Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies (LGBT)

The goal of this course is to examine the attitudes and practices of the major world religions regarding human sexuality. Topics to be covered will include marriage and procreation, and such controversial issues as abortion, homosexuality and sexual activity outside of marriage. Note: Religion and Human Sexuality is taught as a cross-listed course in Religion; Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies; and LGBT Studies. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: REL 2002, LGBT 2002, GSWS 2202, WMST 2202.

In this course, students will grapple with all areas essential to the craft of writing fiction, especially as they are used to tell LGBTQ-centered stories. As LGBTQ identities have not always been accepted in the mainstream, we will also examine the use of subtext to inform plot and/or character development. Through the use of class discussion, individual and group writing activities, and workshopping peer drafts, students will hone their writing tools. By class' end, students will achieve stronger reading and writing skills as well as develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of how to apply elements of fiction to LGBTQ subject matter. Last: this classroom is a brave space, in which writers - regardless of how they identify in terms of gender or sexuality - should feel welcome to work with material that speaks their truth; as such, as peers, we will listen and respond without judgment to the various work we discuss.

This course explores the way in which film has portrayed LGBTQ individuals. Drawing from a diverse slate of films, the class examines not just the various ways in which LGBTQ sexual expression has been rendered but also the political and sociological implications of this depiction over various decades. In addition, the class explores the ways in which those who have fought for LGBTQ visibility and equal rights have been framed through various films, whether they are recognizable figures in LGBTQ history or not. The class explores the ways in which these films have accomplished their goals and discusses the ways in which these films have been received.

Specific cultural or social studies in LGBT issues with an emphasis on interdisciplinary analysis.

In this course we will read autobiographical accounts (memoirs, essays, diaries, and poems) in which a significant portion of the narrative focuses on same-sex erotic attraction and/or gender difference, identified in contemporary society by the label Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Intersex or the generic (and contested) Queer. The works were selected both to examine how gay and lesbian lives have been defined and altered over the course of the last sixty years and to provide a perspective of national, ethnic, religious, and racial diversity. Our main focus in the classroom will be discussion of these texts and their contexts. The classroom will be augmented by a research assignment focused on a gay or lesbian life we have not examined together in class.

Starting in the 1950s forward, using a social science lens, this class examines the collective experience of LGBTQ-identifying lives. Focusing on various LGBTQ social movements, the course explores the various perspectives, targets, strategies, and goals of these various movements. The course also examines issues impacting the various factions within the LGBTQ community and how these factions have employed various tactics to effect social change. Starting with a basic foundation in social movement theory, class readings will explore the various targets addressed by social movements - such as science (medicine), culture, courts (legal), and states (not physical states, per se). The course will also address various ideologies (such as assimilation versus liberation). Students will leave the class with a clear sense of how to define a social movement, understand how it coalesces as a movement, how it operates, how it effects change, as the lasting impact of these various changes within society. Because not every moment that happens within the LGBTQ community happens as a consequence of one prior, the various movements we explore will not be examined chronologically.

In this course, we will investigate what various LGBTQ-themed novels tell us about LGBTQ life in the 21st Century. Starting with a historical approach of how LGBTQ novels were shaped by attitudes about LGBTQ life in the 20th century, we will determine how the representation of LGBTQ lives have evolved in novels. Our novels will explore the lives of people from across the LGBTQ spectrum. A number of the protagonists' identities also represent important intersectional identities as well, such as nationality, religion, and race. Beginning with a foundation in LGBTQ theory and various literary devices, students will build a theoretical vocabulary and lens through which to analyze a series of contemporary LGBTQ novels.

Specific cultural or social studies in LGBT issues with an emphasis on interdisciplinary analysis.

The opportunity to work in a public or private agency whose mission includes advocacy for the LGBT community. Available to students minoring in LGBT Studies and throughout the College of Liberal Arts. A paper or project related to the area of the field study is also required. NOTE: Placement and faculty advisors arranged prior to registration (call 215-204-6953). Requires a designated supervisor at the field placement (minimum of 7 1/2 hours per week) and a faculty advisor within the College.