LGBTQ+ Studies Syllabus

A comprehensive, free curriculum spanning queer theory and the intellectual foundations of the field through contemporary legal battles and cultural expression. Twenty-four courses covering identity, history, law, health, family, religion, economics, culture, and the ongoing fight for equality — all from multiple perspectives and rooted in scholarly inquiry.

24Courses
254Chapters
1,524Topics

I. Foundations & Theory

The intellectual foundations of LGBTQ+ Studies — core concepts, terminology, and the theoretical frameworks that shape the field.

1 Foundations: What Is LGBTQ+ Studies? 8 ch.
  1. Defining LGBTQ+ Studies as a Field
  2. Key Terminology: Identity, Orientation, and Expression
  3. The Difference Between Sex, Gender, and Sexuality
  4. The Asexual and Aromantic Spectrum: An Introduction
  5. Intersectionality: Race, Class, Disability, and Queerness
  6. LGBTQ+ Studies and Disability Studies: Overlapping Frameworks
  7. Why LGBTQ+ Studies Is Under Attack
  8. How This Curriculum Works: AI-Powered Inquiry
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2 Queer Theory: Key Thinkers and Concepts 10 ch.
  1. What Is Queer Theory?
  2. Michel Foucault: Power, Knowledge, and the History of Sexuality
  3. Judith Butler: Gender Performativity and Bodies That Matter
  4. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick: The Epistemology of the Closet
  5. José Esteban Muñoz: Queer Futurity and Disidentification
  6. Queer of Color Critique: Roderick Ferguson and Beyond
  7. Crip Theory: Disability and Queerness
  8. Trans Studies as a Distinct Field
  9. Critiques of Queer Theory: Homonormativity and Assimilation
  10. How to Read Queer Theory: Methods and Approaches
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II. History

From ancient same-sex love through Stonewall to the AIDS crisis — the history that was hidden and the movements that changed the world.

3 Hidden History: LGBTQ+ Lives Before Stonewall 12 ch.
  1. Same-Sex Love in Ancient Civilizations
  2. Gender Diversity Across Cultures
  3. Medieval and Renaissance Same-Sex Intimacy
  4. The Invention of 'Homosexuality' in the 19th Century
  5. Early LGBTQ+ Subcultures in American Cities
  6. World War II and the 'Discovery' of Gay America
  7. The Lavender Scare: Cold War Persecution
  8. The Mattachine Society: Gay Men Organize
  9. Daughters of Bilitis: Lesbians Find Community
  10. Medical Pathologization and Its Resistance
  11. Police Raids and Bar Culture Before Stonewall
  12. The Eve of Liberation: America in 1969
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4 Stonewall and the Birth of Gay Liberation 8 ch.
  1. The Stonewall Inn: Setting the Scene
  2. The Raid and the Uprising: June 28, 1969
  3. Marsha P. Johnson and the Transgender Women of Stonewall
  4. Sylvia Rivera: Lifetime of Radical Activism
  5. The Gay Liberation Front: A New Militancy
  6. The Gay Activists Alliance and Single-Issue Politics
  7. The First Pride Marches: Commemorating Stonewall
  8. Gay Liberation Goes National and Global
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5 The AIDS Crisis: Abandonment, Activism, and Survival 11 ch.
  1. The Mysterious Illness: 1981-1983
  2. Government Abandonment: The Reagan Administration's Failure
  3. Stigma, Blame, and the 'Innocent Victims' Narrative
  4. Community Response: When the Government Wouldn't Act
  5. ACT UP: Silence = Death
  6. The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt
  7. Women and AIDS: The Overlooked Epidemic
  8. AIDS in Communities of Color
  9. The Development of Antiretroviral Treatment
  10. Long-Term Survivors and Survivor's Guilt
  11. AIDS and LGBTQ+ Politics: How Crisis Shaped a Movement
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III. Law & Politics

The legal battles for equality, the organized opposition, and the global landscape of LGBTQ+ rights.

