War is being declared on the body and sexual autonomy is under assault for LGBTQ+ people and those seeking safe and legal access to abortion. Focusing on human rights and an international perspective, our symposium brought together scholars, survivors and legal experts to discuss the politics of sexual and reproductive rights.
An audio recording of the Symposium proceedings is available in two parts here: morning and afternoon program. The Symposium poster is available here.
PROGRAM
View or print the Program with abstracts and speaker bios here.
8:30 IN-PERSON CHECK-IN
8:45 Welcoming Remarks
9:00-12:00 Reproductive Autonomy as a Human Right
"Reproductive Justice Beyond Abortion in the Post-Dobbs Era"
Kimberly Mutcherson, Professor of Law, Rutgers Law School
“Abortion Access in the U.S.”
Sawyeh Esmaili, Senior Counsel, National Women's Law Center
“Advancing Reproductive Justice: Learnings from South America”
Alicia Ely Yamin, Lecturer on Law and Adjunct Senior Lecturer on Health Policy and Management, Harvard University
“War and Displacement: Sexual and Reproductive Health in Conflict Zones”
Therese McGinn, Professor Emerita, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
12:00-1:00 Lunch
1:00-4:00 Focus on LGBTQ+ Rights
“Intersex Autonomy in African Contexts: Colonial Histories and Activist Leadership for the Future”
Amanda Lock Swarr, Associate Professor, Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies, University of Washington
“Straddling Worlds, Straddling Wars: The Woman’s Body as a Colonized Site"
Unoma Azuah, English Professor, Wiregrass Georgia Technical College,
"Soft Power and Strange Bedfellows: How Feminists and Evangelicals Fund and Fuel Anti-Trans Politics in South Africa"
Greta LaFleur, Associate Professor, Department of American Studies, Yale University
“State of Emergency: Escalating Attacks on LGBTQ+ People at All Levels of Government”
Sarah Warbelow, Vice President--Legal, Human Rights Campaign
“LGBTQ+ and Reproductive Justice: Current Threats and Opportunities in the U.S.”
Patience Crozier, Director, Family Advocacy, GLAD Legal Advocates & Defenders
4:00 Closing Remarks
Sponsors: Alison Des Forges Memorial Committee; Jack Walsh in Honor of Connie and Kyle Walsh; University at Buffalo: Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy; Departments of Comparative Literature, Global Gender and Sexuality Studies, History, and Political Science; Gender Institute; Humanities Institute; James Agee Chair in American Culture; Office of the Vice Provost for International Education; School of Public Health and Health Professions, School of Social Work.