WGSS 36.02 Mapping the Queer and Trans South

Although by some accounts the American South is home to nearly 35% of the country’s LGBTQ population, popular conception of the region is one of limited queer life. This course explores narratives and theories produced by queer and trans people in the South, alongside and within the broader colonial, carceral, and racial geographies of the region. We will look at how the American South is constructed as a meaningful entity, and how queer and trans people do or do not fit into that image. Readings and materials will include media representations of queer and trans people in the South, oral histories, memoirs, and poetry. How can an exploration of the queer and trans populations of the South destabilize normative regional conceptions? And what might a queer history/framing of the South—and a Southern framing of queerness/transness—offer to our understanding of the contemporary United States?

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:SOC; WCult:CI

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.

Department-Specific Course Categories

Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies