Dr. Evelyn Blackwood, author of the forthcoming book “Falling into the Lesbi World: Desire and Difference in Indonesia,” has conducted research on lesbian and transgender
identities, histories and practices globally for over twenty-five years. Her talk explores the diversity of female same-sex relations across cultures, from women in Suriname to tombois in Indonesia. Blackwood proffers the view that sexuality is a social product dependent on cultural norms and beliefs. Despite the fact that we live in a globally connected world in which Western ideas seem to dominate, Blackwood demonstrates that the concept of sexual orientation does not hold up cross-culturally. Her discussion of the diversity of sexualities will push the boundaries of our thinking about sexuality and sexual identities.
