Administrative Action against Sexual Orientation Discrimination: A Study of the EEOC

The weekend of October 27, 2017, I presented at and attended “The State of (In)Equality: Social Justice Under Siege,” an interdisciplinary conference convened by Humber College and part of the larger International Festival of Authors in Toronto, Canada. I presented my paper titled “Administrative Action against Sexual Orientation Discrimination: A Study of the EEOC,” which asked how and why the EEOC was able substantively to shift federal policy in favor of anti discrimination protections on the basis of sexual orientation despite congressional disapproval and presidential indifference.

The conference was a much needed space for analytical reflection on the state of social justice. Presentations ranged from activism in Trump’s America to education and decolonization. I presented on a panel on gender and economic inequality and sought to open a space for dialogue on the relative merits of pursuing social change through existing channels or pursuing more radical change through systemic or structural disruption. I and my audience came to the conclusion that certain issues of justice – when framed as “rights” and when they have established social movements around salient social issues – may benefit from working within existing institutions. However, larger social and structural issues may require activism that seeks to disrupt or destroy systems of oppression.

One of the most powerful panels I attended was on racial inequality and white supremacy. Presenters spoke about cultural appropriation as a form of capitalist labor appropriation, the historical quashing of institutional efforts by the federal government to end police brutality, and how women of color utilize digital space to produce a social justice presence and to organize and create communities. Beyond the talks I attended, I met incredibly insightful scholars and activists who have challenged my own thinking and I believe will shape the way I go about my research going forward.

Conference Travel Fund Blog Post by Nicholas Napolio
Candidate for Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a Minor in Philosophy ’17