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SWMS 499: Queer Los Angeles: Making History, Making Culture
Professor Chris Freeman
Spring 2010
Tuesdays 2-4:50
THH 108
About this Senior Seminar
The summer of 2009 marked the 40th anniversary of what many people believe is the birth of the
modern GLBTQ rights movement: the Stonewall Riots in New York’s Greenwich Village.
However, the earliest rumblings of a movement in the U.S. can be traced back to the late 1940s
in Los Angeles, when a small number of people formed “homophile” groups.
The history of queer Los Angeles is integral to the queer history of the United States, but it is a
story that continues to emerge. This senior seminar will look at various aspects of the birth of a
movement—attempts to define what the movement was, which points to the complexities of
identity politics; histories of the people, places, and events involved; the emergence of queer
spaces and communities in this region, some of which—for example Metropolitan Community
Church—have gone global; the roles of queer folk in the entertainment industry; the challenges
of being a minority within a minority culture; the struggles of the AIDS crisis; and the
contemporary fight for same-sex marriage and the controversy of Prop 8.
Our course will move forward in a chronological fashion, basically covering the last seventy-five
or so years. We will expand our analysis to parameters well beyond Los Angeles for context and
perspective. We will read histories, memoirs, essays, fiction, and poetry; we will watch
documentaries and narrative films; we will use the resources of the ONE Institute on campus as
well as other local archives; and we will have guest speakers to help us analyze, discuss, and
understand the queer history and culture of Los Angeles, past, present, and future.
Our Contract
In accepting this syllabus and becoming a member of this class, each student agrees to
complete all assignments in a timely and serious fashion. You also affirm your
commitment to the exploration of ideas in the liberal arts tradition, an exploration which
is intellectual, creative, and respectful of others in the classroom. Your commitment to
the quality and integrity of your work during the semester means that all work you hand
in will be your own; any outside sources will be properly cited; and your work will be of
the highest quality that you can produce. Plagiarism will have severe ramifications, and
I will spot-check anything suspicious to ensure against it. If you have any questions about
using outside sources, please ask me to help you.
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As the instructor, my commitment to each student is that I have put considerable thought
into developing this course; that I will work hard to invigorate and challenge you during
the semester; that I will read your work carefully and with an open mind and will value it
accordingly; that I will be prepared for class but that my agenda won’t get in the way of
your input; and that I will be available to help you in your writing and thinking about the
texts and issues we will be exploring.
About the Work
Your work will include coming to class prepared to discuss our assignments; keeping a journal;
doing one shorter critical essay; writing one longer research paper, which you will also present to
class (10-12 minutes); doing a take-home final exam assignment, to be discussed during the
scheduled final exam meeting time (TBA). We will work together to choose and refine your
writing topics. Research project presentations (of work in progress) will begin in week eight.
Grading
Shorter Critical Essay
20%
(due week eleven)
Longer Project/Presentation (10-12 minutes)
40%
(due one week after presentation)
Final Exam
20%
Class Participation
10%
STATEMENT FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with
Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved
accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me (or to TA) as
early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday
through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.
