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| LGBT studies | |
|---|---|
| Name | LGBT studies |
| Discipline | Interdisciplinary |
| Subdiscipline | Queer theory; Gender studies; Sexuality studies |
| Languages | Multilingual |
| Country | Global |
LGBT studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines sexual orientation, gender identity, and related cultures through historical, theoretical, political, and cultural lenses. It draws on scholarship from Michel Foucault, Judith Butler, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, and institutions such as Stonewall (charity), GLAAD, and Human Rights Campaign to analyze texts, policies, and practices affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. The field intersects with scholarship on Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, Oxford University, Yale University, and regional centers including University of Toronto, University of Amsterdam, and National University of Singapore.
The historical development of LGBT studies traces connections among events and figures such as the Stonewall riots, Mattachine Society, Daughters of Bilitis, Harvey Milk, Marsha P. Johnson, and scholarly milestones like publications from Sigmund Freud, Havelock Ellis, Magnus Hirschfeld, Alfred Kinsey, and John Boswell. Institutionalization occurred as programs and journals emerged at places like City University of New York, Columbia University, University of Chicago, Rutgers University, and through conferences organized by Lambda Literary Foundation, American Historical Association, and Modern Language Association. Legal and policy shifts—referenced by cases such as Romer v. Evans, Lawrence v. Texas, and laws including the Civil Partnership Act 2004—shaped research priorities alongside activism by groups like ACT UP, OutRight International, and ILGA.
Scholars deploy frameworks developed by thinkers and schools including Judith Butler’s performativity linked to Simone de Beauvoir, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick’s queer theory drawing on Jacques Derrida and Roland Barthes, and Foucauldian analyses rooted in Michel Foucault’s work on power and sexuality. Intersectional approaches reference Kimberlé Crenshaw, Patricia Hill Collins, and comparative analyses engage with Postcolonialism debates sparked by Edward Said, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, and critiques from scholars like Gayatri C. Spivak and Achille Mbembe. Cultural studies methods incorporate theories from Stuart Hall, Antonio Gramsci, and Raymond Williams while engaging texts by Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, and Audre Lorde.
LGBT studies synthesizes methods from History, Literary criticism, Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Law, Public Health, and Cultural Studies; researchers use archives such as the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, oral histories like the Forty Years of Lesbian and Gay Activism collections, content analysis of media from The Advocate, Out Magazine, and ethnographies in locales including San Francisco, New York City, and São Paulo. Quantitative studies draw on datasets from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, legal analyses cite decisions from United States Supreme Court, and comparative research employs fieldwork with NGOs like Médecins Sans Frontières and Amnesty International.
Common topics include identity and community formation studied through case studies of Ball culture as depicted in works connected to Paris Is Burning, media representation debates involving RuPaul, Ellen DeGeneres, Laverne Cox, and policy analyses addressing same-sex marriage litigation exemplified by Obergefell v. Hodges. Health-related themes examine HIV/AIDS histories linked to organizations such as Terrence Higgins Trust and ACT UP, mental health research referencing World Health Organization classifications, migration and asylum issues invoking UNHCR procedures, and labor discussions referencing unions like SEIU and workplace nondiscrimination laws such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act debates.
Teaching practices appear in curricula at institutions such as University of Sussex, Goldsmiths, University of London, University of Manchester, University of Sydney, and in graduate programs at New York University, University of California, Los Angeles, Princeton University, and Cornell University. Course materials often include primary texts by Michel Foucault, Judith Butler, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, novels by Virginia Woolf, Jean Genet, and film studies referencing festivals such as the BFI Flare and organizations like Outfest. Pedagogical debates engage professional bodies including the Modern Language Association, the American Educational Research Association, and student movements such as Queer Student Union chapters.
Critiques involve debates over canon formation referencing disputes around Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and Edward Said-style critiques, ideological conflicts mirrored in controversies at universities like Brigham Young University, University of Chicago fallout instances, and political backlash seen in legislation such as proposed "bathroom bills" and curricular restrictions tied to state legislatures like those in Florida and Texas. Internal disputes concern methodological rigor with critics invoking standards from American Sociological Association, balance between activism and scholarship debated at venues like Critical Inquiry and peer-reviewed journals including GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies.
Comparative studies examine regional variations across Western Europe, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and East Asia with case studies in countries such as Brazil, India, South Africa, Japan, and Russia. Transnational activism links movements like Marriage for All campaigns, international legal mobilization through European Court of Human Rights decisions, and global health initiatives coordinated with UNAIDS and World Health Organization. Scholarship engages postcolonial debates involving Frantz Fanon, decolonial theorists such as Walter Mignolo, and collaborations with archives and museums like the Lesbian Herstory Archives and the GLBT Historical Society.