Editor, scholar Elizabeth W. Sepper to deliver Women in America Lecture

Elizabeth W. Sepper, a nationally recognized scholar on religious liberty, health law and equality, will deliver the annual Women in America Lecture at 1 p.m., Wednesday, March 26, in Hubbell Hall at Kent Campus Center. The event is free and open to the public.

The lecture, titled Sex in Public: The Movement for Equality in Public Accommodations from the 1960s to Today, will examine the evolution of public accommodations law and its impact on gender and sexuality. Sixty years ago, both cisgender women and LGBT people faced widespread discrimination in public spaces. The feminist movement successfully fought to include “sex” in antidiscrimination law, advocating not only for equal access to commerce and leisure but also for freedom from societal restrictions on gender expression and sexuality. Understanding this history can provide valuable insight into today’s legal and cultural debates, from same-sex couples’ weddings to transgender women’s participation in sports.

Sepper brings extensive expertise to these topics. As a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, she teaches courses in health law, torts and reproductive rights. Her scholarship focuses on issues at the intersection of law, religion and health care, particularly conscientious refusals in medical settings and legal conflicts over insurance coverage. In addition to her academic work, she is the editor of Law, Religion, and Health in the United States and has received numerous awards recognizing her contributions to the field.

The Women in America Lecture Series aims to foster meaningful discussions about gender, law and society. This year’s event, sponsored by the Women’s and Gender Studies program at Simpson College, continues that tradition by bringing critical historical and legal perspectives to current issues.