Sexual dissidence or sexual diffidence?

How about an MA in Sexual Dissidence chaired by the dankprofessor? Just a fantasy? Not really, you actually can get an MA in Sexual Dissidence at the University of Sussex in the UK, but no, the dankprofessor is not part of the Sussex program. To my knowledge, this is the first offering of a degree program in Sexual Dissidence in the UK or anywhere else.
Why might such pioneering work begin at Sussex? Maybe it’s all part of the name game.

So if you are interested in the Sussex program, be at Sussex tomorrow, January 30; invited are “…prospective and interested students to our Postgraduate Open Day to be held on Wednesday, 30 January from 12 pm – 2.30 pm in The Bramber House Terrace Room. Information on all MA’s, including Sexual Dissidence, will be available, and you will be able to meet and talk with Faculty. Sandwiches and refreshments will be provided.” To get more info on the progam, click here.

Well, after the dankprofessor read about the program, I concluded there was no place in the program for me since the program is dealing with the currently “in” academic topics like post-colonialism, non-heteronormative sexualities, etc.
Such is not to suggest that this Sexual Dissidence Program may not have much to offer. But I can’t help but wonder if the sexual dissidence name is a misnomer. Can sexual dissidence be manipulated in such a way to exclude anything bordering on heteronormativity? Cannot one be heteronormative while being a sexual dissident? Automatically excluding heteronormativity from the rubric of sexual dissidence seems to me to be indicative a severe case of sexual diffidence.  So the dankprofessor speculates that the Sussex Sexual Dissidence MA program might be more appropriately named the Sexual Diffidence MA Program.

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If you wish, you can write to me directly at dankprofessor@msn.com
Guest commentaries should also be submitted for consideration to the same email address.

Barry M. Dank aka the dankprofessor^TM
© Copyright 2008

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