November 9, 2026 – Stone Ridge, NY – The Environmental Club, LGBTQ+ Association, and Allies Club invite the campus community and public to a special screening of the documentary Second Nature: Gender & Sexuality in the Animal World on Thursday, November 19 at 5:30 p.m. in Burroughs Hall 120 on the Stone Ridge Campus. This event is free and open to the public.
Second Nature challenges conventional assumptions about what is considered natural in the animal kingdom. Narrated by Elliot Page, the film follows pioneering transgender evolutionary biologist Dr. Joan Roughgarden as she meets groundbreaking scientists studying the extraordinary diversity of animal life. More than 1,500 animal species have been documented engaging in same-sex sexual behavior, forming same-sex parenting partnerships, changing sex, establishing matriarchal social structures, and displaying other forms of biological diversity.
Through scientific research and compelling examples from the natural world, Second Nature challenges myths that females are inherently inferior and that being queer is somehow unnatural. The documentary invites audiences to reconsider how much we still have to learn about the diversity of life on Earth and the many ways nature expresses sex, gender, sexuality, and social relationships.
“This screening offers our campus and regional community an opportunity to explore the intersection of evolutionary biology, environmental studies, and LGBTQ+ inclusion,” said Jennifer Guiher, professor of biology and environmental studies program coordinator at SUNY Ulster.
For more information, contact Jennifer Guiher, Professor of Biology & Environmental Studies Program Coordinator.
About SUNY Ulster
SUNY Ulster is a community college of the State University of New York, serving Ulster County and the Hudson Valley with high-quality, affordable education to over six thousand students annually across 70 academic programs. The college offers transfer and career programs, workforce training, and lifelong learning opportunities that prepare students for success in college, careers, and their communities.
# # #