Define and differentiate between sex and genderDefine and discuss what is meant by gender identityUnderstand and discuss the role of homophobia and heterosexism in societyDistinguish the meanings of transgender, transsexual, and homosexual identities
By the end of this section, you will be able to:Understand basic biological mechanisms regulating sexual behavior and motivationAppreciate the importance of Alfred Kinsey’s research on human sexualityRecognize the contributions that William Masters and Virginia Johnson’s research made to our understanding of the sexual response cycleDefine sexual orientation and gender identity
This Chapter will address the current protections that are available to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (“LGBT”) individuals who allege they have been victims of employment discrimination. The Chapter’s primary focus will be on federal statutory law, particularly Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Although the focus here is on federal law, Appendix I to this Chapter lists the states that protect individuals from public and/or private discrimination under state laws.
This topic is explored in four parts: (1) a brief overview of congressional efforts to enact a statute to protect individuals from employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity; (2) discusses Title VII and sexual orientation; (3) discusses ways in which recent courts have handled sexual orientation discrimination under Title VII; and (4) similarly examines early judicial treatment of claims brought by individuals alleging discrimination on the basis of their gender identity and/or expression and explores how the law has developed in this area as well.
This subject examines relationships among technology, culture, and politics in a range of social and historical settings. The class is organized around two topics: Identity and infrastructure, and will combine interactive lectures, film screenings, readings, and discussion.
Transgender Identities: Towards a Social Analysis of Gender Diversity emerges from, and speaks to, recent sociological considerations of ‘transgender.’ The term ‘transgender’ denotes a range of gender experiences, subjectivities and presentations that fall across, between or beyond stable categories of ‘man’ and ‘woman.’ ‘Transgender’ includes gender identities that have, more traditionally, been described as ‘transsexual,’1 and a diversity of genders that call into question an assumed relationship between gender identity and presentation and the ‘sexed’ body.