WGSS 3425 - Queer American History

(3) Credit Hours

While terms like gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex have relatively recent origins, the contemporary LGBTQ+ community has deep historical roots in America. Spanning from the seventeenth century to the present, this course explores the past experiences of individuals and groups who would be categorized today under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. It examines the long history of protest and political action that sexual minorities have undertaken in pursuit of civil rights and social justice, as well as the consistent legal and cultural backlash that has accompanied LGBTQ+ visibility. As we shift our focus from decade to decade, we will observe the ever-evolving ideas about what was “natural” and “normal” when it came to gender and sexual identity, and we will consider the many social forces shaping popular opinion on sexual matters (e.g. the press, lawmakers, scientists, religious figures, authors, filmmakers, etc.). Throughout the semester we will examine queer history within an intersectional framework; that is to say, we will contemplate the wide array of identities that constituted our subjects’ lived experiences, including race, ethnicity, nationality, class, gender, sex, sexual orientation, religion, and region. As we shall see, there has not been one uniform queer experience in the United States. Rather, there are countless factors that have shaped the lives of queer Americans throughout the centuries. This class will give students an opportunity to learn about some of these experiences, and to consider the methods that historians might use to uncover those queer histories that have yet to be told. Lecture 3 hours. May be registered as HIST 3425. No credit in both HIST 3425 and WGSS 3425.