In this course, students are introduced to queers on screen in a wide range of historical and cultural contexts. The course will examine LGBTQIA representation in various media: early black-and-white films, rom-coms, horror films, documentaries, etc. The goal of the course is to explore how gender, queer, and trans identities are depicted not only by Hollywood, but also in documentaries and independent films. This class is not meant to be comprehensive. The history of film, itself, covers more than 120 years, and the course cannot cover that entirely; however, students will look at different time periods in order to trace how LGBTQIA representation has changed, grown, improved, grown problematic, etc. Ultimately, the course aims to answer the question, "Is representation, even bad representation, better than erasure?"
- Teacher: Paula Garrett