MTSU professor lectures on technology use by LGBTQ couples

silhouette of two men holding hands with a small child between them, superimposed over the rainbow gay pride flag (illustration compiled from Pixabay images)

An MTSU professor will explore how LGBTQ couples use technology to make decisions about having children in a special lecture set Thursday, Oct. 18.

Dr. Robert "Rob" B. Layne II, assistant professor, Department of Communication Studies

Dr. Robert Layne II

Dr. Robert Layne II, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies, will present the latest lecture in the Women’s and Gender Studies Research Series at 3 p.m. Oct. 18 in Room 100 of the James Union Building.

Off-campus visitors attending the event should obtain a special one-day permit from MTSU’s Office of Parking and Transportation at 1403 E. Main St. or online at www.mtsu.edu/parking/visit.php. A campus parking map is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParking.

The title of Layne’s lecture is “Technologies of Reproductive Genetic Testing for LGBTQ Individuals and Couples: Presenting Queer Standpoint Theory.”

“Reproductive genetic testing … (is) becoming more commonplace in helping individuals and couples make decisions about whether to become parents or to even continue a pregnancy,” Layne said.

The professor maintains that few researchers have examined how LGBTQ patients deal with using genetic testing resources such as amniocentesis and screening to determine whether parents carry genes of certain genetic disorders.

“This becomes incredibly important when we know that LGBTQ couples and individuals typically have to go through extraordinary means to have a biological child, such as in vitro fertilization or surrogacy,” Layne said.

The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at 615-898-5910 or womenstu@mtsu.edu.

— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)