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Texts
Lillian Faderman and Stuart Timmons, GAY LA (Basic, 2006)
C. Todd White, PRE-GAY LA (Illinois, 2009)—excerpts
Daniel Hurewitz, BOHEMIAN LOS ANGELES (California, 2007)
Chris Freeman and James Berg, LOVE, WEST HOLLYWOOD (Alyson, 2008)
John D’Emilio, SEXUAL POLITICS, SEXUAL COMMUNITIES (Chicago, 1983, 1998)
Lillian Faderman, NAKED IN THE PROMISED LAND (Houghton Miflin, 2003)—excerpts
William Mann, BEHIND THE SCREEN (Penguin, 2001)—excerpts
Christopher Isherwood, A SINGLE MAN (Minnesota, 1964, 2002)
Paul Monette, BORROWED TIME (HBJ, 1988)
Films
Coming Out Under Fire (Arthur Dong)
Celluloid Closet (Friedman and Epstein)
Chris and Don: A Love Story (Santi and Mascara)
On These Shoulders We Stand (McElhinney)
Changing Our Minds: The Story of Dr. Evelyn Hooker (Schmiechen)
Paul Monette: The Brink of Summer’s End (Bramer)
Websites of Interest
www.onearchives.org
www.tangentgroup.org (for the Homosexual Information Center)
www.glbtq.com
Schedule
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ONE: The Early Years—Pioneers and Growing Pains
Week One: Introductions/Backstory—up to WWII
Coming Out Under Fire documentary; discussion of how we do “gay history” and
cultural history
Week Two: The “Early Years” and Organizing; the Kinsey Report and Psychology
D’Emilio excerpts; Pre-Gay LA excerpts; Gay LA, Ch. 1-3; Bohemian LA, Ch. 1-2
Weeks Three and Four: The 1950s: The Homophile Movement
Excerpts, Pre-Gay LA; GAY LA: 3-5; Bohemian LA, Ch. 3 and 4; Love, WH: Intro;
Hurewitz; Osborn; Luckenbill; D’Emilio, continued
Week Five: 1950s LA and Hollywood
View Celluloid Closet; excerpts from Mann; Gay LA: Ch. 6 and 7; Bohemian LA, Ch. 4
and 5; Love, WH: Negron; Larson; Boyd; D’Emilio, continued; Faderman, Naked
excerpts; possible guest speaker
Week Six: Local History at the ONE Institute
Visit ONE Institute; discussion of projects; Bohemian LA: Ch. 6; excerpts from Pre-Gay
LA; Gay LA: Ch. 8 and 9
TWO: Liberation and Civil Rights Movements/Identity Politics
Week Seven and Eight: Into the 1960s
Isherwood; Chris and Don film; Evelyn Hooker documentary and APA discussion;
discuss Black Civil Rights and Women’s Rights movements; identity politics; Bohemian
LA: Conclusion; Faderman, Naked excerpts; Presentations begin; possible guest speakers
Weeks Nine and Ten: Stonewall and Gay Liberation into the 1970s
Gay LA: Ch. 9; Love, WH: Cordova; Wolverton; film, On These Shoulders We Stand;
excerpts on the Stonewall Riots; Presentations continue; discussion of critical essays (due
week eleven); possible guest speaker
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THREE: Political Power/Enemies/Crises
Week Eleven: The End of Gay Lib
Discussion of Anita Bryant; Harvey Milk; Briggs Initiative; Love, WH: Wilde; Gaard;
Wilson; Roach; Healy; Presentations continue; critical essays due
Weeks Twelve and Thirteen: The Plague Years—Community and Crisis
Monette and film, Brink of Summer’s End; Love, WH: Timmons; Alderete; Allison;
Kearns; Thompson; Possible Guest speakers: Michael Kearns/Mark Thompson/Pat
Alderete/Monte Bramer; Presentations continue
FOUR: The 21st Century—The Way We Live Now
Week Fourteen: The Contemporary Queer Rights Movement/the “HRC” Era
Love, WH: Podolsky; Miller; DeCrescenzo; Minns; Warren; readings on Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell; DOMA, etc.; Presentations continue; possible guest speaker
Week Fifteen: The Present/The Challenges Ahead
Love, WH: Eva S.; Frontierhouse; Alexander; Blumenstein and the Transgender
community; Ramirez; readings on Prop 8; Finish Presentations; All work due this week;
final essay topic assigned; course evaluations
Final Exam Discussion, TBA
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Research Topic Suggestions
The Kinsey Report and Implications
Harry Hay
Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon
ONE magazine
THE LADDER/Daughters of Bilitis
1960s Civil Disobedience
The Law/LAPD/Legal Status
Athletic Model Guild/Bob Mizer/erotica
John Rechy
Drag/Masquerading
Troy Perry/Metropolitan Community Church/Gays and Religion
Stonewall Riots
Christopher Street West/Pride
The Lavender Menace: Lesbians and the Feminist Movement
Woman’s Building/Separatism
Southern California Women for Understanding
APA/Evelyn Hooker/Therapy (aversion therapy)
The Advocate L.A.
Gay Liberation Front
Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Social Services
Transgender Communities in LA
Dennis Cooper
People of Color in the LA Queer Community