Queer Cases

Queer Cases is a Social Science course taught by Flavio Risech-Ozeguera.

This course satisfies Division I requirements.

Course Description
Until very recently, laws criminalizing consensual sex between adult same-gender partners were common in the U.S. Most states and the Federal government dictate prohibit same-sex marriage and exclude nonconforming couples and individuals from a host of social and financial benefits. And those whose gender identity is unclear or transgressive face numerous legal indignities. Legal control over sexuality and gender expression is pervasive in many ways, and many forms of resistance have emerged to challenge its normative assumptions. Public confrontations between the values of traditional sexual morality, and those of individual autonomy and equality, often take place in the legal arena. By reading key cases that reflect and shape our debates about the proper place of the State in queer people's bedrooms and lives, we will also gain basic familiarity with legal analysis and seek to understand the law as a system of power.

Learning Goals

 * Reading
 * Writing