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Laurel Westbrook

@laurel-westbrook.bsky.social
2.2K followers 688 following 43 posts

Professor of Sociology at U.C. Santa Barbara Studies gender, sexuality, violence, activism, and surveys Author of Unlivable Lives www.ucpress.edu/books/unlivable-liv… Pronouns: They/them

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Laurel Westbrook @laurel-westbrook.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
I'm honored to be giving the Lucy Somerville Howorth Lecture and serving as the keynote speaker for the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies Student Research Conference at the University of Mississippi tomorrow. isomstudentgenderconference.org/keynote
isomstudentgenderconference.org
Speaker — Isom Student Research Conference
Keynote Speaker
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Laurel Westbrook @laurel-westbrook.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
I'm so excited that this excellent book is now out in the world! Jennifer Randles does the important work of examining the structural forces that create "diaper dilemmas" and demonstrates how the heavy and hidden burden of navigating them falls on mothers. w/ @jrandles.bsky.social
ucpress.edu
Living Diaper to Diaper by Jennifer Randles - Paper
Scholarship is a powerful tool for changing how people think, plan, and govern. By giving voice to bright minds and bold ideas, we seek to foster understanding and drive progressive change.
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Laurel Westbrook @laurel-westbrook.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
We received over 45 submissions for this call for papers (!!!). The quality was astoundingly high, making it very difficult to pick just 10 articles to include. It's exciting to see such great new work in this area and we hope to see all of the submissions in print in the near future.
russellsage.org
Request for Articles - Gender Inequality Beyond Categories: Femininity, Masculinity and Gender Expression | Russell Sage Foundation
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Laurel Westbrook @laurel-westbrook.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
Gender and inequality scholars: The submission deadline is approaching for the @russellsagefdn.bsky.social journal issue on "Gender Inequality Beyond Categories: Femininity, Masculinity and Gender Expression." 2-page abstracts due 10/15. The 2nd GSS data release expected 10/10.
rsfjournal.org
Current Calls for Articles | RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences
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Laurel Westbrook @laurel-westbrook.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
Check out this Call for Articles for a RSF issue featuring research that uses gradational measures of gender, such as the scales on the 2024 GSS. Please consider submitting a proposal by 5pm EST on October 15, 2025. www.russellsage.org/request-arti...
russellsage.org
Request for Articles - Gender Inequality Beyond Categories:
CALL FOR ARTICLES - RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences - Issue on Gender Inequality Beyond Categories: Femininity, Masculinity And Gender Expression
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Stanford Sociology @stanfordsoc.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
NEW! Call for papers for @russellsagefdn.bsky.social journal issue on "Gender Inequality Beyond Categories: Femininity, Masculinity and Gender Expression" edited by @stanfordsoc.bsky.social's Aliya Saperstein, @laurel-westbrook.bsky.social, & Bianca Wilson. www.russellsage.org/request-arti...
russellsage.org
Request for Articles - Gender Inequality Beyond Categories:
CALL FOR ARTICLES - RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences - Issue on Gender Inequality Beyond Categories: Femininity, Masculinity And Gender Expression
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Laurel Westbrook @laurel-westbrook.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
I am absolutely overjoyed to be joining the Sociology Department at @ucsantabarbara.bsky.social along with @aminghaziani.bsky.social. There are so many amazing scholars at UCSB, and I am honored to become their colleague.
Tristan Bridges posted on Facebook: Big year for our department at UCSB! So many exceptional applicants for our Sexualities position. We could have interviewed 20 and still been forced to leave out exceptionally incredible scholars. It's a statement about the field that there is too much talent for the number of positions available. 
We ended up asking for and hiring two scholars I deeply admire - Amin Ghaziani and Laurel Westbrook. They both bring really exciting expertise to the department and I'm very excited to work with both of them and welcome them to UC Santa Barbara.
Very excited for this renewed investment in UCSB Sociology sexualities and gender scholarship!
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Democracy Forward @democracyforward.org · 24/04/2025
In a big win for public schools, colleges, teachers and students, a court ruled today in our case to block the Trump administration from defunding schools nationwide that teach lessons with references to race or racism.
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Laurel Westbrook @laurel-westbrook.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
Check out this excellent introduction to the inaugural issue of @sexandsexualities.bsky.social, edited by Krystale Littlejohn and @amylstone1.bsky.social. This piece provides a great history of the sociology of sexualities and a beautiful vision for the future. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com
Nurturing a Sociology of Sex and Sexualities - Krystale E. Littlejohn, Amy L. Stone, 2025
Sex and sexuality are integral to social life. Sexuality intersects with major institutions such as family, law, religion, media, and education. Social norms re...
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Amy L Stone @amylstone1.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
So happy that the website is up!!! Check out the free access introduction by Krystale Littlejohn and myself!
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Laurel Westbrook @laurel-westbrook.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
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Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 28/02/2025
1. Major news: Remember those "Biological men"/"Biological Women" signs at University of Cincinnati? They have come down thanks to MASSIVE student protests at the college, which have continued. The latest from S. Baum. Subscribe to support our journalism. www.erininthemorning.com/p/university...
erininthemorning.com
University of Cincinnati Protests Lead to "Biological" Bathroom Signs Reversal
“Deny, delay, fight back.”
