00:00:00.000 - 00:00:21.530

Berry, Amiliana: Yes. Yay. okay. Berry, Amiliana: this is an interview with the one and only Professor Varrick Honeycutt, conducted by myself, Ameliana Berry, on November 2023, 1155 am.

00:00:22.760 - 00:00:41.800

First things. First, when did you come to Towson? And how how long have you been here? Honeycutt, Varick M.: I first came to Towson in 2,012. Honeycutt, Varick M.: I started there Honeycutt, Varick M.: in fall 2012, because I was an undergrad student.

00:00:42.800 - 00:01:20.250

Honeycutt, Varick M.: I originally majored in accounting and a business administration, and I swapped to women and gender studies halfway through my first semester. Berry, Amiliana: Okay, okay. What made you decide to come to Towson in 2,012. Honeycutt, Varick M.: So when I was. Honeycutt, Varick M.: or I grew up in the area. So I've always lived in and around Towson. Always been about 15 min from the campus, so it was always a school that was on my radar and it was one of 10 schools that I got accepted to. But

00:01:20.710 - 00:01:51.470

Honeycutt, Varick M.: I liked the Lgbtq climate of Towson. I liked the combination of being able to take an Lgbtq Studies minor, which I plan to take right from the start. Honeycutt, Varick M.: with my business and accounting classes. So that was a really big factor that Towson had an LGBT studies program. Berry, Amiliana: Got you got you got you? What is your relationship with the women's and gender studies here at Towson?

00:01:52.700 - 00:02:34.810

Honeycutt, Varick M.: I have been involved with the women and gender studies program at Towson's campus since my very first semester. So Towson has a principal when it comes to Honeycutt, Varick M.: incoming freshmen where your advisor picks your first semester classes, or at least we used to. I don't know if that's still the case. And my advisor put me in women in perspective, which is women studies 2 31 for Tuesday, Thursday at 8 Am. Honeycutt, Varick M.: It was my first introduction to women in gender studies as Honeycutt, Varick M.: a field of study.

00:02:35.350 - 00:03:29.580

Honeycutt, Varick M.: and I really enjoyed the class itself. It was taught by a professor, Professor Van and she was amazing. She really piqued my interest, even though it was an 8 Am. Tuesday, Thursday class, and I'm not a morning person. So that was really what Honeycutt, Varick M.: started me getting involved with the women and gender studies department. And then I went on to get my undergraduate degree in women and gender studies with minor and Lgbtq studies, and then I got my first master's in women and gender studies from Towson. Honeycutt, Varick M.: in from 2,016 to 2,018. Berry, Amiliana: That's our educational experiences. Can you talk a little bit about your life experiences that led you into the interest of the women's and gender studies.

00:03:30.330 - 00:04:30.680

Honeycutt, Varick M.: I Honeycutt, Varick M.: have always been interested in feminism. My mother is a single mom. we always grew, or she was a single mom that lived and raised me in Baltimore City. She had a college degree which really helped. Honeycutt, Varick M.: but we still really struggled economically, particularly because, like the point that I'm growing up like you're looking at like the 2,008 recession like being when I'm starting high school. So there is a lot of economic struggle. And so I was always really aware of how much more we struggled on the basis of being a single parent household, particularly one led by my mom, compared to Honeycutt, Varick M.: my cousins, who, both, who all had their parents, and even the difference between my mom's experience compared to her mom's experience, and so that fueled an interest in high school for me to really delve into like

00:04:30.810 - 00:05:18.460

Honeycutt, Varick M.: economic inequality, particularly on the basis of sex. And my favorite teacher in high school, my English teacher, did current events on a weekly basis, and a lot of mine tended to revolve around the themes of like women's issues. Lgbtq issues and really trying to understand, like my reality more Honeycutt, Varick M.: and this it it. I didn't realize that that would sag way as neatly as it didn't to women and gender studies until I got to college and realized that was the thing, but then it just sort of all fell into place. When I found that Berry, Amiliana: I can get that, I get that Berry, Amiliana: who offered you support for your involvement in women's and gender studies.

