James Thing
James This is a full-time Professor of Sociology, and Women, Gender and Sexualities Studies at Santa Monica College. He earned his B.A. in sociology at California State University, Long Beach and his master's and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Southern California. Further, Dr. Thing completed a 3-year postdoctoral research fellowship at the Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Institute at Keck School of Medicine of USC. His research interests include sexuality, immigration, and health disparities among Latinx communities, especially LGBTQ Latinx communities. He has taught sociology, gender studies, and public health undergraduate and graduate courses at community colleges, in the CSU system and at USC. Dr. Thing has a history of social justice activism including LGBTQ+ equality, immigrant rights and economic justice. Currently, he serves as an expert witness for transgender Mexican women and gay Mexican men seeking asylum in U.S. immigration court. He is also the founder of a nonprofit organization which provides payee services for individuals with a history of homelessness. Further he serves on the Board of Directors of Housing Works.