The Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies

The Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies offers an undergraduate program, a collaborative graduate program (M.A. and Ph.D.), hosts academic and community events, and promotes research into sexuality. It is a hub forging connections among faculty, undergraduates, graduate students, and community members interested in questions about how we understand sexual diversity and sexual practices.

Among these questions are how we frame and categorize sexual differences, why we fear some and celebrate others, how medical, religious, and political authorities respond to them. What is the nature of sexual identity and orientation? How and why is sexuality labeled as lesbian, heterosexual, perverse, normal, gay, or queer? How do cultures at different times and places divide the sexual from the non-sexual?

SDS provides opportunities to explore these questions across disciplinary boundaries, by the courses it sponsors, the programs it offers, and the public presentations it organizes. Faculty members associated with SDS come from about twenty departments and programs, including Aboriginal Studies, Anthropology, Criminology, East Asian Studies, Drama, Education, English, History, Information Studies, Italian, Law, Linguistics, Medieval Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Public Health, Physical Education and Health, Reformation and Renaissance Studies, Social Work, Sociology, Visual Studies, and Women's Studies.

The Centre is housed at University College, though its undergraduate programs are available to all students in the U of T's Faculty of Arts and Science. Undergraduate programming in Sexual Diversity Studies was first established in 1998, and now includes a Specialist, Major, and Minor program. SDS also has its own interdisciplinary courses at the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year levels.

SDS also offers an interdisciplinary graduate program at the M.A. and Ph.D. levels. Students must be admitted to a "home" program (e.g. English, Drama, Sociology, Information Studies) to be considered for entry to the collaborative program in sexual diversity studies.

Acting Director (July 2008 - June 2009):
Scott Rayter (SDS and English)
Email: scott.rayter@utoronto.caThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Director Designate (July 2009 - June 2011):
Brenda Cossman (Law)
Email: b.cossman@utoronto.caThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Centre Administrator:
Wendy Koslow

Contacting the Centre:
Email: sexual.diversity@utoronto.caThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Phone: (416) 978-6276
Fax: (416) 971-2027
Postal Mail:
15 King's College Circle Rm. 251
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H7
Last Updated ( Monday, 05 January 2009 )