1999 Annual Report

SOLGA, the Society of Lesbian and Gay Anthropologists, became an official AAA section in 1998. Current membership is approximately 225, and SOLGA is working diligently to achieve 250 members by February, 2000. SOLGA is committed to facilitate communications among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and other queer anthropologists and between them and similar scholars in other fields; to encourage and support anthropological research on homosexuality, bisexuality, transsexuality, and gender in all subfields of the discipline; to help develop materials for teaching about gender and sexuality topics in various cultural contexts; and to serve the interests of gays, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered anthropologists within the AAA.

SOLGA is co-chaired by two individuals of different gender identities. Current Co-Chairs are Lawrence Cohen (cohen@uclink.berkeley.edu) and Sandra Faiman-Silva. Past Co-Chair is Lisa Rofel (lrofel@cats.ucsc.edu). Other members of the SOLGA Board include C. Todd White (ctw@usc.edu) who serves as Secretary/Treasurer. Todd also manages this web site.

Board Member Elizabeth Stassinos (estassinos@annamaria.edu) is Editor of SOLGA Publications, including the AAA Newsletter column. 2000 Program Committee Co-Chairs are Frank Proschan (proschanf@folklife.si.edu), and Deborah Elliston (Deborah.Elliston@nyu.edu).

SOLGA sponsors two prizes, the Ruth Benedict Prize for a scholarly anthropological work that addresses gay and lesbian subjects from an anthropological perspective; and a student paper prize, the Payne Prize, a $150 award for a student paper of exceptional merit.

SOLGA also maintains a Mentor’s File, under the guidance of Christa Craven, (Washington University). She can be contacted at cccrave@attglobal.net. The Mentor’s File aims to provide a scholarly network of assistance for undergraduate and graduate students.

SOLGA awards the Benedict and Payne Prizes annually at the AAA Meetings. The winner of the 1999 Payne Prize was Lauren Hasten, a student in the Department of Anthropology at Columbia University, for her article, "Gender Pretenders: A Drag King Ethnography." Ten books were considered for the 1999 Ruth Benedict Prize. The 1999 Ruth Benedict Prize went to Evelyn Blackwood and Saskia E. Wieringa, Eds., for their volume, Female Desires: Transgender Practices Across Cultures (Between Men/Between Women), (Columbia University Press, 1999).

SOLGA members. Ellen Lewin and Bill Leap co-chaired the Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues in Anthropology, and produced the COLGIA Report, which was presented to the AAA board in 1999. Noting on-going persistent and sometimes subtle discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgendered people, SOLGA is currently developing strategies to implement COLGIA report findings to improve conditions for lesbians, gays, and trangendereds in the discipline. SOLGA will continue to be represented on the Commission as it implements its findings.

SOLGA sponsored several AAA sessions at the 1999 AAA meetings, including the Invited Sessions, "Modern Sexualities/Modern Genders: Current Work in LGBT Anthropology" and "Smearing Queer Meanings: Diasporic Flows and Queerness in a Global Context." Thamora Fishel organized the annual SOLGA table at the AAA book display, to broaden lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender networks.

SOLGA continues to be concerned about homophobia and discrimination against gendered "others." SOLGA passed a resolution at the 1999 AAA meetings calling for the AAA to stand by its resolution to refrain from meeting in states with anti-sodomy laws. SOLGA is actively working to broaden networks among AAA sections around lesbian, gay, transgender and transsexual issues, and provide a network of support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and transsexual members of the AAA.

Through the SOLGA website, the SOLGA listserv, SOLGA-L@american.edu, the AAA Newsletter SOLGA column, AAA-sponsored sessions, and proactive work on gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, and transgender topics, SOLGA maintains an active life in the AAA.