Mary Burke

Mary Burke is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Director of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at the University of Vermont. She specializes in gender, sexualities, social movements, and queer and trans studies, with a focus on LGBTQ social movements and queer politics. Her teaching includes courses on gender, LGBTQ studies, medicine, and social theory.

Education:

• B.A. in Sociology & Anthropology, Western Connecticut State University
• M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology, University of Connecticut
• Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies, University of Connecticut

Research interests include analyzing media coverage of same-sex marriage debates, ethnographic studies of social movements (e.g., LGBT marriage equality organizations), and medicalization processes in transgender rights. Current projects explore gay bars, queer spaces, and critiques of heteronormativity in housing laws. Her work critiques institutional norms and advocates for non-nuclear family structures through interviews with intentional communities.

Publications appear in Sociological Forum, Advances in Medical Sociology, and edited volumes like The Marrying Kind? and Race, Gender and Sexuality in Post-apocalyptic TV and Film.

As Director of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, Burke leads interdisciplinary initiatives fostering queer and trans studies through curriculum development and community engagement. She previously taught at the University of Connecticut and holds expertise in sociology and women’s studies.