WSU Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Program

Join us for Take Back the Night Detroit 2026: A Celebration of Survivorship 💜

🗓 Thursday, April 2
⏰ 5:00–8:00 PM
📍 Wayne State University, Student Center Ballroom

Hosted by the Office of Sexual Violence Prevention and Education (OSVPE), this annual event brings together students, faculty, staff, and community members to honor survivors, raise awareness, and strengthen our collective commitment to prevention.

The evening will include spoken word, music, interactive engagement, community resources, and an optional solidarity march.

We encourage the Wayne State and surrounding community to attend and be part of this important conversation and movement.

🎓🎓 Decorate Your Graduation Cap! 🎓🎓

✨ Make your graduation uniquely YOU! ✨

Join us at the Center for Gender and Sexuality for a fun, creative day of cap decorating. We've got fabric paints, markers, stickers, pins, and more to help you personalize your big day! 🌸🖌️🪡🎨

🗓 Date & Time: Monday, April 27, 2026 | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM EDT
📍 Location: 670 Student Center Building, 6th Floor, 5221 Gullen Mall, Detroit, Michigan

Bring your creativity and let's make your graduation cap a masterpiece! 🧶✏️🖍️🌼

📚✨ Fall 2026 is calling—are you ready to dive in?

Explore powerful courses in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at Wayne State University 💚

From Feminist Philosophy to Q***r Film & Media, LGBTQ Health to Black Women Writers—these classes are built to challenge perspectives, amplify voices, and spark meaningful conversations.

🎓 Whether you're deepening your major or exploring something new, there’s a class here for you.

🔎 Check out:
• GSW 2360 – Feminist Philosophy
• GSW 3240 – Q***r Film & Media
• GSW 3300 – Black Women Writers
• HIS 3205 – Q***r American History
…and more!

With priority registration opening next Monday, March 30, we wanted to alert everyone to a change in the frequency that we’ll offer two core GSW classes: GSW 3200 and 5200.

Starting this fall 2026, GSW 3200 will ONLY be offered in winter semesters and GSW 5200 will ONLY be offered in fall semesters.

So, if you are currently taking or you’ve already taken GSW 3200, register for GSW 5200 this coming fall 2026 semester. (If you are a GSW major, this will set you up perfectly to enroll in the senior project (GSW 5990) in the winter 2027.)

If you have not taken 3200 yet, mark your calendar to take it in winter 2027. We do not encourage taking 5200 first. If you have any questions about this change or need help finding a suitable set of GSW courses for the fall, please reach out to our GSW advisor Jin Gwak who can also help create a plan of work to guide you through this process.

In conjunction with campus and community partners, the Office of Sexual Violence Prevention and Education presents Take Back The Night Detroit. This event is a celebration of survivorship focused on raising awareness and supporting survivors. This event is a safe space for empowerment, sharing stories, building community, and standing together in solidarity. Enjoy light refreshments, music, photo opportunities, resource tables, and more. We hope to see you there!

🌈🕺🏽🪩 Q***R PROM 🪩🕺🏽🌈

Join the Center for Gender and Sexuality for the one and only Q***r Prom! The event will include a 20-minute gender-affirming make up sessions with MUAs, a photobooth to capture your look, a craft table to decorate the photo frame with jewels and flowers, and karaoke starting at 5pm! There will be lots of food, music, and so much to do! 🪩✨

Come out and bring all your friends for a night of q***r joy and fun!!

💄 Gender-affirming makeup sessions (20 mins with MUAs!)
📸 Photobooth moments to capture your slay
🎨 Craft table to bedazzle your photo frames
🎤 Karaoke kicks off at 5PM
🍕 Food, music, and nonstop good energy

🗓 Thursday, April 2, 2026
⏰ 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM (EDT)
📍 Center for Gender and Sexuality
670 Student Center Building, Detroit, MI

This and all other events organized by CGS are open to all members of the WSU community.