00:05:19.100 - 00:05:41.140

Honeycutt, Varick M.: The 2 biggest supports that I'd have. We're probably my undergrad adviser, Dr. Honeycutt, Varick M.: Wengari. Honeycutt, Varick M.: She was my first advisor. She was just coming back from a break herself, and she really helped me acclimate into the program. Berry, Amiliana: And

00:05:41.250 - 00:06:44.550

Honeycutt, Varick M.: on top of that, my Honeycutt, Varick M.: My master's advisor was Dr. Rio, who is still also with the Towson Department, and she is actually an economist herself, she and so like my interest in economic inequality, and how it relates to gender and being Lgbtq really aligned very nicely with her interest, like I always wanted to use like Honeycutt, Varick M.: economics, business accounting to try to like help, address poverty, and help to address inequality. And so, when she was able to bridge those 2 gaps and really make me aware that. Wow, I can do this program. And it really helped me to Berry, Amiliana: come to terms with how I wanted to become an expert in these same in addition, like Dr. Gisson Danner and Doctor Wilkinson have also been amazing. I know them both more on

00:06:44.730 - 00:07:39.900

Honeycutt, Varick M.: a professional level Dr. Gisson Danner was my first boss as an academic. She was the one that gave me my first chance to teach at a college level. So she's been amazing. She's Honeycutt, Varick M.: very knowledgeable about Lgbtq studies. She was the director of the Lgbtq Studies department. When I first started at Towson. And so she really helped me like find resources and find my footing as an educator. And Dr. Wilkinson is, of course. Honeycutt, Varick M.: She has always pushed me to try to Honeycutt, Varick M.: figure out what the right path is. Particularly, she's really good at like analyzing issues of like work-wife balance, and like the struggles of balancing life with academic and she's just continued to be an invaluable resource as a boss.

00:07:41.480 - 00:08:34.370

Gotcha Gotcha! Did anyone oppose your decision to go into this field or just discriminate against you for the women's and genders. Lgbtq. Honeycutt, Varick M.: I can't say I've faced much Honeycutt, Varick M.: discrimination for my decision, although I will say that I don't think that you, Major, in these more liberal arts programs without at least a couple of relatives being like. Honeycutt, Varick M.: really, do you think you can get a job for that? And so my family is no different in that regard. I've definitely had some of them question my decision of like, you're going to get a degree, not just one degree, but 2 degrees, and women in gender studies. And it's so funny because they were so supportive of my decision to go on to get a second masters in economics. And yet it's my women in gender studies degree that's really giving me my employment?

00:08:34.370 - 00:08:58.690

Honeycutt, Varick M.: I showed them. No, you definitely did. Berry, Amiliana: Would you say that you identify as a feminist? Honeycutt, Varick M.: Yes, I definitely would. Okay, so can you describe your path into claiming that identity? Honeycutt, Varick M.: So I've definitely explored, like

00:08:58.990 - 00:10:14.280

Honeycutt, Varick M.: anyone that knows me, particularly as an academic would know that one of my biggest struggles is that I'm just so fascinated by all of it. I want to learn all of it. I want to be as informed as I possibly can be. And so one of my biggest things about like exploring and finding my path into being a feminist was finding out what my particular form of feminism was. And Honeycutt, Varick M.: in that regard, like I explored a lot of different angles. But of course you're always influenced by your mentors. So their focus is in like Marxist feminism and intersectionality and black feminism. Have really truly informed my own feminism, like also postmodernism, feminism as well. Honeycutt, Varick M.: and a lot of Honeycutt, Varick M.: like taking from your mentors and then making it. Your own path tends to come with finding how what you learn relates to your own interest. And so a lot of what I had to do was, look at what I really wanted to do with this knowledge, because wanting all the knowledge is great, but finding out what you want to do with it is a lot harder. I always knew that I wanted to do something to try to improve the livelihoods of

00:10:14.280 - 00:11:21.910

Honeycutt, Varick M.: people oppressed on the basis of gender and sexuality. And I always was very interested in numbers and the economy. And so really getting into Marxism and Marxist feminism and intersectionality really helped me bridge those gaps because it helped me to figure out how you Honeycutt, Varick M.: combine like identity with how they interact with various institutions, and then not only stop there but understand how they're interconnected, and that even though some of the issues that we face are structural. And our systemic like, you can still try to develop programs while you look Honeycutt, Varick M.: for long term change within the systems. So that was really a big part of it. And so it really helped me. Be able to apply my own brand of feminism to looking at the Honeycutt, Varick M.: mental and economic outcomes for Lgbtq people, and try to look at how we can help communities from within communities.

