Queer and Undocumented

Through the intersection of lived-experience and research, Cristian Aguilar Valverde traverses queer and undocumented identity, centering ideas on justice, advocacy and well-being.

Presenter

Cristian Aguilar Valverde is an Undocumented Queer Scholar and Educator from Michoacán, México. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from UC Berkeley and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Santa Clara University. Cristian is currently pursuing an EdD in International and Multicultural Education with a concentration in Racial Justice and Human Rights Education from the University of San Francisco. He is interested in examining how children born to immigrant families cope with parental deportation, and how their accounts of survival in the aftermath of parental deportation offers school leaders ways to reimagine schools as transformational spaces for radical healing. Cristian has over 8 years of experience as a Teacher and is now completing his second year as an Assistant Principal.

Reimagining Pleasure and Justice in Grassroots Sexuality Education in Mexico: A Proposal for a Liberatory Sexuality Education Framework
Presenter

Long gone are the days when putting a condom on a banana passes for sex education. Today’s curricula usually involve some talk on the changing bodies of adolescents, the health risks of engaging in sexual activities, and, if the curriculum is progressive, mention of consent and pleasure. In this presentation, Dr. Maria Autrey reimagines how pleasure and justice can develop grassroots sexuality education.

Biography

Maria Autrey serves as the Associate Director for Community Engaged Student Learning at Santa Clara University. In this role Maria oversees immersions, fellowships and student leadership. Maria has a B.A. in History from Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City a M.A. in Education and a Doctorate in Human Rights Education from the University of San Francisco (USF).

Maria has over a decade in experiential learning, having worked as a Program Director for Immersions at the Ignatian Center and as the Education and Engagement Coordinator for Immersion at the University of San Francisco, as well as ample experience in grass-roots and digital community organizing around women and LGBTQIA+ rights in Mexico and the U.S.

Maria brings a passion for social justice and human rights advocacy through community building and engagement, and is committed to inspire and empower individuals to become change-makers in the pursuit of a more humane just and sustainable world.

Queer Power Hour
Moderator

To engage with these questions and be inspired about the possibilities, join a panel of USF students and alums who are doing queer research and/or queering research. They will talk about their work, and you’ll have a chance to hear about how they think about queering research, the challenges, and the joys. Our guests are: Glorivette Rodriguez, MA alum, Elissa Rodriguez, MA alum, Yih Ren, MA alum and current Ed.D student; and Lori Selke, MA alum and current Ed.D. student collecting dissertation data.

Biography

David Donahue is a professor within the School of Education. Prior to University of San Francisco he was at Mills College for 23 years as a faculty member in the School of Education, working in teacher education and the doctoral program, and most recently was interim provost. He is the recipient of Mills College’s two highest teaching awards: The Sarlo Award and the Metz Chair. His research interests include teacher learning generally and learning from service-learning and the arts specifically, and he is a widely published scholar on topics including service-learning in higher education, human rights, diversity, and personal identity.

An Exploration of Gender, Sex and Human Rights With Doctrines and Religious Speech
Presenter

In this presentation we explore how the intersection of queer identity and decolonization as modes for queering human rights. Integrating human rights doctrines, gender, sex, and Indigenous education, we ask participants how are we and can we rethink human rights and peace education beyond colonial frames.

Biography

Jamal Epperson (they/them) is the assistant director of DEI initiatives at Loyola Marymount University. As the Assistant Director of DEI Initiatives, Jamal works with various initiatives throughout DEI, such as Implicit Bias and the LMU Antiracism Workshop Series. In addition, Mx. Epperson serves as a liaison between HR and DEI by assisting with equitable recruitment and hiring practices for faculty and staff. Before this role, Jamal worked in various capacities in the Student Housing Office and Student Affairs, where they learned to center their work from a feminist abolitionist framework by promoting radical love. Jamal is currently a doctoral student at the University of San Francisco studying International Multicultural Education with a concentration in Human Rights Education and a minor in Organization & Leadership. Prior to their studies at USF, they received their M.Ed. in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Marquette University and a B.A. from Western Michigan University in Music and Psychology. Outside of work, Jamal volunteers at Centinela Youth Services as a Restorative Justice facilitator, is a Capricorn sun, rising Scorpio, and Aries moon, and enjoys writing music, playing video games, traveling, thrift shopping, and annoying their dog Nico.

