From big social issues like gay marriage, to more personal and everyday moments like Facebook asking you to declare which gender you're interested in, sexuality is connected to politics, the economy, our identity, and much more.
Queer Studies classes at Denison explore how ideas about sexuality shape our understandings of the world we live in. Students are encouraged to think deeply about issues of social justice and equality. Furthermore, QS classes prompt students to “think queerly”—to see complexity, to question received norms, and to approach problem-solving in new and innovative ways.
Denison’s Queer Studies program engages faculty, staff, and students from across the university, from the sciences to the humanities, and from the library to the art studio. Students may choose to take a single Queer Studies class to fulfill the “Power & Justice” component of the GE package, or they may decide to do a concentration in Queer Studies, in addition to their major areas of study. The QS program has three core courses, taught by faculty from a range of disciplinary homes. In addition, many classes across the curriculum are cross-listed with QS and these engage issues of queer expression, queer experience, and the politics of sexuality within a variety of contexts.
After taking a QS class, students regularly say that they see the world with new eyes, and are better able to understand themselves and their society. In this video, senior Kate Ellicott (Class of '15) explains what she got out of her Queer Studies concentration and why everyone should take a QS class at Denison.