Behind Closed Doors: Alternate Narratives of Gender and Sexuality in American History and Literature

Once upon a time in 19th-century New York, brothels advertised both ladies and "lady-boys"-- and a man wasn't considered any less manly if he went for both. Once upon a time in 1920s Harlem, drag balls were all the rage-- and gay and straight, black and white, men and women paid exorbitant fees just to ogle the gorgeous queens. Once upon a time in the "Wild West," women donned men's clothing, slung holsters and ammo around their hips, and got reputations for out drinking and outshooting any man...while men complemented their mustaches with lipstick and wore cowboy boots under petticoats. But why don't our history books tell us these stories? Why do we seem to think the 20th century invented homosexuality, queerness, and transsexuality? Why do we persist in thinking the Victorians were prudish, conservative, and even "asexual"? And how do we uncover these secret histories? Where do we even begin looking?

 

Using both historical case studies and a variety of literary pieces, from poetry to short stories to documentaries, this class will uncover the alternate narratives of these "other Americans"--those who lived their lives "behind closed doors," and who, consciously or not, bequeathed a great legacy to 20th-century American history and literature, as well as to 21st-century current events.