Research and Publications

Research Areas:

Transgender studies; theories & methods in the study of religion; psychoanalysis; deconstruction; feminist, queer, and gender theory

Peer Reviewed Journal Publications:

“The Gender Matrix: On the Prohibitions Against Intersexuality and Transsexuality.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion (Roundtable on Gender Trouble’s Thirties, co-edited with Amy Hollywood, response by Judith Butler). Forthcoming.

“Messianic Language in Trans Public Speech.” Theology & Sexuality 24:2 (Spring 2018): 110-127. 

“Multiplicity and Contradiction: A Literature Review of Trans* Studies in Religion.” Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion 34:1  (Spring 2018 Special Issue: Transing and Queering Feminist Studies and Practices of Religion): 7-23. 

Other Publications:

“Gender(:) Absence, or (How to Do) Political Theology without Butler?” In Political Theology Reimagined: Theories, Ruptures, Itineraries. Duke University Press, under review.

“Commentary on Poor Queer Studies: Confronting Elitism in the University by Matt Brim.” Syndicate. Forthcoming.

“Critical Theory for Political Theology 2.0: Judith Butler.” Political Theology Network. August 3, 2021.

“Bathroom Confessional.” Political Theology Network. March 12, 2018. 

“Feminist Transphobia, Feminist Rhetoric: From Trans-Exclusive Radical Feminism to HB 2.” Feminist Studies in Religion Blog ("Transcending Transphobia" Roundtable), August 30, 2016. 

Conference Presentations:

“Mom’s Penis: Rethinking the Phallic Mother’s Possibility.” Modern Language Association Annual Meeting. Queer Theory and Psychoanalysis: Psychology, Psychoanalysis, and Literature Committee. Philadelphia, PA: Jan 4-7, 2024.

“Transubstantiation Trouble: Gender, Race, and the Material.” American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting. Co-organized with Wendy Mallette (University of Oklahoma) and Kimi Bryson (Rutgers University). San Antonio, TX: Nov 18-21, 2023.

“Reimagining Resistance Through Trans Hermeneutics.” National Women’s Studies Association Annual Conference.” Baltimore, MD. Oct 26-29, 2023.

“God’s Not Trans.” Conference on Queer and Trans Studies in Religion. Panel with C. Libby (Penn State) and Hil Malatino (Penn State). University of California, Riverside. Feb 17-19, 2023.

“Camp Sodomy for Trans Studies.” For a panel “Celebrating and Challenging the Convulsions of, and Beyond, Queer and Trans Studies in Religion and Theology: Honoring the Work of Mark Jordan.” American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting. Denver, CO. Nov 19-22, 2022.

“The Limits of Transsexual Theory?” Panel with Ren Ellis Neyra (Wesleyan University, Alé Romero (Stanford University), and Adrián Emmanuel Hernández-Acosta (Brown University). Thinking Trans // Trans Thinking Conference: 4th Biennial Conference of the Trans Philosophy Project. Goucher College, Baltimore, MD. Oct 28-29, 2022.

“Symptomatic Reading as Trans Method.” Modern Language Association Annual Meeting. Transdisciplinary Connections: Religion and Literature Executive Committee Panel. Washington, D.C. January 6-9, 2022.

Gender Trouble’s Thirties.” American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting. Philosophy of Religion Unity and Religion and Sexuality Unit. Co-organized with Adrían Emmanuel Hernández-Acosta (Brown University), with panelists Biko Mandela Gray (Syracuse University), Amy Hollywood (Harvard University), Mayanthi Fernando (UC Santa Cruz), and Anthony Petro (Boston University). San Antonio, TX. November 20-23, 2021 (Note: Postponed from 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic).

“Trans Loss, Trans Melancholia.” Negativity, Pessimisms, and Sad Affects in the Study of Religion Graduate Symposium. University of Toronto. April 19-20, 2019.

“Psychoanalytic Anachronisms.” Conference on Queer and Transgender Studies in Religion. Panel with Amy Hollywood, Kris Trujillo (University of Chicago), and Eleanor Craig (Harvard University). University of California, Riverside. February 22-24, 2019

“Confession, Genitalia, Vulnerability.” American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting. AAR Status of Women in the Profession Committee. November 19, 2017.

“Messianic Rhetoric in Transgender Celebrity.” Stendahl Symposium, Resisting Hegemonies: Understanding Multiplicity in a World of Difference. Harvard Divinity School. April 4, 2017.

“Monstrous Messianic Logic in Trans* Publicity: Savior Rhetoric in Transgender Celebrity.” Sex on the Margins: Navigating Religious, Social, and Natural Scientific Models of Sex Difference. Boston University. February 25, 2017.

“Monstrous Violators: Revenge Fantasy as Transfeminine Subject Formation.”Trans*Studies: An International Transdisciplinary Conference on Gender, Embodiment, and Sexuality. University of Arizona. September 8, 2016.