Ethnic, Gender, and Queer Studies

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Students of the Gender and Sexuality Equity Coalition hold up their fists to symbolize empowerment.

Programs

Undergraduate

Bachelor's

Minors

Insight

The Department of Ethnic, Gender, and Queer Studies is committed to the interdisciplinary study of oppression, power, identity, and resistance across histories of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, and colonialism. We examine the structures that shape inequality and the movements that challenge them—locally, nationally, and globally. Through coursework, critical pedagogy, community engagement, and transformative research, we center the voices and experiences of historically marginalized communities, empowering our students and the larger campus to understand the ways that race, gender, sexuality, and nation shape our individual lives and collective experiences. Our work prepares students to think critically, act ethically, and lead boldly in the pursuit of justice, liberation, and equity. We envision a world where all people are allowed to live freely, thrive, and otherwise fulfill their potential. We strive to create classes and spaces where students can both advocate for marginalized communities and develop the necessary skills to engage in this work throughout their lives. Our commitment is to cultivate an academic environment that not only elevates the voices, histories, cultures, and experiences that are otherwise marginalized but also actively contributes to the creation of a more just and equitable society. We believe that knowledge production is inseparable from social change. In our classrooms and beyond, we cultivate spaces of inquiry, solidarity, and imagination.

Experience

Every year, the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and the Ethnic, Gender, and Queer Studies Department select students to represent and give voice to the departments. EGQS faculty advise and support several student organizations, such as MEChA, Native American Club, Hmong Student Association, Dream Center, and GSEC and its various programs.

The Gender & Sexuality Equity Coalition (GSEC) is a student-run activist organization that strives to empower all students through its three programs: the Women’s Program, the Queer Program, and the Trans Program. The GSEC challenges societal norms that have been used to oppress and marginalize by providing opportunities for leadership, personal development, and referral services. We offer a safe and inclusive space where the campus and community can effectively support the academic mission of the university.

  • Women's Program—utilizes intersectional feminist ideologies to offer educational opportunities and programs that are centered on diverse women’s experiences. This program seeks to create and sustain a safe university environment that promotes personal growth.
  • Queer Program—provides holistic LGBTQ+ education to sustain a safe campus environment and to cultivate a community for all queer people affected by heterosexism. This program is dedicated to promoting accessible, affirming, and empowering spaces for sexually and romantically diverse people of all intersecting identities.
  • Trans Program—fosters accessibility, community building, and empowerment for all trans and gender-diverse people by challenging institutional and interpersonal oppression perpetuated by cissexism and transphobia. This program uses intersectional theory when providing support for people of all genders and sex identities.

We offer several financial opportunities for our students. Chico State scholarships require completion of the online scholarship application, which can be obtained through the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office.

Outlook

Alumni have gone on to do many things with their degrees in EGQS. They have gone to graduate school in many different fields and become professors. They have become K-12 teachers, community and union organizers, social workers, congressional aides, policy analysts, journalists, lawyers, public advocates, artists/graphic designers, small business owners, and much more.