So it’s not Comic-con. And it’s not Netroots either–if you’re in Pittsburgh, be sure to swing by to say hi to Rinku next week!. It’s the American Sociological Association’s 2009 gathering in San Francisco, happening Friday, August 7 through Tuesday, August 11. It’s a very, very large meeting of sociology grad students and professors. This year’s theme is "The New Politics of Community." And we’re going to be there. I know you can tell I’m trying hard to hide my excitement…I’m thinking of it as the place to unleash my inner nerd; we’ve all got one inside us. Yvonne Liu, ARC’s senior researcher, will be presenting on a panel called "Race, Class, Gender Activism: Then and Now" on Saturday at 2:30pm. Here’s the quick abstract:

Many new communities have developed out of social movements. The session deals specifically with communities that have developed out of social movements by populations confronting systems of oppression and domination. The session will include how the strategies in these communities have transformed over time.

It promises to be a lively and fun conversation. Yvonne has also asked me to convey to you that you’ll be able to point us out in the crowd because we’ll be the terribly good-looking folks in the room. ColorLines and ARC will also have a table! See you there!