Rita J. Trimble

Rita J. Trimble is a Part-Time Lecturer in the Department of Africana, Gender, & Identity Studies at Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU), where she has been a faculty member since 2013. Her academic career includes prior teaching roles in the Comparative Studies and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies departments at The Ohio State University.

• Education: B.S., M.A., Ph.D. in Comparative Studies with a Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Sexuality Studies from The Ohio State University (2014).

Dr. Trimble's research focuses on critical theory, intersectionality, and transnational activism, particularly examining the intersection of gender, sexuality, and religio-political movements. Her work analyzes the affective power of family-based politics in shaping human rights debates.

Her 2013 publication, The Threat of Demographic Winter, explores how pro-family documentaries frame motherhood and demographic decline, linking these narratives to broader transnational conservative Christian politics. The article synthesizes participant observation, interviews, and textual analysis to understand the ideological strategies of groups like the World Congress of Families.