, Narrative, Religion and Sexuality, Sexuality, Gender and Sexuality, Autoethnography, LGBT Issues, Health, Narrative Theory, Sexual Orientation, Disability, Religious Studies, and LGBT Studies
This essay considers the implications of teaching about Black Lives Matter (BLM), a movement that joins a long tradition of Black American protest. We reflect on how BLM helps us illustrate intersectionality in the classroom. To make our... more
This essay considers the implications of teaching about Black Lives Matter (BLM), a movement that joins a long tradition of Black American protest. We reflect on how BLM helps us illustrate intersectionality in the classroom. To make our argument, we take as a case study the controversy surrounding the Cincinnati Women's March in January 2018: BLM Cincinnati declined to participate in the march after Women's March organizers refused to listen to BLM's critiques of the theme "Hear Our Vote." We analyze the events, mainstream discourse, and activist statements around the controversy and reflect on how to use the conflict pedagogically.
Research Interests: Social Movements, Black Studies Or African American Studies, Gender Studies, Communication, Rhetoric, and 15 moreWomen's Studies, Feminist Theory, Literature, Race and Racism, Critical Pedagogy, Learning and Teaching, Critical Race Theory, Race and Ethnicity, Social Activism, Pedagogy, Feminism, Black feminism, Intersectionality, Blackness, and Black Lives Matter
Research Interests: Critical Theory, Gender Studies, Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Rhetoric, and 15 moreSex and Gender, Women's Studies, Languages and Linguistics, Transgender Studies, English language, Sexuality, Gender and Sexuality, LGBT Issues, Gender, Gender Equality, Theories of Gender and Transgender, Gender Identity, Interpersonal Relationships, Women and Gender Studies, and Communication Studies
Research Interests: Black Studies Or African American Studies, Nutrition and Dietetics, Gender Studies, Communication, Rhetoric, and 24 moreWomen's Studies, Feminist Theory, Women's History, Public Address, Race and Racism, Political Campaigns, Political Science, Race and Ethnicity, Social Justice, Political communication, Rhetorical Criticism, Food and Nutrition, Feminism, Neoliberalism, Body Image, African American Studies, Childhood Obesity, Public Health, Black Women's Studies, Feminism and Social Justice, Communication Studies, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and Media coverage of first ladies
Research Interests: Communication, Teaching and Learning, Education, Disability Studies, Academic Freedom, and 15 moreHigher Education, Critical Pedagogy, Learning and Teaching, Trauma Studies, Pedagogy, Learning And Teaching In Higher Education, Higher Education Policy, Curriculum and Instruction, Freedom of Speech, Trauma, Curriculum, Students, Consent, Student, and Trigger warnings
Research Interests: Gender Studies, Communication, Rhetoric, Presidency (American Politics), Women's Studies, and 18 moreViolence, Family studies, Public Address, Government, Immigration, Political Science, Sexuality, Gender and Sexuality, Race and Ethnicity, Politics, LGBT Issues, Gender, Political communication, Rhetorical Criticism, Health, Public Health, LGBT Health, and Communication Studies
Sexual and gender minorities have long quibbled over whether the “LGBT” moniker (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) is inclusive enough. While we celebrate the proliferation of sexual and gender identities, we also believe that this... more
Sexual and gender minorities have long quibbled over whether
the “LGBT” moniker (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) is
inclusive enough. While we celebrate the proliferation of sexual
and gender identities, we also believe that this ever-expanding
moniker has become an alibi for disavowing institutional
violence—particularly in higher education. Grounding our
analysis in our experiences co-advising a lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, queer, and ally (LGBTQA) student organization, we
illustrate how the focus on a deradicalized “inclusivity”—a
trademark of moniker style politics—serves the needs of the
corporatized university. This neoliberal vision of inclusion
transforms LGBTQA “safe spaces” into spaces safe from critical
thinking and ultimately ignores the needs of multiply
minoritized queer and trans students, faculty, and staff.
the “LGBT” moniker (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) is
inclusive enough. While we celebrate the proliferation of sexual
and gender identities, we also believe that this ever-expanding
moniker has become an alibi for disavowing institutional
violence—particularly in higher education. Grounding our
analysis in our experiences co-advising a lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, queer, and ally (LGBTQA) student organization, we
illustrate how the focus on a deradicalized “inclusivity”—a
trademark of moniker style politics—serves the needs of the
corporatized university. This neoliberal vision of inclusion
transforms LGBTQA “safe spaces” into spaces safe from critical
thinking and ultimately ignores the needs of multiply
minoritized queer and trans students, faculty, and staff.