6 The Fight for Legal Equality 12 ch.
  1. Sodomy Laws and Their History
  2. Bowers v. Hardwick: A Devastating Setback
  3. Lawrence v. Texas: The Constitution Catches Up
  4. Employment Discrimination: From Firing to Bostock
  5. The Marriage Equality Movement
  6. United States v. Windsor: DOMA Falls
  7. Obergefell v. Hodges: Marriage Equality Nationwide
  8. Religious Liberty vs. LGBTQ+ Rights
  9. Adoption, Foster Care, and Parental Rights
  10. The Equality Act: The Unfinished Fight
  11. LGBTQ+ Rights in the Military
  12. The Supreme Court and the Future of LGBTQ+ Rights
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7 The Politics of Anti-LGBTQ+ Movements 12 ch.
  1. The Origins of Organized Anti-LGBTQ+ Politics
  2. Who Funds Anti-LGBTQ+ Movements?
  3. The Religious Arguments Against LGBTQ+ Rights
  4. The 'Think of the Children' Playbook
  5. Bathroom Bills and the Politics of Fear
  6. Attacks on Gender-Affirming Care
  7. Book Bans and the Control of Information
  8. Anti-Trans Sports Legislation
  9. The International Export of Anti-LGBTQ+ Politics
  10. Anti-LGBTQ+ Rhetoric and Violence
  11. Media and the 'Both Sides' Problem
  12. Responding to Anti-LGBTQ+ Movements
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8 LGBTQ+ Rights as a Global Issue 11 ch.
  1. The Global Landscape of LGBTQ+ Rights
  2. Colonialism and the Criminalization of Homosexuality
  3. LGBTQ+ Rights in Africa
  4. LGBTQ+ Rights in the Middle East and North Africa
  5. Russia and LGBTQ+ Rights in Eastern Europe
  6. LGBTQ+ Rights in Asia and the Pacific
  7. LGBTQ+ Rights in Latin America
  8. LGBTQ+ Asylum and Refugee Status
  9. International Human Rights Law and LGBTQ+ Rights
  10. Global LGBTQ+ Movements and Solidarity
  11. The Future of Global LGBTQ+ Rights
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9 The Future of LGBTQ+ Rights in America 11 ch.
  1. Where Things Stand: A 2020s Snapshot
  2. The Equality Act: Hope and Obstacles
  3. The Supreme Court After Dobbs
  4. The Anti-Trans Legislative Wave
  5. Generation Z and Shifting Identity
  6. Red State/Blue State Divergence
  7. The Religious Liberty Battleground
  8. LGBTQ+ Community Resilience
  9. Coalition Building and Political Strategy
  10. Global Context: America in Comparative Perspective
  11. Imagining Full Equality: What Would It Look Like?
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IV. Identity & Community

The distinct experiences, histories, and communities within the LGBTQ+ umbrella — lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, and people of color.

