Science on Screen®: But I'm a Cheerleader with Tony Pankuch
June 18, 2024, 6:00 PM. Tickets can be purchased through The Nightlight.
Location: The Nightlight, 30 N. High St. Akron, OH
Throughout the academic year, the Science on Screen® series creatively pairs screenings of classic, cult, science fiction, and documentary films with lively presentations by notable experts from the world of science and technology.
An initiative of the COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE, with major support from the ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION.
About the Presentation
From Conversion Therapy to Affirmative Care: The History of LGBTQ+ Psychology
Tony Pankuch will cover the history of LGBTQ+ psychology, from the rise of so-called “conversion therapies” in the early 20th century through the high-profile gay rights advocacy of the 1970s and subsequent reforms. They will explore how the growing popularity of psychotherapy in the post-WWII era propelled pseudoscientific attempts to change sexual orientation (like those satirically depicted in the film). They will also discuss how gay activists, psychologists, and psychiatrists waged a multifaceted campaign to end conversion therapy and de-pathologize LGBTQ+ identity. Finally, they will end on the current status of conversion therapies within the U.S. and how they are generally viewed within modern psychological and psychiatric science.
About the Presenter
Tony Pankuch is a museum educator, historian, and LGBTQ+ advocate based in Akron, OH. They are the Education and Outreach Coordinator at the Cummings Center for the History of Psychology, where they have led the development of numerous online and in-person exhibitions and public programs. Recently, they worked on the Cummings Center’s ongoing Sexology: Science & Sensationalism exhibit, which explores the contradictions and curiosities of the long-running publication Sexology magazine. In addition to their work at the Cummings Center, they serve as Co-Chair of the American Alliance of Museums Task Force for Transgender Inclusion. They have led sessions and workshops about LGBTQ+ history at regional and national conferences, including the American Association for State and Local History and the Southeastern Museums Conference.
About the Film
Megan is an all-American girl. A cheerleader. She has a boyfriend. But Megan doesn't like kissing her boyfriend very much. And she's pretty touchy with her cheerleader friends. Her conservative parents worry that she must be a lesbian and send her off to "sexual redirection" school, where she must, with other lesbians and gays learn how to be straight.
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