Juana María Rodriguez discussed queer adoption last night in Sophia Gordon Hall during the Fifth Annual Queer Studies Scholar Lecture.
The presentation, entitled "Queering Everyday Domesticity," was based on Rodriguez's newest manuscript, which deals with the interactions between the queer population and the rest of society.
Rodriguez is an associate professor of gender and women's studies at the University of California, Berkeley. She is also the author of "Queer Latinidad: Identity Practices, Discursive Spaces."
According to Rodriguez, many stereotypes and myths exist about children, especially regarding the practice of adoption.
Specifically, she said that there is a mistaken belief that children would experience a great deal of trauma if adopted by queer parents.
She also talked about the effect of race on adoption, mentioning that African-American males are often seen as less desirable than their Caucasian counterparts by potential parents.
"These children are never thought of as the future of our nation," she said.
Another topic that Rodriguez addressed was pedophilia, which she argued is too much of a concern in America. As a result, she said that the image of the naked body had been blocked too often.
"The need for state protection [of nudity] is really interesting," she said.
The speech was sponsored by the LGBT Center and the Latino Center.