00:11:23.720 - 00:11:54.230

Berry, Amiliana: I love that one. Berry, Amiliana: you actually kind of jump right into a couple of my questions. Okay? So I know you talked about the Marxist, the intersectional forms of, or schools of feminist thought. Berry, Amiliana: what would you have say? You found most useful for navigating aspects of your life within the work.

00:11:54.320 - 00:12:39.540

Berry, Amiliana: personal relationships or activism? Honeycutt, Varick M.: Sorry can you repeat that one more time? So like what schools of feminist thought like, I know you were talking about the Marxism and the intersectionalities? Black feminism? What would you say you have found most useful, or which ones were most useful for? Your work, life, personal relationships or activism? Honeycutt, Varick M.: I definitely spend a lot of time with intersectionality. And Honeycutt, Varick M.: I use different schools of feminism for different aspects of my life. Some are more situational than others. So, for example, like Marx's feminism, has a lot more to do with like

00:12:40.020 - 00:13:36.530

Honeycutt, Varick M.: my own activism. And how I interact with like volunteering and giving my time outside of like Honeycutt, Varick M.: personal situations, whereas intersectionality is always a good foothold for trying to like establish a rapport with someone who might be interested in intersectionality is one of the things that you really start to understand when you teach feminism. Is that the first way that people relate to it is through their personal identities and their own experiences. Honeycutt, Varick M.: And so intersectionality is a really good bridge for that. And of course that's why it tends to be one of the mess exported forms of feminism. There is and of course you can't talk about intersectionality without talking about black feminism and Kimberly, William Crenshaw and Audrey, Lord and Honeycutt, Varick M.: the and and bell hooks, and the amazing women that really helped like

00:13:37.540 - 00:13:57.230

Honeycutt, Varick M.: shore up this idea of. We can't talk about feminism without talking about our overlapping identities. Honeycutt, Varick M.: in addition to that I Honeycutt, Varick M.: tend to do a lot around Berry, Amiliana: postmodernism, and particularly

00:13:58.360 - 00:14:45.190

Honeycutt, Varick M.: which tends to overlap a lot with how I use intersectionality. Because when you combine post modern feminism with intersectionality, it doesn't just look at how our current identities interact with systems and with how we interact with one another. But it talks and looks at how like we form those identities in and of itself. And so that's a really important aspect of how I apply it to my own Honeycutt, Varick M.: community of interest, which is, of course, Lgbtq studies Berry, Amiliana: gotcha gotcha Berry, Amiliana: how have the changes in the discipline of women's and gender studies affected the way that you teach and what you teach?

00:14:46.680 - 00:15:52.270

Honeycutt, Varick M.: I've definitely taught quite a lot. So I teach primarily a thousand now, but I have Honeycutt, Varick M.: very much taught at other colleges. I taught at John J. College of Bruno. Justice in the economics department. I taught eighth grade math and at a Baltimore city school. And Honeycutt, Varick M.: as such. I've really ended up teaching quite a lot of subjects that aren't as closely related to feminism. But feminism, and, like my education, definitely has influenced, like how I teach, how I relate to students how much I can account and understand how their identities impact, how they come to my course or my class, or how they interact with me. Honeycutt, Varick M.: So, for example, like when I was teaching economics, which was my second opportunity teaching at a college level. Because I used to just teach Ogbt studies in the summer, and then, when I went on to my second master's up in New York, I had to find work up there.

