Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender, Queer Studies

Courses

students walking

LGQ 150. Introduction to LGBTQ Studies
This course will focus on defining this emerging field while giving students some perspective on the history and diversity of LGBTQ communities. It will also help prepare students for study in the various fields covered by the electives required for the minor. The course will be taught by faculty from a variety of disciplines and thus undoubtedly shift emphases somewhat with every offering. Topics will include: introduction to and definition of LGBTQ Studies as a field; historical roots of LGBTQ communities in the US and elsewhere; theoretical models of sexuality and gender; contemporary issues in LGBTQ politics and culture.

LGQ 332/WMS 332. Creating Change: GLBT Politics
This course explores the historical roots and contemporary realities of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered  (GLBT) politics, nationally and internationally. GLBT groups and individuals are gaining political recognition, challenging institutions, and creating change by asserting claims to rights and protections under law. Such issues as hate crimes, marriage, AIDS, and ballot initiatives over non-discrimination law and policy have entered the political mainstream since the 1970's. This course examines the GLBT movement, its political and social strategies, conflicts and issues, and the political roles played by its members as participants in political culture.

LGQ 338/WMS 338. Sexual Justice: Lesbians, Gays and the Law
This course examines the historical and contemporary relationships between lesbians, gays, and the law in the U.S., focusing on the intersections of power, sexuality, and identity with issues of sexuality-based discrimination.  It focuses on case law, along with social science and legal literature, seeking out a diversity of voices and experiences.  Primary emphasis will be on cases that have come before the U.S. Supreme Court since the mid-1950's, with particular attention paid to how groups and individuals have reached out to the court system for redress of injustice and how these groups and individuals have exercised or failed to exercise power within the legal process.  The U.S. legal system has reflected a complex set of social and institutional arrangements with regard to sexuality.  This course explores the evolution and current construction of these arrangements, how power is allocated and adjudicated, and how law may be used to resist and dismantle pervasive discrimination.

LGQ 392. Internship in LGBTQ Studies

LGQ 397. Special Topics in LGBTQ Studies See course schedule for current offerings.

LGQ 399. Independent Study in LGBTQ Studies