NYC's First Openly Transgender Firefighter To Speak At Rider

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — New York City's first openly transgender firefighter will speak at Rider University, the university announced this week. Brooke Guinan will headline Rider's 36th annual Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS) Colloquium on Thursday, March 29, 1:10 p.m., in the Sweigart Auditorium, Room 115. Guinan will discuss the challenges of being a third-generation firefighter and a transgender woman.

A screening of the documentary “Woman on Fire,” featuring Guinan, will be held the night before, on Wednesday, March 28, 6:15 p.m. also in the Sweigart Auditorium. The screening will include a panel discussion with Guinan and director Julie Sokolow, as well as a reception.

"Each year we search for a speaker who will address some compelling issue related to gender and sexuality, and we look for someone whose story will engage our students," said Dr. Erica Ryan, history professor and director of Rider's Gender and Sexuality Program. "We are thrilled to have Brooke as our keynote speaker this year. Her work as a trans woman in the New York City Fire Department, and as a vocal advocate for LGBTQ rights in and out of her profession, is so inspiring. Salon called Brooke 'a superhero for the 21st century,' and I know our students will learn a lot from her about pushing against the boundaries of society's gender norms and against any other limitations they may come across in life."

The annual GSS Colloquium provides an open, all-day forum to discuss a variety of topics related to gender and sexuality. Sessions begin at 8 a.m. in the Sweigart Auditorium. The event and the documentary screening are both free and open to the public.

"The GSS Colloquium offers an exceptional opportunity for students from both the Lawrenceville and Princeton campuses to present research, creative projects and papers related to gender and sexuality studies across disciplines," Ryan said.

This year's presentations focus on gender and cultural transformation, media representations of gender, sexuality and society, and historical and literary themes of gender and sexuality.

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