Introducing Gender and Queer History into the Mainstream (but Polarized) Classroom

Either because of or in spite of the mood of the nation in the fall of 2020, I decided to introduce queer history into my freshman survey class, US History since 1877. I had become increasingly aware of queer history both in terms of scholarship and in the classroom, and I thought that it was high time my students learned about the history of this aspect of American society. I have been teaching women's history, not gender history, since 2006. In our curricular work with diversity, equity, and inclusion at TCU, I had learned about the "fault lines" of race, gender, sexual orientation, generation, geography and class. I believed that I could make some progress on the sexual orientation topic even though I identify as straight.

My presentation will include my discussions with my department chair, my selection of curriculum materials, student work products, and the reception by students at Texas Christian University, which suffers with both the words Texas and Christian in its name. I will also talk about introducing queer history into my courses on Texas history and the History of the American South since 1865. Additionally, in the fall of 2021, I taught the first course on queer history at TCU, an upper-level elective. I will probably teach it again in the spring of 2024. Although that class was not polarized, it was difficult.

Despite the tenor of the times and the fact that students don't expect a discussion of sexuality in a freshman survey, Texas or US southern class, the reception has been almost completely favorable. I will speculate on why this is so and suggest ways forward.