Samuel Rutherford

Dr. Samuel Rutherford is a Lecturer in LGBTQ+ History and the History of Sexuality within the Department of History at the University of Glasgow's College of Arts. He convenes both the in-person and distance-learning MSc programmes in Gender History, teaching courses in modern British and LGBTQ+ history at Honours and PGT levels. Rutherford is an active member of the Glasgow Lab for Intersex, Non-Binary and Trans Studies (GLINTS) and the Centre for Gender History, contributing significantly to gender and sexuality scholarship in contemporary academia.

Rutherford completed his academic training in both the United States and England before spending four years as a postdoctoral researcher and tutor at Oxford University. His educational background prepared him for his current research focus on the historical construction of gender and sexuality categories in modern Britain.

Rutherford specializes in the history of gender and sexuality in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Britain, with particular attention to how categories of gender and sexuality have been constructed, regulated, and experienced. His research examines the intellectual sources that informed ideas about gender and sexuality, how these ideas interacted with state structures and regulatory institutions, and what the experiences of gender and sexual minority communities reveal about broader societal logics. He maintains active interests in queer classical reception, the history of the internet, and LGBTQ+ young people's history.

His scholarly output demonstrates consistent engagement with LGBTQ+ historical narratives, particularly examining the intersections of gender, sexuality, and institutional power. Rutherford's publications reveal a methodological approach that combines archival research with theoretical frameworks from gender studies and queer theory. His work frequently analyzes how educational institutions have shaped and been shaped by evolving understandings of gender and sexuality, with particular attention to the British context from the Victorian era to contemporary times.

Rutherford actively supervises postgraduate research, currently working with Ashley Brown on a project examining masculinities at Scottish universities between 1560-1606. He welcomes enquiries from prospective PGR students with interests in modern British gender, sexuality and LGBTQ+ history, indicating his commitment to mentoring the next generation of scholars in these fields.

As a member of the Glasgow Lab for Intersex, Non-Binary and Trans Studies (GLINTS) and the Centre for Gender History, Rutherford contributes to collaborative research initiatives that advance understanding of gender diversity and LGBTQ+ experiences. These affiliations provide institutional support for his interdisciplinary approach to historical research that bridges traditional historical methods with contemporary gender and sexuality studies frameworks.