Step One: Get Connected

According to Merriam-Webster Online, gender is defined as, "the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex." And whether you believe it or not, gender plays a huge role in our everyday lives.

Gender is who we are, how we appear, and even who we pretend to be. It matters to the world, and it should matter to us.

Because this site is dedicated to issues of gender at the University of Southern California, it's important that you stay plugged in to what's going on in the academic and advocacy worlds. If you want to get involved or get your mind thinking outside the box a bit, try exploring these websites listed below:

• First thing's first. If you want to learn more, the best way to do it's in the classroom. USC's Gender Studies Department offers many interdisciplinary courses taught by the university's world-class faculty. The department was inspired by the Women's Movement of the '60s and '70s as well as the Gay Rights movement, which is still going on today. The website plugs you into upcoming courses you can take, professors you can learn from, and links to possible resources and research opportunities. Ranging from English, Film Studies, History, Sociology, Anthropology, and Spanish, the courses offered by the Department of Gender at USC are interdisciplinary and bound to interest you. Check it out and expand your horizon.

• If you're gay or lesbian (or know someone who is), go to USC (or know someone who does), the USC LGBT Resource Center is the place to go to learn about important events around campus, issues of gender in the community, and to get tuned into the students' pulse on issues related to gender. The website offers a seriously comprehensive look at what USC students, faculty, and staff are doing to bridge the gender gap. Plus, as soon as the site pops up, you're bombarded by great music that instantly puts you in the "browsing" mood. You can also find/become an ally of LGBT students, get a list of helpful LGBT terminology, and learn about local resources and groups that also make a difference.

• USC's Center for Women and Men is a student resource offering help for students who have experienced gender-related harm (stalking, harassment, sexual assualt, rape). The center provides counseling, support groups, and even emergency services to the Trojan student body. The Center (located in the Student Union) even houses a library filled with resources relating specifically to gender-related issues. Every college and university should have a Center like this.