How do lgbtq spaces, histories, and cultures afford a different reading of America is and could be? Drawing on interdisciplinary work in lgbtq studies, Queer America explores key spaces and scales of American historical geography for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people with a focus on the late 20th and early 21st centuries. From bars and community centers, neighborhoods and cruising grounds, to cities and rural Walmarts, websites and social media, students will employ feminist and queer theory to broaden their understandings of lgbtq spaces in the production of the nation-state. The application of classic and cutting-edge work in geographies of lgbtq culture will challenge the seemingly normal histories and geographies of American life in this research seminar. This course pays special attention to the intersectionality of sexualities with race, gender, class, disability, age, and generation. Students will draw upon primary and secondary sources to draft an original research paper on a topic they develop over the course of the semester.
