Lessons Directly Related to Queer Gender or Sexual Identities
Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare |
Bayard Rustin |
There are two specific instances where I designed lessons connected to queer themes. The first instance, revolving around an ambiguous reading of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, did not create much of a ripple in the class in regards to reaction or challenging the queering of this lesson. Because it was an ambiguous reading of the poem, instead of an overtly queer or homosexual reading, many students did not react, even though some did mirror the gender-neutral language used to discuss the poem.
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The lessons revolving around Bayard Rustin were a much more direct way to confront students with queer materials and language surrounding queerness. These lessons generally went smoothly, although they were demonstrations of how students are and aren’t used to speaking about queerness. However, overall, these lessons provided a productive space for working to better understand queer identities and how people who have identified as queer might have struggled because of their identity. In learning about Rustin, students expressed curiosity about how queer people were treated in the past, as well as the ways queer people adapted to their contexts.
These lessons were most revealing in demonstrating how students were willing to talk about queer identities. While at times students were too willing to use inappropriate anti-queer language to talk about Rustin, in other instances students were very reluctant to use the word gay, lest they be redirected or otherwise interpreted negatively. |