00:15:52.810 - 00:16:35.630

Honeycutt, Varick M.: And Honeycutt, Varick M.: so it really influenced the kind of economics I taught. So, for example, I taught political economy of gender, which is very similar to some of the courses we actually teach here at Towson, particularly related to Honeycutt, Varick M.: the international courses that Dr. Wingari tends to like to teach because, like Doctor Rio really enjoys economics, but she tends to have a very Us-centric approach. And Dr. Wangari is also an economist of sorts. But she's very much a global Honeycutt, Varick M.: economy focused individual and so, like a lot of their content, really help me

00:16:35.800 - 00:18:05.600

Honeycutt, Varick M.: help inspire what I taught my own students. I was able to pull aspects of both of their courses to try to give my students an overview of like the Us. Economy, and how gender looks like here and then take sources about like how gender dynamics and the global South have Honeycutt, Varick M.: really impacted gender dynamics of the workforce there, because it doesn't necessarily like anyone that really takes some of these courses will learn that what works and what solutions we have here don't necessarily work for elsewhere, because the realities and the experiences, and the culture is different. Honeycutt, Varick M.: and so it's really influenced, like what I teach my students. But it's also given me a lot more awareness of like the importance of my own students, identities, and how they interact with my own in my own courses, like people wanna see themselves reflected in the courses they teach. Honeycutt, Varick M.: they want to see understanding from their educators when they experience problems. And it can be really hard to form connections with students like. That's one of the hardest parts of the job. And making sure there's your students feel seen by you can really mean the difference between success and failure for a student, and intersectionality and understanding that there's plenty of students out there that want to actively be in my courses that want to pay attention that want to succeed.

00:18:05.600 - 00:18:23.400

Berry, Amiliana: but Honeycutt, Varick M.: because of, like their Honeycutt, Varick M.: realities outside of the classroom, even if that is true, they might still not be able to be here or be as successful as they want. They might Honeycutt, Varick M.: have problems with like

00:18:24.590 - 00:19:06.920

Honeycutt, Varick M.: poverty. They might have issues of like homelessness or mental health, or physical health. And like being able to find those and bridge those Honeycutt, Varick M.: connections so that you can actually communicate and help them is really important. Berry, Amiliana: Okay, okay. what do you think are the most important contributions that you have made to the advancement of the women's and gender studies program at Houston? Berry, Amiliana: I think that one of my biggest strengths within the department is how

00:19:07.140 - 00:19:44.650

Honeycutt, Varick M.: long I've been with the Department, and how many different Berry, Amiliana: facets of the department I've seen like Honeycutt, Varick M.: a lot of times when you are an educator, you don't often stay within the institution where you got your degrees. You often go on to other universities. Honeycutt, Varick M.: because you just go where the openings are. Academia is a very competitive field. And so it's not often that you find a professor who has not just one but 2 degrees from a university. Go on to teach at that university for a couple of years.

00:19:44.650 - 00:20:29.490

Honeycutt, Varick M.: And as such I really find that to be really helpful. And a fun way to connect with my students. Because it really allows me to talk about and see how the department has changed over time. And also like. Honeycutt, Varick M.: be able to advise my students on like how to succeed, not just in my course, but in courses Honeycutt, Varick M.: other courses within the department like I've had every single one of the professors that my students are likely to have within the department myself, except for one who came on so came on after I joined the department. Honeycutt, Varick M.: I have been there, and had most of them, not just for undergrad but grad school. Many of them were the same advisors that are

00:20:29.660 - 00:21:07.860

Honeycutt, Varick M.: advising new students that advise me. And so it can really help with students that are interested in by pursuing more classes, or looking to see like how they can get more involved with areas of interest that they find within my own courses. Honeycutt, Varick M.: and to not just be able to be like, Hey, you might be interested in this course, but also know the process and know what it's like to be in those classrooms myself. Hello. Honeycutt, Varick M.: okay. What courses have you taught in the women's and gender studies program here?

00:21:08.250 - 00:21:50.680

Honeycutt, Varick M.: My, the 2 primary classes that I teach at Towson are women in perspective, which is women's studies. 2, 31. And it wrote a Lgbtq studies, which is LGBT. 101. And do you have a favorite? Berry, Amiliana: I enjoy teaching both of them for different reasons. Honeycutt, Varick M.: I definitely have gotten more Honeycutt, Varick M.: used to teaching Lgbtq studies. I just teach that one more, and I often teach more sections of that than women in perspective. So it any time that you're teaching the same class over and over again. One of the things you get used to is like you refine it, you change it. You