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The year 2014 has been dubbed the 'trans tipping point', a new era of acceptance towards trans and gender-nonconforming identities. In addition, in recent years, children's animated film has seen an influx of characters and storylines... more
The year 2014 has been dubbed the 'trans tipping point', a new era of acceptance towards trans and gender-nonconforming identities. In addition, in recent years, children's animated film has seen an influx of characters and storylines that appear to celebrate gender diversity. Using inductive and deductive thematic analysis, we examine the gendered messages in top-grossing children's animated films from 2012 to 2015. Drawing from our analysis, we argue that such alleged gender diversity applies only to a narrow subset of characters in children's animated film – and these same characters also often function to reinforce oppressive ideas about gender, race and sexuality. Ultimately, despite the visibility of gender diverse characters in and outside children's film, we caution against premature celebrations that would regard such visibility as progress.
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Research Interests: Gender Studies, Communication, Rhetoric, Sex and Gender, Intersexuality, and 12 moreWomen's Studies, Languages and Linguistics, Transgender Studies, Sexuality, Gender and Sexuality, Gender, Rhetorical Criticism, Theories of Gender and Transgender, Rhetorical Theory, Women and Gender Studies, Communication Studies, and Intersex
Recent rhetorical scholarship has focused on the definition of civility and the relationships among civility, freedom of speech, and academic freedom, with some scholars claiming that calls for civility always squelch academic freedom.... more
Recent rhetorical scholarship has focused on the definition of civility and the relationships among civility, freedom of speech, and academic freedom, with some scholars claiming that calls for civility always squelch academic freedom. Taking up the case of a student organization at a university campus as an exemplar, this article argues that in some contexts at least, we might fruitfully understand civility as a condition for academic freedom and freedom of speech rather than an obstacle to such freedom.
Research Interests: Communication, Rhetoric, Peace and Conflict Studies, Academic Freedom, Higher Education, and 15 morePolitical Science, Politics, Rhetoric and Public Culture, Public Deliberation, Political communication, Social Activism, Rhetorical Criticism, Deliberative Democracy, Freedom Of Expression, Democracy, Rhetorical Theory, Freedom of Speech, Communication Studies, Student Life, and Civility
Research Interests: Communication, Media Studies, Media and Cultural Studies, Television Studies, Comedy, and 13 moreTransgender Studies, Popular Culture, Qualitative methodology, Drama, LGBT Issues, Theories of Gender and Transgender, Qualitative Research, Media, Transgender, Television, Communication Studies, Film and Television, and TV Series
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Research Interests: Religion, Christianity, Black Studies Or African American Studies, Gender Studies, Communication, and 16 moreRhetoric, Sex and Gender, Race and Racism, Gender and Sexuality, Preaching, Race and Ethnicity, Gender Equality, Rhetorical Criticism, Feminism, Church History, African American Studies, Homiletics, American Religious History, Irony, Prophecy, and United Methodist Church
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Acceptance of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals by Christian churches has been uneven at best, with renewed condemnation following each progressive step. Yet LGB Christians remain in denominations whose attitudes toward their... more
Acceptance of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals by Christian churches has been uneven at best, with renewed condemnation following each progressive step. Yet LGB Christians remain in denominations whose attitudes toward their sexuality range from mere tolerance to outright condemnation. To make sense of this, we turn to the case of the Rev. Beth Stroud who came out as a lesbian in a 2003 sermon she delivered at the First United Methodist Church of Germantown, Pennsylvania. Stroud turned to Christian and queer images of family that blurred the lines between family and community, and she used a metonymy of "making casseroles" to encourage the congregation to engage in an array of inclusive community building practices. By crafting images of queer family and mobilizing them alongside calls for tactics that create inclusive communities, Stroud's language highlights the potential for crafting an accepting and inclusive Christian community that might help those LGB and queer persons whose lives are imbricated in the church.
