Department of English

What is sexuality? Does it exist in the body or in the mind? Is it a collection of actions, desires, and fantasies, or is it rather a disposition, a way of seeing oneself, an identity? Does what we want depend on who we are? Does what we do define who we are? This course will address such questions by introducing students to several classic texts in the history and theory of sexuality and by looking at key moments in the struggle for sexual and gender freedom. The history we trace will focus on the effects of the "invention of homosexuality" in the late-nineteenth century; the history of butch/femme community; the cultural moment of Stonewall and gay liberation; the emergence of the transgender rights movement; the "Sex Wars" of the 1980s; women of color and queer of color critiques; and responses to HIV/AIDS. We will also consider the meaning of "queer," global sexualities, same-sex marriage, the politics of emotion, and gay normalization.

Recitations Fridays 11-11:50am

Please see below for Teaching Assistant contact per recitation:

ENGL 105. 201 Thomas Collins (thco@sas.upenn.edu)

ENGL 105.202 Destiny Crockett (dcrock@sas.upenn.edu)

ENGL 105. 203 Jonathan Dick (jondick@sas.upenn.edu)

ENGL 105. 204 Sasha Krugman (krugmans@sas.upenn.edu)

ENGL 105.205 Nat Rivkin (nrivkin@sas.upenn.edu)

ENGL 105 206 Samuel Samore (ssamore@sas.upenn.edu)