Robyn Ochs' Courses: Transgressing Binaries

	Transgressing Binaries: Sex, Gender, Race and Sexual Orientation
	Tufts Experimental College: 26, (last taught Fall 2002)
	Instructor: Robyn Ochs Email: robyn@robynochs.com
	COURSE DESCRIPTION: The last two decades have seen a dramatic rise in the visibility of those who challenge existing binary categories of sex (male and female), gender (masculine and feminine) race (in the United States, primarily black and white), and sexual orientation (gay and straight). We will study the experiences of bisexuals, transsexuals, intersexuals, and others who blur the boundaries of gay/straight, male/female, and masculine/feminine as well as people who self-identify as biracial and multiracial using novels, films, short stories, essays, guest speakers, poetry and autobiography. Theoretical readings will be used to frame our discussions.
	PURCHASE REQUIRED: Leslie Feinberg, Stone Butch Blues. Ithaca: Firebrand, 1993.
	OTHER READINGS: All assigned readings are available on reserve in Tisch Library.
	GRADING will be determined as follows: paper #1 (5%); paper #2 (15%); response papers and Life stories (30%); paper #3 (25%); participation (25%). There will be a 5% penalty for each unexcused absence. Latenesses of 10 minutes or more will count as one absence. PLEASE BE IN YOUR SEAT BY 6:15 PM!
	ATTENDANCE: The criteria for grading are regular attendance (no more than one absence will be allowed without permission of the instructor), and timely and thoughtful completion of the required readings and writing assignments. Preparation and participation in class discussions will be considered as part of the grade, though students who have difficulty speaking in class should talk to me about this. Students may also be invited to attend selected lectures, discussions, or films on related topics during the fall semester, including a conference on Saturday, October 20.
	WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS: Papers are required of all students, as follows: Due every week, beginning week #2: Response papers (2 pages); Life Stories (1 page) Due week #2: Please tell me about yourself. Who are you? What are your hopes and expectations for this course? Are there any particular issues you would like to see addressed? Is there anything you would like me to know about you? (2 pages) Due week #7: Midterm paper (5 pages): topic to be assigned Due week #10: outline of final paper/project Due week #13: final paper (10-12 pages) WEEKLY RESPONSE PAPERS: Unless an alternative theme is announced, write 2 pages answering the following: What was the overall point of the readings and/or film for this week? What did you agree with/disagree with? Was there anything that you didn't understand? These papers are not letter-graded, but are expected to be thoughtful. LIFE STORIES: All students will keep a notebook in which they will record instances in which sex, gender, race or sexual orientation is clarified, reinforced, interpreted, enforced by those around you. (for example: you are filling out a form on the internet that requires you to select either male or female. A woman standing behind you at the convenience store says to her young son "stop acting like a girl!" Examine the way a parent has dressed her children of different sexes. Your professor asks for two strong young men to help move a table. Recount a conversation you had with your roommate. Get the idea?
	WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS:
	WEEK 1, September 4, 2002. TOPIC: Introduction: What will this class look like? Outline and expectations. Coming to terms: definitions & terminology. ADVANCE READINGS: None Film in class: Scent uva Butch
	WEEK 2, September 11, 2002 TOPIC: Gender I: Butches WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT DUE : Paper #1, Response paper #1, Life story #1. ADVANCE READINGS: Holly Devor, Gender Blending: Confronting the Limits of Duality. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1989, pp. 1-41. Judith Lorber, "Night to His Day': The Social Construction of Gender," in Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, ed. Adams, et al. Routledge, 2000, pp. 203-211. In Dagger, ed. Lily Burana, Roxxie, and Linnea Due. San Francisco; Cleis Press, 1994: Carol Queen, "Why I love Butch Women," pp. 15-23; and Achy Obejas, "Butchiest Dyke Contest," pp. 121-126. Sharon Bridgforth, "a woman called sir," in Curve, June 2002, pp. 46-47. Sherrie McInness and Michele E. Lloyd, "G.I. Joes in Barbie Land: Recontextualizing Butch in Twentieth Century Lesbian Culture," in Queer Studies: A Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Anthology, ed. Brett Beemyn and Mickey Eliason. NY: NYU Press, 1996, pp. 9-34.
	WEEK 3, September 18, 2002 TOPIC: Gender II: Butches, Queens GUEST SPEAKERS: Butch Panel WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT DUE: Response paper #2, Life story #2. PREPARATION: View film: Paris is Burning. Starting with the links on my website, spend 60 minutes surfing the web, learning about trans issues. Select one article that you found most helpful/interesting. Print out enough copies so distribute in class. Judith Butler, "Performative Acts and Gender Constitution," in Conboy, Katie; Medina, Nadia and Stanbury, Sarah (editors), Writing on the Body: Female Embodiment and Feminist Theory. New York: Columbia University Press, 1997, pp. 401-417.
