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Gender, Sexuality, and the Law

Criminalizing Intimacy and Identity

Conservative attitudes toward sexual orientation and gender identity have long been contested. So, too, have basic understandings of what sexual orientation or gender identity mean. We will look at the forces that led to the criminalization of same-sex intimacy and trans citizens, with a focus on the nineteenth century. We will study how law and politics defined and redefined these concepts--and how this history has informed more recent debates about social justice and constitutional rights for LGBTIQ+ Americans.