Languages are fluid, breathing cultural mechanisms for communication to share stories and myths, values and morals, beliefs and feelings. Just like us, they are constantly changing and evolving to meet the needs of their people, which we are currently seeing in the US with the LGBTQ*, or queer, community. Domestic examples would be the adoption of new words such as ‘pansexual’ and ‘demiromantic’ as well as the modification of ‘they/them’ to be a singular and/or plural pronoun. This evolution is true of languages all around the world, and this panel brings together speakers of Spanish, German, and Vietnamese to discuss how those languages have changed to include queerness. Come join us for a fascinating look at multicultural linguistics, gender identities, and how we as people have more that brings us together than that sets us apart.

For more information, contact Prof. Kellie Wallace at kwallace@lasell.edu