backlash in US academia: no funds for queer theory classes

Republican Georgia state Representatives Charlice Byrd and Calvin Hill started a well-mediatized campaign to cut funds for professors who teach college-level courses on queer theory, reproduction, and sexuality. Hill, the Republican vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee in Georgia, said he alerted his constituents about some faculty whose research interests he considered questionable in hopes that they would voice any complaints to the state Board of Regents. He argued that in a time of budget cuts universities should not offer classes that do not help students get jobs.

“Do you know that your tax dollars are being used at our state universities to pay professors to teach your children classes like ‘Male Prostitution’ and ‘Queer Theory’? Yes, even in tight economic times like we are facing today, our Board of Regents is wasting your tax dollars to teach these totally unnecessary and ridiculous classes.” Hill says his only goal is to tell taxpayers how their dollars are being spent, and encourage them to contact the regents if they have concerns. Of course, the economic crisis is a good moment to promote some conservative discourses and to return to some good-old retun to „seriousness and sobriety” in terms of knowldge production. “I would assume someone that has those credentials can teach something else that is more worthwhile,” he said. What is that exactly? Charlice Byrd explains: "This is not considered higher education," Byrd said. "If legislators are going to dole out the dollars, we should have a say-so in where they go." Hill continues "Our job is to educate our people in sciences, business, math," and of course, professors aren't going to meet those needs "by teaching a class in queer theory."

The most quoted response is this: "Certainly the mission of higher education is to broaden the field of knowledge and research," said spokesman John Millsaps. "That covers a lot of topics. Some may be considered to some as controversial, but to others it could be considered needed." And another spokeperson ads: "Teaching courses in criminal justice, for example, does not mean that our students are being prepared to become criminals. Quite the opposite," said Jones. "Legitimate research and teaching are central to the development of relevant and effective policy."

Hill is quite radical in his obssession with queer theory courses: “Now that we need to cut the state budget, I think I know where we can eliminate a few highly paid professors and get rid of these classes.”

In most of the articles that I've read on the subject, it is shown that there are no classes titled “male prostitution” in Georgia, according to university officials. What the republicans found is a sociology professor at Georgia State University who is listed in a media guide as an expert on the subject of male prostitution. The professor in question, Kirk Elifson, studies risk factors involved in the spread of HIV/AIDS, among other public health issues. As for courses on queer theory, there is at least one offered at the University of Georgia, according to a Board of Regents spokesman.

Another area of cutting up the budget is environmental studies. In Alaska, at least one lawmaker has voiced a general objection to environmentalist faculty views at the University of Alaska. Fairclough, an Eagle River Republican, used a committee meeting last week to complain to Mark Hamilton, the university’s president, about soft faculty support for oil and mining industries in the state.

“If I ask university staff, the people who are educating our future leaders, if they support the Chukchi Sea development, the Red Dog Mine or the Pebble Mine or any type of industry along those lines, a stereotypical response is they are in opposition,” Fairclough said.

Carl Shepro, who heads a union that represents faculty members in Alaska, said Fairclough speaks about lawmakers looking for targets in tight budget times: “As long as you have legislators in other states that are making similar kinds of comments, it may be that it encourages or supports people in the Alaska Legislature. It’s kind of a shift in political culture, if you will.”

The academic backlash is US just started: in relation to the economic crisis, the bigger concern from conservatives is that public universities do not present ‘all viewpoints.’ Hill, who was present but did not question the experts from Georgia State University, said “We’re not backing off.” Byrd said there will be a hearing on the issue next week in the Senate Higher Education Committee. Hill and Byrd will continue to look for university courses that are a questionable use of taxpayer money, Hill said.

“Those are the ones we first found,” he said of the sex- and gender-related experts and courses the two legislators criticized.

Keep your eyes open, the storm just started in US. How are things in Europe?