CLAGS: Center for LGBTQ Studies

Happy Juneteenth! Today we feature clips from Robert Reid-Pharr’s 2025 Kessler Lecture, “Faith”

Click the link for the entire lecture in our bio.

“Solidarity is not conditional”

“I love my clothes as much as I love my freedom”

Monday night was magic 💫
Tony Award winner, Qween join joined CLAGS board co-chair Dr. Terrance Wooten in conversation for the 10th annual José Muñoz Award.

Qween spoke truth to power about the urgent need to fight back against injustice everywhere. She emphasized how “solidarity is not conditional.” Dr. Wooten also asked how her organizing and activism intersect with her acclaimed and award-winning costume designs, to which Qween replied, “ I love my clothes as much as I love my freedom,” before discussing how her designs weave worlds, knit belonging, and radiate power.

Qween Jean was joined by a collective of community members from Black Trans Liberation, an organization she founded committed to ending homelessness and food insecurity within the trans population by providing weekly meals, mutual aid, and life-affirming fellowship while empowering and celebrating the community. Please support the nourishing work of this fabulous organization 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️📢📢💖💖

Thank you, thank you, Qween Jean and Black Trans Liberation

The José Esteban Muñoz Award was created to honor an LGBTQ community leader or activist for their advocacy and promotion of LGBTQ Studies. José Esteban Muñoz was a pioneer in LGBTQ studies. He passed away in December 2013.

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For CLAGS’ 40th anniversary, we set an ambitious fundraising goal of $30,000 to support the work that the center does, including the annual José Muñoz Award.

Thank you for understanding that as CLAGS closes the chapter on our 40th year the next 40 years are not guaranteed. The next ten years are not guaranteed. We’ve seen how fast things can change when others control LGBTQ financial futures. Donation link in bio.

“Solidarity is not conditional”

“ I love my clothes as much as I love my freedom”

Monday night was magic. Tony Award winner, Qween join joined CLAGS board co-chair Dr. Terrance Wooten in conversation for the 10th annual José Muñoz Award. Qween spoke truth to power about the urgent need to fight back against injustice everywhere. She emphasized how “solidarity is not conditional.” Dr. Wooten also asked her how her organizing and activism intersect with her acclaimed and award-winning costume designs, to which Qween replied, “ I love my clothes as much as I love my freedom,” before discussing how her designs weave worlds, knit belonging, and radiate power.

Qween Jean was joined by a collective of community members from Black Trans Liberation, an organization she founded committed to ending homelessness and food insecurity within the trans population by providing weekly meals, mutual aid, and life-affirming fellowship while empowering and celebrating the community. Please support the nourishing work of this fabulous organization.

Thank you, thank you, Qween Jean and Black Trans Liberation 💐💐🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️📢📢💖💖

The José Esteban Muñoz Award was created to honor an LGBTQ community leader or activist for their advocacy and promotion of LGBTQ Studies. José Esteban Muñoz was a pioneer in LGBTQ studies. He passed away in December 2013.
———————————————————————————

For CLAGS’ 40th anniversary, we set an ambitious fundraising goal of $30,000 to support the work that the center does, including the annual José Muñoz Award.

Thank you for understanding that as CLAGS closes the chapter on our 40th year the next 40 years are not guaranteed. The next ten years are not guaranteed. We’ve seen how fast things can change when others control LGBTQ financial futures. Donation link in bio.

Certificate students, Dr. Elie Al Kazzi and Dove Sandy, are recognized by the Graduate Center.

“The Graduate Center’s new advanced certificate in LGBTQ Studies is attracting diverse students, including Dr. Elie Al Kazzi, a gastroenterologist and assistant professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and Dove Sandy, a writer who moved from Los Angeles to join the program. Professor Laura Westengard, who coordinates the program and helped create it, was named a 2026 Pride Trailblazer by City and State.”

https://www.cityandstateny.com/power-lists/2026/06/2026-pride-trailblazers/413846/?oref=csny-homepage-river

https://www.gc.cuny.edu/news/building-pride-lgbtq-lives

For CLAGS’ 40th anniversary, we set an ambitious fundraising goal of $30,000 to support the work that the center does, across free public events, LGBTQ gatherings, and research funding. Please donate today to keep the future in our hands. Thank you for understanding that as CLAGS closes the chapter on our 40th year the next 40 years are not guaranteed. The next ten years are not guaranteed. We’ve seen how fast things can change when others control LGBTQ financial futures. Donation link in bio.

Celebrating Qween Jean our 2026 Jose Esteban Munoz Award winner.

Tonight at 6:30 pm! CLAGS is deeply honored to celebrate Qween Jean with the 10th annual José Muñoz Award at 6:30pm.

In-person registration is currently full, but please join the event livestream! Register for the livestream at the link in bio.

Last week, Qween Jean made herstory as the first openly trans woman to win a Tony Award for Best Costume Desigr of a Musical for Cats: The Jellicle Ball. She is also a Dorian Award Winner for LGBTQ Theater Artist of the season!!! Qween Jean founded Black Trans Liberation, an organization that provides fellowship, food, groceries, and housing resources for the transgender and gender nonconforming community. The Tony award winning, two-time Tony-nominated, costume designer and activist will join CLAGS for a discussion and celebration of the annual award. You’re not going to want to miss our signature Pride Month event.