00:21:50.680 - 00:22:36.350

Honeycutt, Varick M.: are able to be like, okay, well, this source worked for the first couple of semesters. I taught this, but now that I've been here and been looking, and II can see when I need to replace resources and like, but still have the knowledge of like Berry, Amiliana: what came before it. So you sort of develop a rapport when you teach a course for a long time, and I'm going on my Honeycutt, Varick M.: fifth sixth year teaching this specific course. And so I've had a really long time to be like, okay, I don't like this history book. Maybe there's a better one. Honeycutt, Varick M.: Let me swap out this book. In addition, you get comfortable with, like. what topic students like and which ones are important or

00:22:37.900 - 00:23:08.590

Honeycutt, Varick M.: students are interested and passionate about like you can't go into an Lgbtq studies course nowadays and not expect to talk about like the problem of anti Lgbtq legislation. And that's very much something that has changed since I started teaching the course like when I first started teaching Honeycutt, Varick M.: this course in 2,000 Honeycutt, Varick M.: 2,000 Honeycutt, Varick M.: 18, the summer of 2,018

00:23:09.070 - 00:23:52.760

Honeycutt, Varick M.: like the trends for Pro Lgbtq legislation was still Honeycutt, Varick M.: like a significantly Honeycutt, Varick M.: better prognosis than what we have now more Pro Lgbtq pieces of legislation we're passing compared to now, West anti Lgbtq. Bills were being introduced compared to now. And so I've been here for the same span of time that we've seen that trend not only Peter off, but actually go in the wrong direction. And so like having that topic be something that I touch on every year, and every semester by just makes it Honeycutt, Varick M.: easier to develop a report with Lgbtq 101

00:23:52.780 - 00:24:27.180

Honeycutt, Varick M.: whereas I tend to only teach women perspectives periodically. So I have to Honeycutt, Varick M.: put in a lot more effort to see like not only what change now, but like what they look like. A year ago or 2 years ago, or 5 years ago. Thankfully, I'm interested in the field of women and gender studies and feminism. So it's not any hardship to keep up. Berry, Amiliana: Yeah. how did students and faculty colleagues in the Women's and Gender Studies

00:24:27.240 - 00:25:06.460

Berry, Amiliana: program inspire you. Honeycutt, Varick M.: Hmm! Honeycutt, Varick M.: I definitely have been inspired by them. I don't think you go into academia yourself without being inspired by the academics that came before you like. It's very much a field that you Honeycutt, Varick M.: only manage to stay in if you're passionate about it and are really driven to pre the pursuit. It's hard, it's ambitious, it's very fast paced. It's constantly changing. It's impacted by so much. And it takes a lot of time outside of even what you do like.

00:25:06.530 - 00:26:05.530

Honeycutt, Varick M.: physically involved, like in terms of teaching and as such my mentor or my mentors and my colleagues within the Department have really been amazing aids with not only Honeycutt, Varick M.: making sure that's the right fit for me, like I don't think many people within the department are surprised that I ended up going into Academia, or found that to be ill suited for me. Honeycutt, Varick M.: and Honeycutt, Varick M.: in addition, like. And when that's the case. They make sure to pass on opportunities. They make sure to talk about their experiences, they make sure to talk about their own contacts like my second masters, my economics, masters, comes directly at the hands of like being recommended that masters by my advisor at the time Dr. Rio. She was like, if you're interested in an economics program, this is the one you want to be in right now.

00:26:05.530 - 00:27:13.320

Honeycutt, Varick M.: It's very new. It was just getting off the ground. I was the first cohort sorry I was the second cohort. I was Honeycutt, Varick M.: part of the second year of the program, and so like her, knowing that kind of opportunity so soon in, and be able to be like this seems like the right fit for you like is Honeycutt, Varick M.: a huge advantage. But then, on top of that, to be able to continue coming back to those same colleagues and being like, I'm having problems as a new educator, getting my students to be interested in this, or they don't really seem to like this reading. How do I find one that they would like? Or do you have suggestions for one that is better like Honeycutt, Varick M.: and and so it's sort of like the Old Guard bringing or teaching the new guard like you have a lot of resources, and that mentorship role is something that is crucial when you're entering a new field and they've never. They've always had their door open to me coming with them coming to them for that advice, and I'm immensely grateful for that.

