Episode 18: Kink and LGBTQI+ Culture in the Title IX Space with Stephanie Lott: Part 2

Feb 6, 2020

In this episode, Courtney continues her conversation with Stephanie Lott, Title IX Coordinator at Arkansas State University. The full discussion with Stephanie covers campus accessibility, pronoun use, and her journey in Title IX with regard to LGTBQI+ and kink culture. In this second part of our discussion, Stephanie gets into some of the challenges investigators, witnesses, complainants, and respondents tend to face in Title IX investigations of cases involving kink or LGTBQI+ communities. For example, identity questions in hookup culture make for complex experiences, which makes the 'truth' of a case incredibly nuanced.

Knowing how to ask the right questions so that trust can be built is an essential part of the investigative process. We also speak about the importance of using and soliciting proper pronouns, and Stephanie shares some pointers about how to go about doing so. Stephanie talks about a few of the strategies that are going down on her campus to make it a more inclusive space in this episode too. Our guest has a unique way of explaining things that a lot of folks will benefit from so make sure you catch round two of this helpful conversation.

 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Special considerations in Title IX cases involving LGTBQI+ and kink community members.
• Vulnerabilities that people still arriving at their sexual identity face in hookup culture.
• Struggles investigators face: taboos, identity questions, and building trust with a complainant.
• Advice for investigators: become more versed on the topic by consulting third party sources.
• How to ask inoffensive questions to members of a kink or LGTBQI+ community.
• The value of asking tough questions from a place of good intentions, not personal interest.
• Why people should respect pronouns: for the same reason they remember names.
• The idea that pronouns can change so it is a good idea to re-ask what they are.
• How to ask for another person’s pronouns: offer your own first.
• Preparing to explain what pronouns are about to people who aren’t aware of them.
• New forms of pronouns such as they or ze, and who they might apply to.
• Getting past awkwardness around asking about pronouns to build more trust.
• Strategies for a more inclusive campus such as Theatre Intimacy Education performances.
• What makes up the world of e-sports: games, devices, and competitive playing.
• The new e-sports program happening at Arkansas State which Stephanie heads up.
• Things Stephanie would do if not in Title IX: law school, and behavioral analysis.

 

Tweetables:

“With any unknown topic that you’re talking about with somebody else, like a complainant, respondent, or witness, make sure that your questions are not based on curiosity.” — Stephanie Lott [0:14:27]

“I teeter back and forth on my own pronouns.” — Stephanie Lott [0:16:07]

 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

Stephanie Lott

Courtney Bullard on LinkedIn

Institutional Compliance Solutions

Hot Topics in Title IX Compliance Conference

Title IX University

Speak Out

Theatre Intimacy Education