Amy Brainer

Biography

 Amy Brainer is an assistant professor of Women’s & Gender Studies and Sociology and Coordinator of the LGBTQ Studies Certificate Programat the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She conducts research on queer and transgender family issues in Taiwan and in transnational contexts.

Research Interest

 Dr. Brainer’s research interests have personal origins. She became interested in global and transnational family issues as a result of her own family history of migration between the US and China, where she spent part of her childhood and teen years, and where her parents and youngest siblings continued to live until recently. Her interest in queer and trans family issues is rooted in her experience coming out to a close-knit and deeply faith-oriented family. Sociology provided her with a toolkit for linking her personal biography to larger cultural and structural issues. Dr. Brainer is passionate about sharing this toolkit with students and supporting student efforts for social transformation. Currently she is the faculty advisor to two student organizations, She’s the First and PRIDE. When she is not at work, Dr. Brainer enjoys spending time with her parents and four siblings. She also likes soap operas, burlesque and drag shows, and getting to know Detroit, her new city and home.