Queering Identities: LGBTQ+ History and Culture

Learn and get to know your instructors that will guide you in this course.

This module provides an overview of the terminology and definitions we will be using throughout the course and establishes a plan of action for learning from and with each other as we put the terminology into practice. We will discuss regional and local variations in terminology and language use, and learners will research and identify local applications of LGBTQ+ terminology.

In this module, we explore the concept of gender as a social construct and consider how all of us learn about and reinforce or resist gender norms. We'll look at some strategies for creative resistance to socially constructed beliefs about gender and also consider the experiences of transgender people as they transition into a new gender identity.

This module extends the exploration of social constructs to consider how sex and sexual identities have been socially constructed. We critically examine the common presumption that sex is biological, or natural. We draw on the experiences of intersex and transgender communities to consider an alternative approach to understanding sex.

This module considers sexuality and sexual identities as social constructs, exploring how cultural norms about sexuality and sexual attraction have been developed and used to regulate human behavior. We introduce queer theory as a framework for analyzing the impact of norms about gender, sex, and sexuality on our lives and communities.

In this module, we explore some contemporary LGBTQ+ issues, drawing on queer theory to understand and interpret those issues. This module takes on: The bathroom issue, racism and whiteness in LGBTQ+ communities, queer religion, queer parenting, and queering sex education.