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Laurel Westbrook @laurel-westbrook.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
I'm so proud of ASA for taking this stand and so grateful to folks in ASA leadership for their work on this.
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American Sociological Association @asanews.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
The ASA, American Federation of Teachers @AFT, and AFT-Maryland, facilitated by @DemocracyForward, have filed a complaint today in federal court in Maryland challenging the “Dear Colleague Letter” published by the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.
bit.ly
Educators Sue to Challenge Trump Administration's Efforts to Weaponize Civil Rights Laws, Attack Educational Programs and Student Opportunities - Democracy Forward
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Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 07/02/2025
He's running our country like one of his casinos, where the lights and the noise keep people from noticing the grime (and the crime) all around them, and where the free buffet and the chance at a big payoff are designed to make people forget that the house always wins.
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Prudence Carter @prulcarter.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Michael Burawoy, consummate sociologist, influential thinker, theorist, exemplary scholar, professor & fierce advocate of students, principled activist, former ASA president, a shockingly cruel tragedy has taken you too soon.😔 Your legacy is long and deep. May you rest in peace and power. 🙏🏾🕊️
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Dan Hirschman @asociologist.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Burawoy wrote this just last year on how sociologists must engage around Palestine: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Dylan Paré, PhD (they/them) @mxdylanp.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
Thread with resources for fighting back against anti-transgender beliefs and policies.
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Laurel Westbrook @laurel-westbrook.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
Trump's Executive Order about sex and gender rehashes a lot of the anti-transgender rhetoric that Kristen Schilt and I wrote about 10 years ago. (🧵1/6)
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Contexts Magazine @contexts.org · 31/12/2024
We're ending the year as we hope to begin the next: by centering joy, flourishing, and human connection. First up in our end-of-year readings is "Transgender Joy: Flipping the Script of Marginality" by @laurel-westbrook.bsky.social and stef m. shuster: tinyurl.com/featransjoy
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
Writing is thinking. It’s not a part of the process that can be skipped; it’s the entire point.
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Dr. Sandra Duffy Golden @sandraduffy.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
Here is the starter post of my #trans studies resources thread, featuring books. Up next, papers. TransReads is a good site for finding free resources for difficult-to-find books, but as always I would recommend supporting the authors if you can. #AcademicSky
Trans studies starter list (books)
The Transgender Studies Reader 1 and 2 (and Remix)
These are collections of some of the classic texts in trans studies. Remix is a recent one (2022) with a lot of the highlights in it so if you can get that one, it’s good .
The Emergence of Trans - Ruth Pearce et al
TERF Wars - Pearce et al 
Non-Binary Genders - Ben Vincent
Transgender Rights - Currah, Minter, and Juang
Gender Trouble; Undoing Gender; Who’s Afraid of Gender? - Judith Butler
Feminism Against Cisness - Heaney et al
Normal Life - Dean SpadeBlack on Both Sides - C. Riley Snorton
Black Trans Feminism - Marquis Bey
Transgender Marxism - Gleeson and O’Rourke
Transgender History - Susan Stryker
Histories of the Transgender Child; A Short History of Transmisogyny - Jules Gill-Peterson
Whipping Girl; Sexed Up - Julia Serano
Before We Were Trans - Kit Heyam
The Transgender Issue - Shon Faye
Captive Genders - Eric Stanley and Nat Smith
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Laurel Westbrook @laurel-westbrook.bsky.social · 23/11/2024
I'm so excited to be joining the editorial board of the new @asanews.bsky.social journal, Sex & Sexualities! This new journal makes it so that the excellent work being done by sexualities scholars in sociology has a space to thrive. Please submit to the journal once submissions are open.
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Contexts Magazine @contexts.org · 21/11/2024
From the Contexts archives: ➡️ "Bathroom Battlegrounds and Penis Panics," by Kristen Schilt and @laurel-westbrook.bsky.social (2015) (journals.sagepub.com/doi/epdf/10....) ➡️ "The Hidden Privilege in 'Potty Politics'," by Alexander K. Davis (2017) (journals.sagepub.com/doi/epdf/10....)
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Laurel Westbrook @laurel-westbrook.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance. Our current approaches to violence prevention clearly aren't working. In my book, I explore alternatives to how we traditionally do anti-violence activism. I detail four below. www.ucpress.edu/books/unliva... #TDoR #TDoR2024 #TransDayOfRemembrance
ucpress.edu
Unlivable Lives by Laurel Westbrook - Paper
Scholarship is a powerful tool for changing how people think, plan, and govern. By giving voice to bright minds and bold ideas, we seek to foster understanding and drive progressive change.
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Paisley Currah @paisleycurrah.com · 14/11/2024
Hey, I started a Trans Studies starter pack, but it needs more names. I can add them, I think. Here it is, so far: go.bsky.app/UAtsVTH
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Louisa @louisathelast.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
Hey so FYI, all the “we must, with heavy hearts, jettison trans people into the ocean to win votes” columnists are actually just transphobic themselves
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Daniel Laurison @daniellaurison.bsky.social · 08/11/2024
This, from a talk I'm at, is a helpful reminder - the US's fragmentary govt means folks who opposed trump are in charge in a LOT of places - places where a good portion of trans people and immigrants live. They can resist or defy a lot of what trump might do, if we pressure them to.
Ppt slide - all text
Governments in the US
1 federal
50 states
3031 counties 
35705 municipalities
17541 police agencies
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Laurel Westbrook @laurel-westbrook.bsky.social · 08/11/2024
New here. Excited to try out a new platform. #Sociology #TransRights #PositiveSocialChange
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