00:27:15.650 - 00:27:38.800

Berry, Amiliana: I love women's and gingers, man like they do, they think. okay. Berry, Amiliana: okay. did you have trouble finding a job after either of your graduation? And did you face any Ops obstacles doing that? Honeycutt, Varick M.: So I am

00:27:39.210 - 00:28:33.970

Berry, Amiliana: interesting. I've never really had a problem finding a job with the degrees that I had. And in fact, I've always told my students that I've Honeycutt, Varick M.: the perfect example of like the 5 min elevator pitch working like all of your like English teachers and like high school, be like you wanna have that 5 min speech prepared just in case and Honeycutt, Varick M.: my first job in the field of women and gender studies came 2 months after me getting my first masters. Honeycutt, Varick M.: I worked the same job through undergrad, my first master. I worked at barks, which is the animal shelter. I'm really big into animal rights, which, if you know the department doctor get some dinner, is as well. So it's always been fun that a lot of my interest are like very involved in interlinked with the department and then, when I got my

00:28:34.170 - 00:29:08.750

Honeycutt, Varick M.: first masters Honeycutt, Varick M.: I already knew I was going up into New York. So I had quit my job so I could balance like working for an apartment. Going up there and trying to get ready for pivoting into a very different kind of program. And so like Honeycutt, Varick M.: Dr. Gissenden are reaching out like within Honeycutt, Varick M.: within just a couple of weeks of me having gotten my first degree and then like, Hey, would you like to teach this class? It starts in July?

00:29:10.010 - 00:29:47.780

Berry, Amiliana: really, was Honeycutt, Varick M.: an opportunity that Honeycutt, Varick M.: immensely change the path that I was able to take, because then I went on to my economics degree, looking to have to find another job in a new city in a place where I don't have nearly as many contacts, and I was just talking to my department head of my economics degree about like what my field of study was before I got to that master's program. Honeycutt, Varick M.: talking about what job I had done over the summer. So talking about how I had taught Lgbtq studies, and he left the office, came back with a stack of papers

00:29:48.090 - 00:30:43.200

Berry, Amiliana: in 8 books, and it turned out that the stack of papers was a stack of syllabi, and he said, How would you like to teach political economy of gender? We've been looking for a professor to teach this all summer long we have until tomorrow to find someone to teach this, or we won't be able to offer it. Honeycutt, Varick M.: And so, like my unique circumstances of both having an economic expertise through my first masters, and having a connection in Dr. Rio, who, went to school, went to the same economic school that most of my economic professors did really helped sell them like within just a casual conversation that I was the right person for the job Honeycutt, Varick M.: without even me knowing that I was like talking and having a conversation that would land me a job. Honeycutt, Varick M.: And then, on top of that my second degree in my economics degree.

00:30:43.600 - 00:31:41.740

Honeycutt, Varick M.: I was entering the workforce in a very different climate. I it was right in the middle of the pandemic. It was 2020 and so I was like, what do I want to do? And so I was like, Okay, I always wanted to do and give back to Baltimore and talked about the role of like having Honeycutt, Varick M.: great teachers in my life for getting me to college and being able to fuel my interest. And so my 2 degrees and all the teaching experience I had from these opportunities because I ended up teaching economics courses all throughout my second masters. Landed me a job teaching 8 grade math through teach for America. That's so cool. That's so cool. Berry, Amiliana: What is some advice that you could give on how to build a career with women's and gender studies as a major or a focus of study.

00:31:44.550 - 00:33:10.510

Honeycutt, Varick M.: So often times when it comes to women in gender studies, it's a very inter-disciplinary field. And so there's really 2 ways in which people can really interact with it in a way that goes beyond just their education. And that tends to be around activism advocacy, or like the major that they Honeycutt, Varick M.: er I'm sorry, and their career goals and so I always challenge my students to consider what they want to do for their career, what they want to do in terms of their own outside activism and advocacy, because with it being an interdisciplinary field, and so many of these courses being taught through the lens of, like what the individual Professor Honeycutt, Varick M.: has latched onto within their own brand of feminism within their own brand of Lgbtq activism is that they need to find their own, even if out of the courses that they've taken at this point, they haven't found necessarily that specific focus of like this is what I want to do, or this is how I want to use it like there's no Berry, Amiliana: Well, there's so many ways in which you can use a feminist degree. Because feminist degrees are around teaching about this intersection between identity and power and institution. And that's a very useful skill to have.

