Amy BrainerCV

Associate ProfessorDirector of LGBTQ Studies

Queer kinship, migration, and the families we make.

I am an Associate Professor of Women’s & Gender Studies and Director of LGBTQ Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

PublicationsGet in touch
Amy Brainer, a white woman with short dark hair, wearing a red dress and red lipstick, smiles at someone out of the frame.
Image description: a white woman with short dark hair, wearing a red dress and red lipstick, smiles at someone out of the frame.

Research threads

  1. 01

    Queer kinship and family change in Taiwan

    My first book is an ethnographic study of queer family of origin relationships in Taiwan. The book includes perspectives of heterosexual parents, siblings, and queer and trans people of different ages and backgrounds.

    About the book
  2. 02

    LGBTQ+ marriage migration

    My current research follows queer and trans people and couples as they navigate marriage-based immigration to the United States.

    Recent publications
  3. 03

    Loss of a friend

    A third project centers narratives of loss through a friend break up or death of a friend.

    About the study

Professional bio

I am an Associate Professor of Women’s & Gender Studies and Director of LGBTQ+ Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. My first book and academic first love is an ethnographic study of queer kinship and family change in Taiwan. I currently study LGBTQ+ marriage-based immigration to the United States. A third project centers narratives of loss through a friend breakup or death of a friend. You can find my recent publications and works in progress here and my full CV here.

Recently, I had the joy of working with students Fatima al-Bedany and Lyla Kerr to create a public oral history archive tracking the creation of Women’s and Gender Studies, Women in Learning and Leadership, and LGBTQ Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. You can explore the archive here.

I am the faculty advisor to two student organizations, Pride and Iris, serving LGBTQ+ and queer SWANA and Muslim students, respectively. I teach courses on LGBTQ+ Religious Experience, Family Diversity and Power, and other topics. I am honored to be Co-Chair of the Association for Queer Anthropology.

Personal bio

As is true for many researchers, my work and life experiences are intertwined. As a child, I lived in mainland China with my US citizen parents and developed an interest in family migration during this period. I am queer and femme and navigated the marriage immigration process with a former partner. Like my interviewees, I have lost friends and members of my chosen family. I’m glad to answer questions about my story and how it pertains to my research. I try to practice transparency and vulnerability in my research and teaching.

Endorsement by my niece

Child’s handwriting reads, I love Amy. She is my ant (spelled a-n-t).

Image description: text in child’s handwriting reads, I love Amy. She is my ant (spelled a-n-t).