Dr. Loretta LeMaster Delivers Keynote and Two Collaborative Presentations on Transgender Life and Pedagogy
SJE Faculty Dr. Loretta LeMaster (she/they) has recently contributed to multiple public scholarly events, bringing together trans studies, pedagogy, and performance across academic and community spaces.
On February 28, 2026, Dr. Loretta LeMaster delivered the Keynote Address to the Western States Communication Association. Entitled “Trans. Care. Work.: Communal Resistance and the Politics of Performance Pedagogy,” this keynote used tenets of performance to stage a multimedia experience featuring working-class trans folks reflecting on labour politics, care work, and institutional violence in the context of rising authoritarianism. The keynote additionally featured CTL student Maclean Frey (he/him), who devised an original dance performance to accompany the keynote and embody the labours requisite to sustaining trans life beyond the dictates of academic decorum. The keynote also featured original animation art by trans Toronto artist Morgan Sea.
Next, On March 12, Dr. LeMaster, alongside CTL Faculty Dr. Qui Alexander (they/them), visited Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY, USA, where they delivered a public discussion entitled “Transgender Pedagogies: A Public Dialogue." In this dialogue, Drs. LeMaster and Alexander reflected on the politics of respectability as it pertains to trans life in and beyond academic recognition to a large audience of academics (STEM, social science, humanities, and arts), students, and community members committed to trans life.
The next day, Drs. LeMaster and Alexander facilitated a public workshop entitled “Trans Study: Tracing our Political-Pedagogical Routes of Revision.” This workshop brought together teachers from across three institutions and invited participants to reflect on the ways they have and desire to commit their pedagogical efforts toward trans life. The dialogue and workshop were sponsored by Le Moyne College’s Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
