From the Eye of the LGBT Community at MNSU
Location
CSU 202
Start Date
16-4-2013 10:05 AM
End Date
16-4-2013 11:05 AM
Student's Major
Art
Student's College
Arts and Humanities
Mentor's Name
Alisa Eimen
Mentor's Department
Art
Mentor's College
Arts and Humanities
Description
Through documentary photography emphasizing collaboration and multiple perspectives, my study focuses on identity within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The concept comes at a time when LGBT Americans have entered a broad, political discussion regarding marriage equality, bullying in schools, and whether identifying as LGBT is derived from nature versus nurture. Considering the political discourse happening across the country and more specifically, in Minnesota, questions that may be overlooked are: Do LGBT students feel politicized or threatened by the larger conversation happening across the state? To what extent do LGBT students identify with common stereotypes affecting their own community? And, finally, where do students generally see themselves in terms of their identity and, specifically, as a member of a much larger institution? Little published material exists directly concerning LGBT students at MNSU, but from journal articles, past student’s research, and broad sources that approach LGBT issues; I’ve found that one solution to give this marginalized community a voice is with the use of anonymous photography. Through the photo representations of how LGBT students see their identity within the MNSU community, I will be able to visually capture some elements of how students identify with their prescribed sexual orientation and gender. With my creative, interactive documentary photography project, I strive to find some answers to these broad questions as well as start a much larger discussion as to the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
From the Eye of the LGBT Community at MNSU
CSU 202
Through documentary photography emphasizing collaboration and multiple perspectives, my study focuses on identity within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The concept comes at a time when LGBT Americans have entered a broad, political discussion regarding marriage equality, bullying in schools, and whether identifying as LGBT is derived from nature versus nurture. Considering the political discourse happening across the country and more specifically, in Minnesota, questions that may be overlooked are: Do LGBT students feel politicized or threatened by the larger conversation happening across the state? To what extent do LGBT students identify with common stereotypes affecting their own community? And, finally, where do students generally see themselves in terms of their identity and, specifically, as a member of a much larger institution? Little published material exists directly concerning LGBT students at MNSU, but from journal articles, past student’s research, and broad sources that approach LGBT issues; I’ve found that one solution to give this marginalized community a voice is with the use of anonymous photography. Through the photo representations of how LGBT students see their identity within the MNSU community, I will be able to visually capture some elements of how students identify with their prescribed sexual orientation and gender. With my creative, interactive documentary photography project, I strive to find some answers to these broad questions as well as start a much larger discussion as to the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Recommended Citation
Schutz, Joshua. "From the Eye of the LGBT Community at MNSU." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 16, 2013.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2013/oral-session-03/3
