Loading Events

« All Events

  • This event has passed.

An Evening with Dr. Cheddar Gorgeous – LGBTQ+ History Month at YSJ

15 February 2023 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Free

An Evening with Dr. Cheddar Gorgeous – LGBTQ+ History Month at YSJ

Wed, 15 February 2023, 17:00 – 18:00 GMT

Fresh from the grand finale of Season 4 of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Cheddar Gorgeous joins us at York St John University to discuss another aspect of their illustrious career: their ethnographic research exploring cruising culture among men who have sex with men, for which they were awarded a Doctorate in Social Anthropology with Visual Media by the University of Manchester in 2013.

In addition to (and indeed, as part of) their work as an artist, Cheddar is also an academic, and it is this work that they will be sharing as part of their talk. Cheddar’s doctoral research focused on the forms of movement and modes of perception involved in the practices of cruising (which they defined as “the seeking of anonymous public sex by men wishing to meet other men”) and business (a term they used to describe “a variety of exchanges of intimacy, for money, goods and/or services”) in and around Manchester’s famous Gay Village. Their ethnographic approach drew from a wide range of data, incorporating participant testimonials, fieldwork, drawings, photography, and text. Through their research, Cheddar not only sought to meaningfully identify and represent an under-researched social practice and the community surrounding it, but also provide a basis for policymakers, outreach workers and participants themselves to work toward a more collaborative understanding of cruising culture. By so doing, their research aimed to improve the wellbeing and safety outcomes for all those who participate in cruising. In collaboration with the Department of Language and Linguistics at York St John, Cheddar will particularly consider the role of language (and, importantly, the absence of language) in the interactions they studied.

About Cheddar Gorgeous

Dr. Cheddar Gorgeous – As head of the drag family Gorgeous, national and international recognition is nothing new to Cheddar. Before impressing the world on the BBC last year with their visually stunning and thought-provoking runway presentations, Cheddar – joined by members of their drag family – toured the UK as part of Channel 4’s Drag SOS, showcasing the power of drag to inspire self-confidence and bridge personal and social gaps. Cheddar has been recognised by academics in both conferences and published research, both for the political potential of lipsync as an art form (Witts, 2017) and for the significance of genderfuck performance (Elder, 2016). Cheddar also features in a long-standing art installation by Sonia Boyce at Manchester Art Gallery, where they bring to life one of the paintings found on the walls through their drag and – in the words of art historian Dorothy Price (2019) – queer the art gallery and the categories of gender and sexuality represented therein.

This event is not suitable for under 18’s, and contains the following content warnings, all in the context of the research: discussion of sexual activity in public spaces, sex work, some discussion of child sexual exploitation (CSE).

Events Access & Inclusivity

At York St John University we are committed to making our events as welcoming and inclusive for as many people as possible.

If you are planning to attend one of our events and have specific access requirements, including wheelchair access, then please contact us by e: events@yorksj.ac.uk or t: 01904 876318 and we will make every effort to accommodate you.

If you need a suitable seat reserved for you (and companions), please let us know, preferably at least one week before the event. Sign language interpreters and real-time captioning may be requested in advance. Please contact us as soon as possible (ideally at least 3 weeks before the date of the event) if you require either BSL interpretation or captioning. We will try our best but cannot guarantee provision.

Privacy Policy

York St John University will use the data you submit in Eventbrite for the purposes of administering this event. York St John University utilises third party software for data storage, tracking and analysis activity but your details will not be used by any of these third parties in order to contact you Any data you share with us will be used to help us improve your event experience and for event tracking and analysis activity within the University.

We will only send you important information and reminders related to the event you have booked unless you tell us otherwise. During the booking process, if you opt in to receive emails about the latest events hosted and supported by York St John University, you consent to York St John University contacting you with relevant information.

If you no longer wish to hear from us you can opt out at any time by changing your contact preferences via the link in emails you receive from us or by emailing events@yorksj.ac.uk.

Details

Date:
15 February 2023
Time:
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Cost:
Free
Website:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-with-dr-cheddar-gorgeous-lgbtq-history-month-at-ysj-tickets-533453542907

Venue

York St John University
Lord Mayor's Walk
York, YO31 7EX United Kingdom
+ Google Map