This course examines how dominant understandings of LGBT identity came into being in the Western world at the turn of the twentieth century and alternative paradigms for sexual and gender difference that have been offered by racial minorities, transgender communities, and non-Western cultures. Students use literary texts as well as well as films, historical documents, and perspectives from sociology and anthropology. Assignments consist of various formal and informal writing assignments and class presentations. Students explore the DC area’s queer cultural resources, including archives, performances, cinema, and art exhibits.