University of Michigan offers 'How to learn to be a Gay man' course

The University of Michigan is offering students a class in "How to be Gay: Male Homosexuality and Initiation." Two gay men EPA/MASSIMO ZAMPETTI

Two gay men EPA/MASSIMO ZAMPETTIENGLISH 317. Literature and Culture.Section 002 — How to be Gay: Male Homosexuality and Initiation.Credits: (3; 2 in the half-term).Instructor(s): David M Halperin Course Description:Just because you happen to be a gay man doesn't mean that you don't have to learn how to become one. Gay men do some of that learning on their own, but often we learn how to be gay from others, either because we look to them for instruction or because they simply tell us what they think we need to know, whether we ask for their advice or not.This course will examine the general topic of the role that initiation plays in the formation of gay male identity. We will approach it from three angles: (1) as a sub-cultural practice — subtle, complex, and difficult to theorize — which a small but significant body of work in queer studies has begun to explore; (2) as a theme in gay male writing; and (3) as a class project, since the course itself will constitute an experiment in the very process of initiation that it hopes to understand.In particular, we will examine a number of cultural artifacts and activities that seem to play a prominent role in learning how to be gay: Hollywood movies, grand opera, Broadway musicals, and other works of classical and popular music, as well as camp, diva-worship, drag, muscle culture, taste, style, and political activism. Are there a number of classically 'gay' works such that, despite changing tastes and generations, all gay men, of whatever class, race, or ethnicity, need to know them, in order to be gay? What is there about gay identity that explains the gay appropriation of these works? What do we learn about gay male identity by asking not who gay men are but what it is that gay men do or like? One aim of exploring these questions is to approach gay identity from the perspective of social practices and cultural identifications rather than from the perspective of gay sexuality itself. What can such an approach tell us about the sentimental, affective, or subjective dimensions of gay identity, including gay sexuality, that an exclusive focus on gay sexuality cannot?At the core of gay experience there is not only identification but disidentification. Almost as soon as I learn how to be gay, or perhaps even before, I also learn how not to be gay. I say to myself, 'Well, I may be gay, but at least I'm not like that!' Rather than attempting to promote one version of gay identity at the expense of others, this course will investigate the stakes in gay identifications and disidentifications, seeking ultimately to create the basis for a wider acceptance of the plurality of ways in which people determine how to be gay.Additional note. This course is not a basic introduction to gay male culture, but an exploration of certain issues arising from it. It assumes some background knowledge. Students wishing to inform themselves about gay men and gay culture in a preliminary way should enroll in an introductory course in lesbian/gay studies.

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SteveJan 15th, 2008 - 02:53:24

Something like this would have been useful when I was young and grappling with my sexuality. Of course, being gay is all about sex, and young guys (like I used to be) can't get enough sex. I didn't know that we were supposed to like theater, art, or literature. I didn't know which authors I should read, or which plays or movies I should go to see. I didn't know how to cruise effectively, or where, or when. It would have been helpful if someone had clued me in on those secrets earlier. Knowing those things earlier could have saved me from some nights spent alone.

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JouleJan 25th, 2008 - 14:38:47

OMG ПидОры ИДУТ!

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HereJul 16th, 2008 - 01:34:37

Sorry I hate to be 'that guy' but almost all of you are so very wrong. First, the title of the article, Michigan Offers How to learn to be a gay man course is incorrect. It is how to be gay - which just analyzes the history of influence on gay identity formation. It is not a course to 'recruit' gays for the community. And seriously, if it is so offensive and you wouldn't send your kid to one of the top public schools in the world because they are offering that course you are even more ignorant. With the thousands of courses offered every semester, I have never seen How to Be Gay in the required curriculum for graduation. Please open your eyes and realize that you are surrounded by gays and stop being so ignorant. Thanks! =)

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ROMANMar 30th, 2009 - 11:08:26

I think it's very important for gays to know how to be gays. Thanks so much from Russia.

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