00:33:10.510 - 00:34:37.360

Berry, Amiliana: because we always have a need, particularly in this day and age, of being able to talk and interact with educating people on and accurately educating people on women's issues, on Lgbtq issues. And it's Honeycutt, Varick M.: a constantly growing field within, like, we really need to become better at advocating for this, like you've seen this in terms of like having diversity weeds in corporate America. You've seen this in Hollywood with intimacy coordinators, and like looking for people that have identities that are represented in the product they want to create, like actually involved in the process. You see how like having Honeycutt, Varick M.: people that know to interact with identity matters for medical research or for understanding psychology and mental health like, there's no number of ways in which you can use the degree. So you really need to find the one that fits with what you like and what really intrigues you about it. And when you do that, and, for example, like I was really interested in like this Honeycutt, Varick M.: intersection between identity and the economy. And so I went on to get an economics degree, and I went on to teach economy, and I went on to do a lot of volunteer work with Grant writing to like, try to develop programs and places like Baltimore City which really needed

00:34:37.520 - 00:35:19.160

Honeycutt, Varick M.: And so Honeycutt, Varick M.: if you are trying to get a degree in women and gender studies like. Oftentimes, what matters a lot is figuring out Honeycutt, Varick M.: what field you want to use it in, so that you can specialize in that specific subset of knowledge. Because women and Lgbtq people touch all facets of society like they're involved in every industry. So if you're interested in women and the Corona justice system focus on that. If you're interested in seeing more women represented in Honeycutt, Varick M.: medical fields like specializing that if you're interested in trying to help

00:35:19.260 - 00:35:55.060

Honeycutt, Varick M.: improve the mental health outcomes of women or Lgbtq people focus in that Honeycutt, Varick M.: because Honeycutt, Varick M.: then you are developing a dual expertise that can really go on to help you talk about that specific issue. Honeycutt, Varick M.: or really help you from the jump, start to understand what industry you want to go into. So you can develop those contacts and use your classes and your volunteer experience and your work experience to really heavily get involved with.

00:35:55.900 - 00:36:34.540

Berry, Amiliana: with your brand of feminism some great advice. I needed that one. What what do you think could be done to attract more students to the women's and genders? Program? Berry, Amiliana: hmm! Honeycutt, Varick M.: Recruitment is definitely not my personal area of expertise, but I definitely think it's a field that has a lot of interest around it right now. Because there's a lot of

00:36:34.850 - 00:37:46.350

Honeycutt, Varick M.: talk about like women's issues. And Lgbtq issues in the media and like in social media. And so, Cap, like, I think that a big part of recruiting people to the women and Gender Studies department. The Lgbtq Studies Department revolves around like making sure you you're also engaging with those same spaces. So like making sure that Honeycutt, Varick M.: you have a social media presence, that it's not only there, but it's also really interacting with the specific areas that people utilising that platform for their media Honeycutt, Varick M.: is seeing content are seeing, content that they want to see. And that's 2 very different skills like. And that's why. Not only do you have, like a developing field where having women and people with marginalized identities involved in decision making processes matters, but having people who know social media. Honeycutt, Varick M.: being involved in those same processes, also matters and so like making sure that your content land with the demographic that once it tends to

00:37:46.670 - 00:38:09.690

Honeycutt, Varick M.: w would probably impact recruitment. Berry, Amiliana: Sorry. Okay. Okay. Okay. What do you see? As the prevalence of women's and gender studies in today's world. Honeycutt, Varick M.: hi, Jeff.

