During the 1980s critical theorists became increasingly fascinated with the notion of ambiguity and, in particular, with bodies, genders, sexualities, and practices which appeared to defy traditional forms of categorisation. This focus on ambiguity continues in Queer Theory’s concern with transsexual or transgendered bodies which, it is often claimed, transgress, and thus help to dismantle, binary oppositions such as male/female, nature/culture, heterosexual/homosexual, and so in. —Nikki Sullivan, A Critical Introduction to Queer Theory (99)
Required Readings
Sullivan, Ch. 6 “Transsexual Empires and Transgender Warriors” (99-118)
Sandeen on Pam’s House Blend blog, “A Shopping List Of Trans Women’s Shame”
Shepard, The Meaning of Matthew: My Son’s Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed, Acknowledgments (ix-xi), Author’s Note (xiii), Ch. 1 (5-9), Ch. 14 excerpt (234-247), Ch. 15 (251-68), Epilogue (271-274) [on Moodle2]
Graduate Readings [on Moodle2]:
Halberstam, In a Queer Time and Place, Chs. 1 (1-21), Ch. 2 (22-26, 45-46), Ch. 4 (83-92)
Herring, Another Country, Introduction “I Hate New York” (1-29)
Additional Resources
Film: Kimberly Peirce’s Boys Don’t Cry (1999)
Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOarssJWHhI;
Sample video tribute http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQpHjS_9ZUQ&feature=related
Due This Week
- Ten key Terms or concepts in readings
- Two LGBTQIA representations
- Two LGBTQIA issues
- Queer Theory Week 12 Questions on Readings
- Group 4 Presentation: Jessica Harmon, Randi Christensen, My [Ngoc] Le, Hannah Wilson
- Partial draft of paper optional due date (5050)