This FSEM will introduce you to the ways in which places, spaces, and environments are central to how we construct our sexual identities, practices, desires, and lives. This means that instead of thinking about places as simply the background setting of our sexual identities, we will engage with the ways in which they actively aid in constituting our sexualities. As an exploration of “queer space,” this course will focus mainly on the construction of spaces, communities, and neighborhoods by sexual and gender minority LGBTQ-identified people. Some of the questions we will address over the course of the semester:
- How has the expression of sexuality changed over time and space? What factors have caused sexual identities to be expressed so differently in different contexts?
- What are the varying opportunities and constraints for the creation of spaces and community for minority sexualities in urban and rural settings?
- How has globalization contributed to the creation and transformation of particular sexual minority identities and spaces?
- As an aspect of identity, how does sexuality intersect geographically with other aspects of identity such as race, gender, and social class?