Sexualities in Revolt: Teaching Activism, Manifesto Writing, and Anti-Assimilationist Politics to Upper-Division Undergraduates

Abstract

We draw from critical pedagogy and work on radical democratic praxis when discussing ways to teach sexuality studies in a way that embodies revolt and resistance to inequitable social hierarchies. Together, we specifically look at three areas where we have worked to infuse the teaching of sexuality with themes of resistance and revolt: 1) Enhancing political engagement, including a closer look at how to create an advocacy group; 2) Manifesto writing, with students writing their own manifesto; 3) Teaching anti-assimilationist politics, as students imagine and design an anti-assimilationist gay pride parade. These examples of pedagogies, class materials, and assignments suggest that teaching sexuality from a critical and activist posture works to better incorporate voices on the margins (e.g., queer/trans, women, fat, disabled, older, people of color) while pushing back against the biocentric notion that sexuality studies merely teaches about sexual facts.

Keywords:

• Sex education
• sexuality studies
• scholar-activism
• social movements
• resistance
• undergraduate education