I am an Associate Professor of Sociology at Boston University and former Director of the BU Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program (2017-2022). My current research explores the evolving meanings and uses of lesbian as a self-descriptor in the 21st century.

At the broadest level, my research considers the contradictory effects of the increased mainstreaming of LGBTQ identities in the 21st century. I use qualitative methods, especially in-depth interviews and content analysis, to explore how people make sense of their sexual and gender identities in the context of these changing social conditions. Substantively, this addresses pressing dilemmas that are otherwise missed in the linear and progressive narrative of LGBTQ rights in the US.

For example, as formal barriers to LGBTQ employment slip away, the ascension of the gay-friendly workplace in the US seems all but assured—employment protections, employee groups, and sponsored gay pride floats are practically de rigueur for today’s major corporations. Even historically gay-hostile public institutions, from schools to the US military, have made strides toward inclusiveness. But do policies and pride parades tell the whole story? Are we in the midst of a backlash against such advancements? By looking at different institutional sites, my research explores the hidden costs and meanings of these moves towards inclusion, including how this particular model of inclusion might occlude more radical social movement possibilities.