On March 24–25, hundreds of feminist, queer, gender, and sexuality studies scholars and activists—representing 87 institutions and 18 countries—gathered at Duke University for its 11th Annual Feminist Theory Workshop. Its attendees proved that, despite the stereotypes, feminists can be funny, especially when they think no one is listening.
1. Person 1: “I wish it was the ’70s again.”
Person 2: “Weren’t you born in the ’90s?”
2. “How kind that the schedule lets us make it to Legends [the legendary Raleigh gay bar] in time for the premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
3. “Join us, we were just talking about accessing archives and waiting for people to die.”
4. “I’m not sure which I love more, feminists or open bars.”
5. “I said alcoholic but I meant melancholic.”
6. “I don’t think there’s a way to ironically ride a mechanical bull.”
7. “When I hear James Dean, my first thought is the porn star.”
8. “This is my friend, we don’t know each other from academia but from group therapy.”
9. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the sexiness of algorithms.”
10. “I don’t love work, but I love to hate work. And everyone at work.”
11. Person 1: “I work on gender violence.”
Person 2: “Nice!”
Person 1: “Not really.”
12. “Have you read the Chicken Lady? Please tell me you’ve read the Chicken Lady!”
13. “Today has been great. Except for the hangover.”
14. Person 1: “The speakers are outside.”
Person 2: “There is no outside.”
15. “A lot of senior cats I’m close to have passed away this year.”
So in all, this year’s #FTWDuke can be summed up with:
