Chippewa Valley Times

Dr. Rae Langes has been named a recipient of the Poorman Award, an honor given annually to 13 LGBTQ+ individuals or allies who have contributed to creating a safer and more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ people. The award commemorates Dr. Paula B. Poorman, a respected faculty member at UW-Whitewater known for her dedication to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals.

Langes received the award on December 4 during a ceremony in Madison, marking the 16th anniversary of this recognition. "Honorees are helping build a better experience for our students, faculty and staff," stated UW President Jay Rothman. "This award recognizes their achievements in creating a safer and inclusive climate at our universities."

Langes expressed that the award "recognizes as crucial the labor that UW System faculty, staff, students and community members do to advance equity, diversity and inclusion on campus through LGBTQ+ advocacy." Langes emphasized that society can learn from Poorman's example, who fostered queer joy and developed strategies for resisting oppression and advancing social justice.

At UW-Eau Claire, Langes teaches courses related to the LGBTQ studies certificate and women's, gender, and sexuality studies major, minor, and certificate. These courses focus on using intersectional feminist and queer frameworks to analyze power dynamics within institutions and everyday life.

"Through teaching, I have the privilege of sharing with students how everyday people speak truth to power," Langes said. "This is important because it can empower students to speak out against injustice."

Performance plays a significant role in Langes' courses as a method for understanding identity categories such as gender, sexuality, race, class, ethnicity, and disability. Together with students, Langes explores how performance can be used as a tool for engaging social differences.

One of Langes' recent projects involved curating Sofia Moreno's solo exhibition "Flores Nocturnas" at UW-Eau Claire’s Foster Gallery. This exhibition explored themes of trans kinship and futurity.

Langes is also a 2024 recipient of a Wisconsin Humanities Council Major Grant which supported public programming for "Flores Nocturnas." Their solo performances examine intersections of queerness with power and desire.

"My hope is that students and members of the broader community leave these events with a greater sense of social belonging," Langes said.

Langes holds a Ph.D. in performance studies from Northwestern University and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Their research focuses on contemporary queer and trans performance art in the U.S. and Latin America.