Categories Are Made to Be Broken: Uncovering Strategies and Pedagogies of BlaQueer Spatial Resistance
Presenter

This research explores the creative and subversive ways in which BlaQueer communities navigate and resist racism and heterosexism through spatial resistance. Drawing on theories of Performance, Fugitive Pedagogy, and the Matrix of Domination, the study illuminates how BlaQueer individuals, particularly those in ballroom culture, create alternative spaces of belonging, knowledge production, and political imagination. By centering the voices and experiences of BlaQueer communities, this research aims to challenge oppressive categories and contribute to a broader conversation about intersectional, abolitionist, and transformative approaches to peace activism and liberatory futures.

Biography

Infused with a lifelong passion for education, my journey has been marked by diverse formal and informal learning experiences. My early education kindled a celebration of individuality and intellectual expansion. A trailblazing mother taught me to deeply appreciate the intertwining of cultural identity, particularly Blackness, with education. And the vibrant, resilient community around me imprinted the transformative power of multicultural and liberatory education that advocates for the rights and freedoms of all.

I stand firm in my belief that a robust education system foregrounds human rights, promotes global learning, and cultivates intercultural understanding to moderate peace. It's my aim to build school cultures that celebrate the unique differences within our communities, treat all individuals with dignity, and embolden students to be agents of social change. Driven by my passion for social justice, youth development, and interculturalism, I'm committed to making a significant impact on education, both within the United States and globally.

Queering Dungeons & Dragons
Presenter

A game full of fantasy worlds, community and epic quests, Dungeons & Dragons is also a space where queer people are part of the story and experience. In this workshop D. takes us through the ways Dungeons & Dragons is queering our world and how we are queering the fantasy realm.

Biography

D. is a Bay Area native from Pittsburg, CA and serves as an Assistant Director for the University of San Francisco Cultural Centers, overseeing the university's Gender & Sexuality Center. While pursuing their bachelor's degree at Humboldt State University, D. became the first openly trans member of a campus greek organization, Delta Phi Epsilon, which began their work advocating for LGBTQ+ equity and justice. After completing a master's degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs, they returned to the classroom and are currently pursuing an Ed.D. in International and Multicultural Education. As a student, their research focuses on neoliberalism, critical theoretical frameworks, and LGBTQ+ life. As a professional, Dan's student affairs philosophy is grounded in community and coalition building to address systemic inequity at its roots.

Queer Power Hour
Panelist

To engage with these questions and be inspired about the possibilities, join a panel of USF students and alums who are doing queer research and/or queering research. They will talk about their work, and you’ll have a chance to hear about how they think about queering research, the challenges, and the joys. Our guests are: Glorivette Rodriguez, MA alum, Elissa Rodriguez, MA alum, Yih Ren, MA alum and current Ed.D student; and Lori Selke, MA alum and current Ed.D. student collecting dissertation data.

Biography
Yih Ren (he/him) is a gay man with a queer worldview, He tries to embrace his own complexities of life and applies it onto the worlds he lives in. Yih is currently in the early stage of conducing research for his dissertation, which is about the intersection of language, literacy, and queer subjectivity. Besides being a doctoral student, Yih is also an adjunct faculty at Laney College, and a published author. Yih has published articles in journal of language and identity, journal of LGBT youth, and journal of multicultural discourses. Yih is also a cinephile, enjoying international and indie films that challenge the dominant storytellings.

An Exploration of Gender, Sex and Human Rights With Doctrines and Religious Speech
Presenter

In this presentation we explore how the intersection of queer identity and decolonization as modes for queering human rights. Integrating human rights doctrines, gender, sex, and Indigenous education, we ask participants how are we and can we rethink human rights and peace education beyond colonial frames.

Biography

Augusto M. Rivero (they/them/nos) is the Volunteer Coordinator of Refugee & Immigrant Transitions. Augusto’s background is in community building, engagement, and research. They have worked in government, the entertainment industry, and non-profit areas. A product of LA public education, Augusto attended LA Unified schools as well as LA Trade Technical Community College, becoming the first in their family to acquire a university degree after mentorship and exposure to higher education opportunities as a student member and scholarship recipient of the non-profit organization Food From the ‘Hood. Recently, Augusto returned to graduate school to complete their Master of Arts in Migration Studies at the University of San Francisco, where Augusto anticipates earning their Education Doctoral degree. Their scholarship is informed by ancestral knowledge and growing up undocumented in South Central Los Angeles after migrating from Argentina.

