Sexuality in the United States: Histories and Identities

What does sexuality mean? In the United States the meanings of sexuality are highly contested, historically and in the present. Working from an interdisciplinary perspective, we will look at different historical and theoretical approaches to thinking about issues of sexuality and to writing its histories. Drawing from feminist scholarship, queer theory, and lesbian, gay, and transgender studies, we will discuss sexual identities, representations of sexuality, and sexual cultures, and examine how intersecting categories such as race, class, disability, and gender influence how sexuality is understood. 3 hrs. lect.