The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Program is pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 Biddy Martin Graduate Prize and the LGBT Studies Undergraduate Prize.
The Biddy Martin Graduate Prize
David Eichert, J.D., Cornell Law School
"It ruined my life": FOSTA, Male Escorts, and the Construction of Sexual Victimhood in American Politics"
"I was very excited to learn that I had been awarded this prize. I am also grateful to Cornell for the recognition that sex worker rights are LGBT rights. Sex workers have been part of our movement since the beginning and their needs, especially now, should be the concern of every queer person."
Honorable mention: Alec Pollak, Ph.D. student, Department of English
“The Way We Wish We Were: Fantasy, Insurgency, and J. Peterman’s Vestimentary Lexicon”
"I’m so honored to have my work recognized by the Biddy Martin Graduate Prize committee! I've had a great time exploring fashion, gender identity, and print culture with my students this past semester, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to engage these ideas with Cornell's larger academic community."
The LGBT Studies Undergraduate Prize
Alana Sullivan, Psychology and English
"Premodern Blackface and the Intersections of Multiple Social Identities in Silence”
"I feel truly honored to have received this prize, and simply to have had my work read and considered by a department that has had such a meaningful impact on my studies here at Cornell. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
Honorable mention: Kyra Streck, Fashion Design and Management
"Biopower, Sex Workers, and Infrastructure: Tangerine (2015) as an Example of Sexual Spatialities"
"When I found out I was unanimously picked for honorable mention, I felt really grateful to be chosen and proud of myself. As a senior, it's especially exciting to end my with the LGBT Studies department with this award."
A hearty congratulations to all of our prize winners!
