three page
Queer Youth of Color Resistance
RRS 480
Image: @nerdybrownkid
Agenda ❖ Current Event info
❖ BRIEF reading overview
❖ Film: Pariah
❖ Forum post
❖ Reminder: forum due Sunday by 11:59pm
Current Event: Due March 20th Prompt available HERE
and via iLearn
Image source: @arte.es.medicina Translation: “Life is our school”
“Jen Reck is an Assistant Professor and has worked as a lecturer in the Departments of Sociology and Sexuality Studies at San Francisco State University since 2006. At San
Francisco State University, she has taught courses in LGBTQ studies, introductory research methods, action research, qualitative methods, gender, deviance, introductory Sociology,
writing, sexuality studies, and the Sociology of youth. She has researched debates over same-sex marriage, lesbian intimate partner violence, and geographic marginalization of homeless and marginally housed LGBTQ+ youth in San Francisco. Her current research
interests include criminalization of people experiencing homelessness and social movements around public accommodation access for transgender people.” (SFSU Sociology website)
Dee Rees was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. “Rees is a writer-director whose feature film Pariah premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Pariah was honored with the Festival’s U.S. Dramatic Competition “Excellence in Cinematography” Award (Bradford Young) and picked up by Focus Features… In 2015, Rees' film Bessie premiered on HBO, and starred Queen Latifah as the iconic singer, Bessie Smith. The film was well received by critics. It won four Primetime Emmy Awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie. In addition, Rees was nominated for writing and directing the film.” (NYU Tisch website). In 2018, Rees’ film Mudbound was nominated for several awards, including four Oscar nominations (LA Times).
“Homeless Gay and Transgender Youth of Color in San Francisco: ‘No One Likes Street Kids’ -- Even in the Castro” by Jen Reck ● Published in 2009 in the Journal of LGBTQ Youth
● Context: LGBTQ youth are disproportionately represented in homeless youth population in the US
● “This article explores ways in which homeless transgender and gay youth of color inhabit San Francisco gay community spaces to express their gender and sexual identities and seek safety as gay and transgender homeless young people. This research examines the importance of such community support and places to these young people and analyzes the multiple ways in which they face marginalization from this community due to their status as homeless youth of color” (224)
● Reck focuses on the stories of 5 queer/trans/questioning youth of color: Stacey, Kyla, Victor, JJ, and Mark
Pariah (2011) Runtime: 1hr 26min
Description: A Black teenage girl named Alike (played by Adepero Oduye) living in Brooklyn embraces her identity as a lesbian, but she struggles with how much she can confide in her parents (played by Kim Wayans & Charles Parnell).
Content warning: this film delves into experiences of homophobia and violence in the lives of queer youth of color. Please pause, skip sections, etc. as needed. Free counseling is offered to all SF State students; more info linked here . Please feel free to reach out to me if needed.