10 Transgender Lives, History, and Rights 11 ch.
  1. Understanding Transgender Identity
  2. Transgender People Throughout History
  3. The Medical Model: Pathologization and Treatment
  4. Transgender Children and Adolescents
  5. The Transgender Rights Movement
  6. Legal Recognition and Identity Documents
  7. Bathroom Bills and the Politics of Access
  8. Violence Against Transgender People
  9. Transgender Athletes and Sports Policy
  10. Attacks on Gender-Affirming Care
  11. Transmisogyny and Trans Women's Experiences
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11 Intersex: Biology, Medicine, and Rights 8 ch.
  1. What Is Intersex? Biology Beyond the Binary
  2. Intersex Variations: Types and Characteristics
  3. The History of Medical Intervention
  4. Intersex Surgery and the Question of Consent
  5. The Intersex Rights Movement
  6. Bodily Autonomy and Informed Consent
  7. Legal Protections and Emerging Policy
  8. Intersex Lives: Identity, Community, and Advocacy
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12 LGBTQ+ People of Color 10 ch.
  1. Intersectionality: Living at the Crossroads
  2. Black LGBTQ+ History and Leadership
  3. Ballroom Culture: A Black and Latino LGBTQ+ Institution
  4. Latino/a/x LGBTQ+ Experiences
  5. Two-Spirit Identities in Indigenous Communities
  6. Asian American and Pacific Islander LGBTQ+ Experiences
  7. Racism Within LGBTQ+ Spaces
  8. Homophobia and Transphobia in Communities of Color
  9. Health Disparities Facing LGBTQ+ People of Color
  10. Building Multiracial LGBTQ+ Movements
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13 Lesbian History and Feminism 10 ch.
  1. Defining Lesbian Identity Across Time
  2. Early Lesbian Communities and Visibility
  3. Butch/Femme Culture and Its Meanings
  4. The Daughters of Bilitis and Early Organizing
  5. The Lavender Menace: Lesbians and Second-Wave Feminism
  6. Lesbian Feminism and Separatism
  7. Lesbian Writers, Artists, and Cultural Production
  8. The Sex Wars and Lesbian Sexuality
  9. Lesbians of Color: Intersecting Struggles
  10. Contemporary Lesbian Identity and Community
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14 Bisexual, Pansexual, and Fluid Identities 9 ch.
  1. Understanding Bisexuality
  2. The Kinsey Scale and Beyond
  3. Bisexual Erasure and Invisibility
  4. Biphobia from All Directions
  5. Pansexuality and Emerging Identity Labels
  6. Sexual Fluidity Across the Lifespan
  7. Bisexual Health Disparities
  8. Bisexual Relationships and Community
  9. Bisexual History and Activism
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15 Asexual, Aromantic, and Emerging Identities 10 ch.
  1. What Is Asexuality?
  2. The Asexual Spectrum
  3. Aromanticism: Love Without Romance
  4. Types of Attraction: A Fuller Picture
  5. Asexual and Aromantic Relationships
  6. The History of Asexual Community and Activism
  7. Are Asexual People LGBTQ+?
  8. Health, Pathologization, and Asexuality
  9. Asexual and Aromantic Representation
  10. Emerging and Evolving Identity Terms
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V. Health, Family & Life

The realities of LGBTQ+ life — health disparities, family building, youth experiences, aging, religion, and economic life.

