UCO to Host Elyssa Ford for Lecture on Gender and Rodeo, March 29

March 20, 2024

Elyssa Ford

The University of Central Oklahoma’s Department of History and Geography, The Women’s Research Center and the BGLTQ+ Student Center will host “Gender and Rodeo: An Evening with Dr. Elyssa Ford,” Friday, March 29. The evening will begin with a reception at 5 p.m., at The Center, located in Thatcher Hall, Room 106, and the public talk will begin at 6 p.m., in the Liberal Arts South building, Lecture Hall L01, both located on Central’s campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Elyssa Ford, Ph.D., associate professor of history and director of public history and museum studies at Northwest Missouri State University, is the author of two books, which will be available for purchase at the event, including “Rodeo as Refuge, Rodeo as Rebellion, Gender, Race” and “Identity in the American Rodeo.” Ford will engage with UCO students majoring in history, women’s, gender and sexuality studies, as well as museum studies on gender and rodeo, in addition to her talk titled “The Impact of AIDS and the Rise of a Culture of Care in Gay Rodeo.”

Ford’s work expands the history of rodeo and rodeo performers beyond the typical demographic. Her discussion will provide Western history enthusiasts insight into the Wild West roots of gender performance and the role of queer “folx” in the rodeo circuit. The program will also highlight the work of Oklahomans who have worked through the gay rodeo scene to create positive change in the community.

“I look forward to talking about this little-known rodeo circuit with Oklahoma audiences and helping them learn about the role that gay rodeo played in fundraising for AIDS organizations in the 1980s and 1990s,” Ford said.

 The event is supported by a $1,500 grant from Oklahoma Humanities (OH).

“We are so pleased to receive this grant,” said Katrina Lacher, Ph.D., professor of history and chair of the Department of History and Geography at UCO.

“This grant allows us to bring a cutting-edge scholar to our students and broader community. We are looking forward to our compelling conversations that enrich our understanding of gender in the West and the rich history of rodeo.”

Funding for this program is provided in part by a grant from OH and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of OH or NEH.

OH is an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen communities by helping Oklahomans learn about the human experience, understand new perspectives and participate knowledgeably in civic life through humanities disciplines such as history, literature, film studies, art criticism and philosophy. As the state partner for the NEH, OH provides a free educational magazine, Smithsonian Institution exhibits, reading and discussion groups and other cultural opportunities for Oklahomans of all ages.

For more information about the UCO Department of History and Geography, visit uco.edu/hg.