An interdisciplinary study of the historical and social contexts of personal, cultural and political aspects of LGBT life. Sources from a variety of fields, such as anthropology, history, psychology, sociology, and women's studies, focusing on writings by and about LGBT people.

A study of literary and cultural expressions of queer and trans identities, positionalities, and analytics through an exploration of literature, art, and media. We will examine historical and political power relations by considering the intersections of sexuality and gender with race, class, nation, and disability. Topics include the social construction and regulation of sexuality and gender, performance and performativity, intersectionality, and the relationship between aesthetic forms and queer/ trans subjectivity. Our interpretations will be informed by queer and trans theories.

Introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of transgender studies, providing a history of the field and engaging current debates within it. Students will explore the emergence and consolidation of trans identities, practices, cultures, and knowledges across medical, historical, sociological, cultural, and artistic contexts, paying particular attention to dynamics of race, class, and ability, to global and transnational difference, and to the implications of transgender studies for understanding gender and sexuality overall.

Guides students through oral communication skills around LGBTQ+ topics. The course centers the experiences of minoritized intersectional LGBTQ+ communities, and students will use speaking, presentation, and facilitation skills to educate the UMD community about sexual orientation and gender identity and expression through panel discussions in classes, residence halls, and other university settings. Students who have received training for this purpose enter into these discussions prepared to disseminate accurate information, to answer questions that students, staff, and faculty may have about the realities of LGBTQ+ lives. Students will receive training that is rooted in queer theory and social justice education, building on the prerequisite course LGBT 200.

Supervised internship experience with a community organization that expressly serves lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Students will be expected to relate course material to experience in an analysis of an organization's activities.