	WEEK 4, September 25, 2002 TOPICS: Sexual Orientation I: Bisexuality WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT DUE: Response paper #3, Life story #3. ADVANCE READINGS: In Bi Any Other Name: Bisexuals Speak Out. (LA: Alyson) Susan Carlton, "This Poem Can Be Put Off No Longer" (14-16) Kei Uwano, "Bi-Loveable Japanese Feminist" (185-187) Sharon Hwang Colligan, "One" (240-243) Sheila Mabry, "Conflicts" (299-302) In Bisexual Politics: Amanda Udis Kessler, "Identity/Politics: A History of the Bisexual Movement," pp. 17-30 Liz. A. Highleyman, "Identity and Ideas: Strategies for Bisexuals," pp. 73-92 Indigo Chi-Lien Som, "Open Letter to a Former Bisexual (or, Do I Hear "Post-Bisexual'?)", pp. 93-97 Robin Sweeney, "To Butch to Be Bi (or You Can't Judge a Boy By Her Lover," pp. 179-187 Michèlle T. Clinton, "Politics of the Bisexual Deep Fry," pp. 189-191. Lani Ka'ahumanu, "That Naked Place," in Bisexuality: The Psychology and Politics of an Invisible Minority," ed. Beth Firestein. Sage: 1996, pp. xv-xviii.
	WEEK 5, October 2, 2002 TOPIC: Sexual Orientation II: Bisexuality GUEST SPEAKERS: Bisexual Panel ASSIGNMENT DUE: Response paper #4; Life story #4. ADVANCE READINGS: Paula Rust, "Sexual Identity and Bisexual Identities: The Struggle for Self-Description in a Changing Sexual Landscape," in Queer Studies: A Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Anthology, ed. Brett Beemyn and Mickey Eliason. NY: NYU Press, 1996, pp.64-81. Christina Chiu, "Mama," in Troublemaker and Other Saints. (NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2001), pp. 77-101.
	WEEK 6, October 9, 2002 TOPIC: Race 1: Multiracial Identity ASSIGNMENT DUE: Response paper #5; Life story #5. ADVANCE READINGS: Michael Omi & Howard Winant, "Racial Formations," in The Social Construction of Difference & Inequality: Race, Class, Gender & Sexuality (Mayfield, 2000), pp. 18-25. Ramona E. Douglass, Üpgrading America's Conversations on Race: The Multi-Race Option for Census 2000, on the web page of the Association of Multiethnic Americans. "Summary Information from Census 2000." http://www.census.gov, Data Set: Cencus 2000 Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File. Selected excerpts from Half and Half, ed. Claudine Chiawei O'Hearn. Pantheon, 1998: Philippe Wamba, "A Middle Passage," pp. 167-169. Lisa See, "The Funeral Banquet," pp. 135-138. Julia Álvarez, "A White Woman of Color," pp. 146-149. James McBride, "What Color is Jesus," pp. 184-196. Danzy Senna, "The Mulatto Millenium," pp. 12-27. Maria P.P. Root, "A Bill of Rights for Racialy Mixed People," in Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, ed. Adams, et al. Routledge 2002, pp. 120-126.
	WEEK 7, October 16, 2002 TOPIC: Race II: Multiracial Identity GUEST SPEAKERS: Bi/Multiracial Panel ASSIGNMENT DUE: Response paper #6, Life story #6. Midterm paper. ADVANCE PREPARATION: Selected excerpts from Lise Funderburg, Black, White, Other: Paul Whitaker 219-220, 233-235 Jeana Wooley 250-256 Adebowale Patrick Akande Adegbile 256-262 Natasha Wild 263-269 John Blake 269-276 Larene LaSonde 334-340 Marpessa Outlaw 341-342 Bernette Ford 342-344. Using the provided list of links at http://www.robynochs.com/resources/multiracial.html, spend 60 minutes online. Make sure to spend time in particular at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/secret/portraits.