Research Interests: Christianity, Gender Studies, Queer Studies, Communication, Rhetoric, and 11 moreWomen's Studies, Queer Theory, Religion and Sexuality, Gender and Sexuality, Gay And Lesbian Studies, Contemporary Christianity, Family, LGBT Issues, Rhetorical Criticism, Religious Studies, and Women and Gender Studies
Research Interests: Gender Studies, Communication, Rhetoric, Sex and Gender, Diversity, and 10 moreTransgender Studies, Qualitative methodology, Critical Pedagogy, Gender and Sexuality, Pedagogy, Theories of Gender and Transgender, Instructional Communication, Qualitative Research Methods, Gender Identity, and Education and communication
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This article reports the results of a feminist action research project that sought to ascertain professors’ best practices for engaging undergraduates in feminist classrooms. In semi-structured interviews, professors recommended assigning... more
This article reports the results of a feminist action research project that sought to ascertain professors’ best practices for engaging undergraduates in feminist classrooms. In semi-structured interviews, professors recommended assigning readings from a variety of positionalities; creating a safe space
for class discussion; relying on data to respond to student resistance; and including issues related to diversity, human identity, and social justice at a curricular level. The article concludes with a discussion of the author’s experience implementing this advice in his own teaching for two years.
for class discussion; relying on data to respond to student resistance; and including issues related to diversity, human identity, and social justice at a curricular level. The article concludes with a discussion of the author’s experience implementing this advice in his own teaching for two years.
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Some recent scholarship about civility suggests that civility is incompatible with social justice politics because it marginalizes dissent. This essay illustrates the progressive potential of civility though an analysis of the rhetoric of... more
Some recent scholarship about civility suggests that civility is incompatible with social justice politics because it marginalizes dissent. This essay illustrates the progressive potential of civility though an analysis of the rhetoric of Katharine Jefferts Schori, the current presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church and first woman to hold the post. I argue that Jefferts Schori forges a progressive civility by casting a vision for the church and rhetorically transcending controversies, thereby subordinating tense issues. Especially when Jefferts Schori responds to difficult topics, she treats people who disagree with her with respect and dignity, consistent with her liberatory vision.
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This article considers the 2010 Soulforce Equality Ride, a movement of queer Christian students who traveled around the country protesting conservative Christian colleges and universities with anti–lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB)... more
This article considers the 2010 Soulforce Equality Ride, a movement of queer Christian students who traveled around the country protesting conservative Christian colleges and universities with anti–lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) policies. We argue that the movement is comparable to a toxic tour, as described by Pezzullo (2007), because of the harmfulness of the campuses’ policies, the difficult rhetorical challenge the movement faces, and the importance of presence for the Equality Ride activists and the students they met along the way. We understand the conservative Christian college campuses as environments and the anti-LGB rhetoric and policies as toxins. We argue that the movement offers hope by undermining the notion that LGB sexualities and Christian spirituality are mutually exclusive categories of binary opposition.
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Spencer, Leland G. and Joshua Trey Barnett, "Touring Homophobia: Understanding the Soulforce Equality Ride as a Toxic Tour." Southern Communication Journal, 78.3 (2013).
Research Interests: Critical Theory, Gender Studies, Communication, Sex and Gender, Violence, and 15 moreHigher Education, Transgender Studies, Critical Pedagogy, Sexuality, Gender and Sexuality, Race and Ethnicity, Gender, Pedagogy, Learning And Teaching In Higher Education, Rape and Sexual Assault Law, Intersectionality, Women and Gender Studies, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Students, and Consent
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Research Interests: Critical Theory, Gender Studies, Communication, Education, Rhetoric, and 15 moreWomen's Studies, Action Research, Transgender Studies, Narrative, Qualitative methodology, Critical Pedagogy, Gender and Sexuality, LGBT Issues, Gender, Pedagogy, Theories of Gender and Transgender, Qualitative Research, Transgender, Gender Identity, and Intersectionality
Fostering critical awareness of masculinity and gender inequality around the world is key to developing effective solutions to many social problems. Men in societies throughout the world enjoy privilege in the areas of power, wealth, and... more
Fostering critical awareness of masculinity and gender inequality around the world is key to developing effective solutions to many social problems. Men in societies throughout the world enjoy privilege in the areas of power, wealth, and status. They are also responsible for a vast majority of acts related to gender violence and oppression around the globe. Yet, men’s health disparities and changing economic patterns offer ever more complex constraints for what it means to be a man around the world.
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This teaching activity, included in Teaching From the Heart, introduces students to the importance of inclusive language and offers them a chance to apply the lesson to novel examples.
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Research Interests: Gender Studies, Men's Studies, Communication, Media Studies, Interpersonal Communication, and 15 moreRhetoric, Sex and Gender, Transgender Studies, Popular Culture, Sexuality, Gender and Sexuality, LGBT Issues, Gender, Masculinity, Theories of Gender and Transgender, Masculinities, Transgender, Book Reviews, Books, and LGBT Studies
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The author presents a review of Beyond Freedom's Reach by Adam Rothman.
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The author presents a review of the book Our Lives Matter by Pamela R. Lightsey.