🏳️‍🌈✨ Pride Week at Wayne State University ✨🏳️‍🌈

Join us for a week full of vibrant events and meaningful programming celebrating and supporting our LGBTQ+ students and employees 💚

From educational sessions to social gatherings, Pride Week is all about creating space to connect, learn, and build community with q***r and ally members across campus 🌈

This incredible lineup is brought to you by OMSE, GSW, DOSO, QWSU, CGS, and student organizations dedicated to uplifting our campus community.

📅 All events are open to the entire WSU community
🔄 New events are being added regularly—stay tuned and check back for updates here https://pride.wayne.edu/pride-week!

🌈✨ Pride Week: Q***r Latine Movie Night ✨🌈
Join us for a cozy and vibrant evening celebrating Q***r Latine stories! 🎬💃🏽
🗓 Thursday, April 9, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
📍 Center for Gender and Sexuality (Student Center Building, 6th Floor)
Come enjoy delicious food, watch a powerful Latin American film exploring LGBTQ+ identities, and connect with community—old friends and new 💖
All CGS events are open to members of the WSU community. Don’t miss this beautiful night of culture, conversation, and pride!

This Women’s History Month, Wayne State University alumnae City of Detroit women leaders who are shaping policy, strengthening neighborhoods, and driving equitable progress are having a captivating conversation. They will share their journeys, the challenges they’ve navigated, and the impact they will have in our city. Wayne State University prepares students who don’t just study cities — they lead them.

Hosted by Wayne State University’s
University Relations
Alumni Relations
Juneteenth Planning Committee
Center for Gender and Sexuality

Panelists
Melia Howard, Director, Detroit Transportation Corporation
Jade E. Mathis, Director, Department of Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity
Benita R. Miller, Director, Department of Human, Homeless, and Family Services
Marlo Rencher, Chief of Neighborhood Economic Development and Small Business
Tanya Stoudemire, Chief Financial Officer

Special Guest
Lyndsey Crum, AVP Alumni Relations

Moderator
Stacie Clayton, Regional Relations Director

Please join us for the keynote portion of our celebration marking 50 years since the founding of the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies (GSW) program at Wayne State University. Centered on the theme Past, Present, and Futures, the day highlights the program's work on campus and the evolution and expansion of the field of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies. Founded through grassroots organizing in 1976, the GSW program has remained a vital site for scholarship, teaching, and engagement grounded in feminist, q***r, and intersectional perspectives.

RSVP to Keynote lecture here.

Andrea Ritchie, “Abolition, Feminism, and Anti-Authoritarian Organizing”

About Andrea Ritchie
Andrea Ritchie is a Black le***an immigrant survivor who has been documenting, organizing, advocating, litigating, and agitating around policing and criminalization of Black women, girls, trans, and gender nonconforming people for the past three decades. She is the author of Practicing New Worlds: Abolition & Emergent Strategies, Invisible No More: Police Violence Against Black Women and Women of Color and co-author of Say Her Name: Resisting Police Brutality Against Black Women, Q***r (In)Justice: The Criminalization of LGBT People in the United States, and the forthcoming No More Police: A Case for Abolition. She co-founded the Interrupting Criminalization initiative with Mariame Kaba, as well as the In Our Names Network, a network of over 20 organizations working to end police violence against Black women, girls, trans and gender nonconforming people. She currently hosts the Invest/Divest Learning Communities at the Community Resource Hub, and supports dozens of organizations across the US working to divest from policing and invest in community safety. She has authored numerous research reports, articles, and opinion pieces on policing, criminalization, mass incarceration and immigration enforcement.

Following Ritchie's talk there is a reception, starting at 5:00pm, in the Center for Gender and Sexuality, providing space to connect across campus and celebrate the ongoing work of GSW with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and partners.

Looking for scholarships & awards related to feminism, gender, and LGBTQ+ research & activism? 🌈📚 Join us for a workshop on Feb 25th, 1-2 PM, hosted by the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Program (GSW) & the Center for Gender and Sexuality (CGS)!

🔎 What to Expect:
💰 Tips on applying for scholarships & awards
📋 FAFSA guidance
🎯 Navigating ScholarshipUniverse
❓ Q&A to get all your questions answered!

All students are welcome! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to secure funding for your passions. 💡💜