	WEEK 8, October 23, 2002 TOPIC: Intersex Film in class: Discovery special on intersex Guest speakers: Intersex Panel ASSIGNMENT DUE: Response paper #7. Life story #7. ADVANCE READINGS: Review www.isna.org web page Martha Coventry, "Making the Cut," in Ms Magazine, October/November 2000, pp. 52-60 James Cañon, "The Two Miracles of the Gringos' Virgin," in Bésame Mucho: New Latino Gay Fiction, ed. Jaime Manrique and Jesse Dorris, (NY: Painted Leaf Press, 1999), pp. 32-48. Suzanne Kessler, "Creating Good Looking Genitals in the Service of Gender," in Queer Studies, pp 153-173. In Dawn Atkins, ed., Looking Queer: Cheryl Chase (or article above), "Affronting Reason," pp. 205-219 Morgan Holmes, "In(to) Visibility: Intersexuality in the Field of Queer," pp. 221-226 Raven Kaldera, "Agdistis' Children: Living Bi-Gendered in a Single-Gendered World," pp. 227-232.
	WEEK 9, October 30, 2002 TOPIC: Sex I: Transgender Film in class: You Don't Know Dick ASSIGNMENT DUE: Response paper #8, Life story #8. ADVANCE PREPARATION: View film: Ma Vie en Rose. Holly Boswell, "The Transgender Paradigm Shift: Toward Free Expression," in The Social Construction of Difference and Inequality: Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality (Mayfield, 2000), pp. 120-124. Ricki Anne Wilchins, Read My Lips: Sexual Subversion and the End of Gender. (Ithaca NY: Firebrand Books, 1997). pp. 19-57; 79-88. Sara Asch, "On the Way to the Water," in Lesbians Raising Sons, Jess Wells, ed., pp. 3-9. Louise Kennedy, "The unvarnished truth," in The Boston Globe, December ??, 2001. Bernadette Mchenry, "Gender, transgender and beyond," in The Daily Targum, Rutgers University, 1/18/01. Start reading Stone Butch Blues (due 11/13) — it's a full-length novel.
	WEEK 10, November 6, 2002 TOPIC: Sex II: Transsexual GUEST SPEAKERS: Transsexual Panel ASSIGNMENT DUE: Response paper #9; Life story #9. ADVANCE PREPARATION: View film: Boys Don't Cry In Leslie Feinberg's Trans Liberation (Boston: Beacon Press, 1998): Leslie Feinberg, "We Are All Works in Progress," pp.1-13 Craig Hickman, pp. 110-112 Gary Bowen, pp.63-66 Linda Phillips, pp.36-42. Boye, "Beautiful Boy: A Girl's Own Story," in Atkins, Looking Queer, pp. 245-248. In Boys Like Her by Taste This. (Vancouver: Press Gang Publisher, 1998): Ivan e. Coyote, "Just Like My Dad," p. 116 Lyndell Montgomery, "Plastic Pearls," pp. 137-139. Max Wolf Valerio, "The Joker is Wild: Changing Sex + Other Crimes of Passion," in Anything that Moves, Issue # 17, 1998, pp, 32-36. In Minnie Bruce Pratt, S/He. Ithaca: Firebrand, 1995: B "Beard," p. 77 "Lunch," pp. 88-90 "Paint," pp. 91-93 "Tattoos," p. 157 "Housework," pp. 161-162 "Palace," pp. 168-170 "Art Gallery," pp. 177-178 "Bathroom," pp. 179-180 "Border," pp. 181-185.
	WEEK 11, November 13, 2002 TOPIC: Drawing Outside the Lines Film in class: Selection from Gender documentary: Native America ASSIGNMENT DUE: Response paper #10. Life story #10. Final paper proposal (1-2 pp.) ADVANCE READINGS: Leslie Feinberg, Stone Butch Blues. Ithaca: Firebrand, 1993. William J. Mann, "A Letter to My Friend Maeve I'll Never Send," in Contra/Dictions: new queer male fiction, ed. Brett Josef Grubisic. Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press, 1998, pp. 110-112.
	WEEK 12, November 20, 2002 TOPIC: Making the connections ASSIGNMENT DUE: No written assignments. ADVANCE READINGS: Janet Clausen, "Something Happened," in Harvard Gay & Lesbian Review. V. VI, No. 2, Spring 1999, pp. 37-39. Tonia Bryan, "Pure," in Does Your Mama Know? An Anthology of Black Lesbian Coming Out Stories, ed. Lisa Moore. (Decatur, GA: Redbone Press, 1997), pp. 213-221. In Minnie Bruce Pratt, S/He. Ithaca: Firebrand, 1995: "New Year's Eve," pp. 85-87; "Café Paradiso," pp. 103-104. Elias Farajaje-Jones (a.k.a. Eliahou Farajaje), "Loving Queer," in In the Family, Summer 2000, pp. 14-21. Review: Maria P. P. Root "A Bill of Rights for Racially Mixed People" from week 6. Additional readings may be suggested by students.
	WEEK 13, December 4, 2002 TOPIC: Paper presentations / what have we learned? ASSIGNMENT DUE: Final paper.