Study of Women and Gender 314 - SEM: DOCUMENTING QUEER LIVES

This course examines visual and literary documentations of queer life by reading autobiographical texts such as Audre Lorde’s Zami and Leslie Feinberg’s Stone Butch Blues and by screening documentaries like Marlon Rigg’s Black Is...Black Ain’t and Performing Girl, a short film about transgender Sri Lankan performer D’Lo. We consider the power and value of documenting queer lives while examining the politics of visibility as impacted by race, class and gender presentation. Students produce a short film, write a short biography or propose another mode of documenting experiences of queer life as members of the LGBT community or as allies. Prerequisites: SWG 150 and one additional SWG course. Enrollment limit of 12.

Instructor Permission. Limited to juniors, seniors.