16 LGBTQ+ Health and Mental Health 13 ch.
  1. The Legacy of Pathologization
  2. Minority Stress: How Discrimination Gets Under the Skin
  3. Mental Health Disparities in LGBTQ+ Communities
  4. Suicide and LGBTQ+ Youth
  5. Transgender Healthcare: Standards and Access
  6. HIV/AIDS: Ongoing Prevention and Treatment
  7. Sexual Health Beyond HIV
  8. Cancer Disparities and Screening
  9. Finding LGBTQ+-Affirming Healthcare
  10. Disability and LGBTQ+ Identity
  11. LGBTQ+-Affirming Mental Healthcare
  12. Substance Use in LGBTQ+ Communities
  13. Building Community Health
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17 LGBTQ+ Youth: Schools, Bullying, and Resilience 11 ch.
  1. Growing Up LGBTQ+ in America Today
  2. Coming Out: Young People and Identity Disclosure
  3. Bullying and Harassment in Schools
  4. GSAs and Student-Led Support
  5. Don't Say Gay Laws: Restricting LGBTQ+ Topics in Schools
  6. Book Bans and LGBTQ+ Content in Schools
  7. LGBTQ+ Youth and Family
  8. LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness
  9. Mental Health Support for LGBTQ+ Youth
  10. Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth
  11. Building Resilience and Thriving
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18 LGBTQ+ Families and Relationships 10 ch.
  1. Chosen Family: Queer Kinship Beyond Biology
  2. Same-Sex Couples: Relationship Dynamics
  3. Marriage After Obergefell
  4. LGBTQ+ Parenting: Research and Realities
  5. Paths to Parenthood: Adoption
  6. Paths to Parenthood: Assisted Reproduction
  7. Transgender Parents and Families
  8. Polyamory and Non-Traditional Relationship Structures
  9. Family Rejection and Reconciliation
  10. Legal Protections for LGBTQ+ Families
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19 LGBTQ+ Aging: Elders, Care, and Legacy 10 ch.
  1. The Stonewall Generation: Elders Who Made History
  2. Unique Challenges of LGBTQ+ Aging
  3. HIV Long-Term Survivors and Aging
  4. Elder Abuse and Discrimination in Care Settings
  5. LGBTQ+-Affirming Elder Care
  6. Transgender Elders: Specific Needs and Experiences
  7. Mental Health and LGBTQ+ Elders
  8. Intergenerational Connections in LGBTQ+ Communities
  9. End of Life: Planning, Care, and Mourning
  10. Preserving LGBTQ+ History: Archives and Memory
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20 Religion, Spirituality, and Queerness 10 ch.
  1. Religious Condemnation: Sources and Interpretations
  2. The Religious Right and Anti-LGBTQ+ Activism
  3. Conversion Therapy: Harm Disguised as Healing
  4. LGBTQ+ Affirming Christianity
  5. LGBTQ+ Lives in Non-Christian Traditions
  6. Queer Theology: Reimagining the Divine
  7. The Closet in the Clergy
  8. Leaving Faith: Religious Trauma and Ex-Religious LGBTQ+ People
  9. Spirituality Beyond Organized Religion
  10. Faith, Family, and Coming Out
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21 LGBTQ+ Economics: Work, Wages, and Wealth 10 ch.
  1. Workplace Discrimination: History and Law
  2. Bostock and the Future of Workplace Rights
  3. The LGBTQ+ Wage Gap
  4. The Closet at Work: Coming Out and Staying In
  5. Transgender Employment: Unique Challenges
  6. LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurship
  7. Rainbow Capitalism: Pride as a Market
  8. LGBTQ+ Poverty and Economic Insecurity
  9. LGBTQ+ Financial Planning and Wealth Building
  10. The Economics of Coming Out of the Closet
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VI. Culture & Expression

The extraordinary creative legacy of LGBTQ+ people — literature, art, music, media, and the power of visibility.

22 Queer Culture: Literature, Art, and Expression 9 ch.
  1. Queer Literature: From Coded to Celebrated
  2. Queer Visual Art: Seeing Ourselves
  3. The Art of Drag
  4. Queer Theater and Performance
  5. Queer Cinema: From Coding to Centering
  6. Camp Aesthetics and Queer Style
  7. LGBTQ+ Archives and Cultural Preservation
  8. Queer Zines, Comics, and DIY Culture
  9. Pride, Festivals, and Cultural Celebration
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23 LGBTQ+ Music and Performance 9 ch.
  1. The Queer Roots of American Popular Music
  2. Disco: A Queer Revolution on the Dance Floor
  3. The AIDS Crisis and Music as Response
  4. Queercore and LGBTQ+ Punk
  5. Gay Icons: The Divas and Their Devotees
  6. Out and Proud: Openly LGBTQ+ Musicians
  7. LGBTQ+ Representation in Hip-Hop and R&B
  8. Ballroom Music and Voguing
  9. Queer Voices in Classical and Opera
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24 LGBTQ+ in Media and Popular Culture 11 ch.
  1. A History of LGBTQ+ Representation in Media
  2. Stereotypes and Tropes
  3. Queerbaiting: Promise Without Payoff
  4. The Power of Positive Representation
  5. LGBTQ+ Characters in Television's Golden Age
  6. LGBTQ+ Representation in Film
  7. Transgender Representation in Media
  8. LGBTQ+ in Video Games and Digital Media
  9. LGBTQ+ Journalism and News Media
  10. Social Media and LGBTQ+ Community Building
  11. Beyond Representation: LGBTQ+ People Behind the Camera
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