00:38:10.270 - 00:38:40.260

Honeycutt, Varick M.: it's Honeycutt, Varick M.: very much relevant field. As I just mentioned. I personally tend to focus a lot on public policy and the economy, and those are 2 very much big fields that not only have Honeycutt, Varick M.: always had an interest in relevance to women in Lgbtq people and feminism and Lgbtq at Honeycutt, Varick M.: equality. But has just increasingly become so

00:38:40.310 - 00:39:30.870

Honeycutt, Varick M.: over over the past couple of years, like we've seen a lot of shifts related to landmark decisions related to the women in the Lgbtq community that have come into question that have been overturned like Honeycutt, Varick M.: Roe V. Wade being overturned is something that even up through my first 2 degrees was something that we never really saw was like Honeycutt, Varick M.: being taken from us like we didn't think that that was a constitutional right that would end up being dissolved the way it was. And it really shows how we've turned the tide with, like the political system and Honeycutt, Varick M.: needing to renew interest and like understanding of how like, we need to understand these systems, we need to understand these processes. We need to like.

00:39:31.100 - 00:40:01.600

Honeycutt, Varick M.: invoke a passion in these systems and this knowledge base in order to make sure that we aren't just Honeycutt, Varick M.: that we aren't only Honeycutt, Varick M.: challenging and managing to maintain the rights that we do have now, but to continue to Honeycutt, Varick M.: address sexism and transphobia and homophobia, and all these forms of bigotry.

00:40:01.650 - 00:40:47.430

Honeycutt, Varick M.: because. like we got comfortable, we Honeycutt, Varick M.: we're like we. We have so many people in society that still believe that the United States is like post the need of feminism and post racist and post, the need for an Lgbtq rights movement. And while they're saying these same statements, there are significant pushes of like wondering if Honeycutt, Varick M.: Lgbtq people still maintain the right to vote to marry in a couple of years. Because, especially like after Roby Wade got overturned. We're now seeing big pushes with like is the next thing that they're going to come after contraceptive Honeycutt, Varick M.: measures. And

00:40:47.920 - 00:41:47.620

Honeycutt, Varick M.: like, what about all these new disparities that are now popping up in like healthcare, because one of the things that has been really a big, unattended consequence of Roe V wave being overturned is like obg ends disappearing from areas that need it the most because they can't complete their residencies there. Or they don't want to get arrested. Honeycutt, Varick M.: And people who have medically necessary conditions like actually suffering, dying, or becoming sicker because they can't access parts of healthcare that will potentially overlap with the decision to overturn Roe V. Wade. Honeycutt, Varick M.: and the bands that have been put to States since then. Honeycutt, Varick M.: And so I think, addressing that disparity of like, Oh, we've come so far. We don't need this anymore. Compared to like, we have all these issues that we never properly address in the first place. And now we're piling new ones on top of those is something that we as a society, really need to.

00:41:47.640 - 00:42:06.900

Honeycutt, Varick M.: Well, one shows a relevancy and 2 that we need to continue developing interest in. Okay, my last question for you. Honeycutt, Varick M.: I'm sorry if you could do it all of this all over again, would you?

00:42:07.140 - 00:42:45.840

Honeycutt, Varick M.: Oh, absolutely. I don't regret the degrees that I have at all. Honeycutt, Varick M.: I really enjoyed. Berry, Amiliana: the women and gender studies department. I really enjoyed the fact that it's a smaller department. I Honeycutt, Varick M.: feel very connected. I feel very supported by the atmosphere that Towson provided me within this department, and I don't think that I'd even get the same kind of outcomes I have now, if I even stayed in like accounting end of this on side, like I don't regret the path that I took it off.

00:42:45.950 - 00:43:47.440

I love it. I love it. I just wanna say thank you again so much. I'm really excited for this. Look back there. We do the transcripts. But thank you for giving me your perspective. And Berry, Amiliana: you know, going into the archives we're making history. I'm so excited. Yes, it was very fun being interviewed about this by former student. Yeah, you know, she gave us the list Professor Honey Cut need it real bad. Berry, Amiliana: But this was like more than an amazing opportunity. Just thank you again, like, I love your teaching always wanted to hear, like certain aspects coming from you specifically as well. So you really did it all for me today, really? Did I hope that I get I hope that it's all that you need. You're a great interviewer. Berry, Amiliana: Oh, thank you, thank you. Have a great rest of your day. You, too, have a great holiday. Thank you. You, too.