简介

Ellen Andersen: Associate Professor in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies and Political Science, specializes in American politics and public law. She is particularly interested in how individuals and social movements try to use the law to effect social change, a subject she has explored from several perspectives. Her book, Out of the Closets and into the Courts: Legal Opportunity Structure and Gay Rights Litigation (University of Michigan Press, 2005; updated in 2006), explores the promise and limits of legal mobilization as a tactic for advancing gay rights claims. One of her current research projects focuses on the politics of same sex marriage. Another looks at the multi-movement activism. She has also penned a series of articles on AIDS activism. Her work has appeared in a variety of professional journals, including the American Journal of Political Science and the American Sociological Review (forthcoming). Professor Andersen is currently the president of the Sexuality & Politics section of the American Political Science Association. She has a 20-year history of activism on issues relating to sex and sexuality.