3.00 Credits
This course is an exploration and investigation into the issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) families. Family is defined broadly to include all relationships in which primary care-giving responsibilities are shared by individuals who are interdependent upon each other. This includes conjugal relationships (marriages and other romantic relationships) and non conjugal relationships (parent/children, friends, siblings, grandparents/grandchildren, etc.). We will consider not only LGBTQ families, but also the social structures and systems in which they operate. We will use lectures, group discussions, films, readings and in-class activities to explore the meanings of sex, sexual orientation and sexuality, family form and function, care-giving, family planning, marriage and parenting. We will pay particular attention to cultural, political, gender, racial, and economic dimensions of queer families. You will develop an understanding of the issues facing a wide range of LGBTQ+ family configurations.