The José Esteban Muñoz Award honors an LGBTQ community leader or activist for their advocacy. It is named for the late Jose Esteban Munoz, whose work grappled with issues of race, gender, and sexuality.

Founded in 1986, CLAGS believes in free, accessible LGBTQ Studies for everyone. CLAGS is deeply honored to celebrate with the 10th annual José Muñoz Award next Monday, June 15th at 6:30pm

Today we celebrate the legacy of the award by highlighting our past recipients.

1. Angela Y. Davis (2025)
2.Alok Vaid-Menon (2024)
3. Miss Major (2023)
4. Carmelita Tropicana (2021)
5. Cheryl Dunye (2019)
6. Patrisse Khan-Cullors (2018)

The José Esteban Muñoz Award honors an LGBTQ community leader or activist for their advocacy. It is named for the late José Esteban Muñoz, whose work grappled with issues of race, gender, and sexuality.

Celebrate CLAGS’ 40th anniversary by donating today at the link in bio!

Looking for summer reading or a text for your fall syllabus?
Check out our José Esteban Muñoz Award booklist at the CLAGS Bookshop. This booklist features past Muñoz Award recipients including Qween Jean, Angela Y. Davis, Miss Major, Patrisse-Khan Cullors, Alok Vaid-Menon, Jose Antonio Vargas, and Janet Mock.

You can also purchase a copy of Qween Jean’s co-authored Revolution is Love: A Year of Black Trans Liberation, a visual and narrative celebration an activist movement. Please join us in honoring Qween with the 10th Annual José Esteban Muñoz Award next Monday at 6:30pm (link in bio).

The José Esteban Muñoz Award was created to honor an LGBTQ community leader or activist for their advocacy and promotion of LGBTQ Studies. José Esteban Muñoz was a pioneer in LGBTQ studies. He was the author and editor of several books that grappled with issues of race, gender, and sexuality including Cruising Utopia: The Politics and Performance of Q***r Futurity and Disidentifications: Q***rs of Color and the Performance of Politics. He was also a professor and former Chair of the Department of Performance Studies at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He passed away in December 2013.

All books purchased from the CLAGS bookshop help support CLAGS continue our mission of offering free, accessible LGBTQ studies for all! Bookshop link in bio.
Celebrate CLAGS’ 40th anniversary by donating today at the link in bio! Founded in 1986, CLAGS believes in free, accessible LGBTQ
Studies for everyone.

Congratulations Qween Jean for making herstory with your monumental Tony Award win for Best Costume Design of a Musical.

CLAGS is deeply honored to celebrate you next week at the 10th annual José Muñoz Award next Monday, June 15th at 6:30pm

“We are here for the legacy of q***r people. Trans people, we have to take up space. We have to shift the paradigm...the world right now is deeply, deeply combating so many ailments, and we know as a society that when we come together we can make real, permanent change.” —Qween Jean accepting her Tony Award

Today CLAGS encourages those who are able to give to support the essential, life affirming, and world building, work of Black Trans Liberation. Tonight BTL is hosting “Broadway Is Trans”, a Summer Fundraiser tonight June 8 at 7:30 PM at Judson Memorial Church: “Every ticket sold, every donation placed, brings us closer to achieving our mission. Together, we can create a more equitable, more compassionate world for us all!”

Please join us in celebrating Qween Jean at the Graduate Center on June 15.
Registration links in bio.

Art by .world (slides 3)

On April 7th, CLAGS had the immense joy of launching Sara Ahmed’s new book, No! The Art and Activism of Complaining, with the Feminist Press.

Sara was joined by Roxane Gay for their first ever public conversation. Speaking as bad feminists and feminist killjoys, Sara and Roxane shared reflections on how we can refuse compliance with power, and on why we need to say no as boldly, creatively and collectively as we can.

In the conversation, Sara discussed the need for spaces where you can wiggle your toes, breathe, and gather to refuse fascism, institutional harm, and state violence. CLAGS is proud to be a space that Sara mentions as an example for wiggling toes and gathering for refusal.

We are proud to use our 40th anniversary platform to reject the quietude and acquiescence demanded by the Trump administration of organizations that dare to offer both q***r ideas and belonging to LGBTQ communities. We are so proud to say that in this moment, and drawing on its history, CLAGS thrived. Thank you for helping us expand our work. We added fellowships for emerging scholars. We attracted and sought community collaboration. We launched new academic initiatives. We recommitted to our mission of providing free, accessible LGBTQ studies to everyone.

Please donate today to fund LGBTQ futures and collective spaces to wiggle toes, breathe, and gather for refusal!

We write this note with gratitude and urgency. Thank you for understanding that as CLAGS closes the chapter on our 40th year the next 40 years are not guaranteed. The next ten years are not guaranteed. We’ve seen how fast things can change when others control LGBTQ financial futures.

If ever there was a time to put the wind in our sails and contribute to the financial future of CLAGS, this is it. Donate today at the link in bio.