Queer Power Hour
Panelist

To engage with these questions and be inspired about the possibilities, join a panel of USF students and alums who are doing queer research and/or queering research. They will talk about their work, and you’ll have a chance to hear about how they think about queering research, the challenges, and the joys. Our guests are: Glorivette Rodriguez, MA alum, Elissa Rodriguez, MA alum, Yih Ren, MA alum and current Ed.D student; and Lori Selke, MA alum and current Ed.D. student collecting dissertation data.

Biography

Elissa Rodriguez (they/she) is a queer, 2nd generation Chicanx, born and raised in the central coast of California. Elissa received their Bachelor’s at Humboldt State University, now known as Cal Poly Humboldt in English and a minor in Ethnic American Literature; and her Master’s in Human Rights Education from the University of San Francisco. They are currently working with a nonprofit based in San Mateo County that provides guidance in academic planning, financial literacy, career readiness, academic advising, and social and emotional support to help 1st generation college students completing their higher educational goals.

Queer Power Hour
Panelist

To engage with these questions and be inspired about the possibilities, join a panel of USF students and alums who are doing queer research and/or queering research. They will talk about their work, and you’ll have a chance to hear about how they think about queering research, the challenges, and the joys. Our guests are: Glorivette Rodriguez, MA alum, Elissa Rodriguez, MA alum, Yih Ren, MA alum and current Ed.D student; and Lori Selke, MA alum and current Ed.D. student collecting dissertation data.

Biography

Glo Rodriguez (they/she) is a queer, Latinx, Bay Area transplant from Brooklyn, NY and a second generation Nuyorican with ancestral roots from Puerto Rico. Glo received their Bachelors of Science in Business Management from Fairfield University and Masters in Human Rights Education from the University of San Francisco. They are currently pursuing their second masters in Integral Counseling Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Glo is the Organizational Training Program Manager at Pacific Center for Human Growth, where in their role they manage the clinical and community training offerings that center the mental health and wellness of the LGBTQIA+ community.

How Queering Your Writing Can Help You Find Your Voice And Finish Your Thesis -- Even If You're Straight
Presenter

Queer Power Hour
Panelist

To engage with these questions and be inspired about the possibilities, join a panel of USF students and alums who are doing queer research and/or queering research. They will talk about their work, and you’ll have a chance to hear about how they think about queering research, the challenges, and the joys. Our guests are: Glorivette Rodriguez, MA alum, Elissa Rodriguez, MA alum, Yih Ren, MA alum and current Ed.D student; and Lori Selke, MA alum and current Ed.D. student collecting dissertation data.

Biography
Lori Selke is a doctoral candidate in the International and Multicultural Education program at the University of San Francisco. They hold an MA-TESOL from USF and currently teach English to adult Speakers of Other Languages in the shadow of City Hall in San Francisco. Previously, they were a part of the queer and radical sexuality publishing and spoken-word scene in (ahem) fin de siecle San Francisco. They live in Oakland.

An Exploration of Gender, Sex and Human Rights With Doctrines and Religious Speech
Presenter

In this presentation we explore how the intersection of queer identity and decolonization as modes for queering human rights. Integrating human rights doctrines, gender, sex, and Indigenous education, we ask participants how are we and can we rethink human rights and peace education beyond colonial frames.

Biography

Paul David Terry (he/they) is a doctoral student in the University of San Francisco International and Multicultural Education program with an emphasis on human rights education and racial justice & education. He is a member of the UC Davis Undergraduate Education Experiential Learning Hub and administers The Quarter at Aggie Square program at UC Davis. Paul has served as chair for the UC Davis Staff Diversity Administrative Advisory Council, Chancellor's Committee on LGBTQIA+ Communities and vice-chair of the Vice Chancellor's LGBTQ+ Health Advisory Council, the first group to add SO/GI into an electronic health record in the country. He is DEI Faculty with the Impact Foundry and has taught with the UC Davis Human Rights Studies program, Rise for Racial Justice and the University of San Francisco. Paul continues to consult with K-12 and higher education institutions along with nonprofit organizations on critical and transformative leadership, decolonization, race theory and gender and sexuality. His research centers on the wellness and fortitude of human rights, social justice and peace education advocates, scholars and leaders in advancing dignity, respect and conflict resolution towards a more just and peaceful world.