Cathy Cohen’s “Punks, Bulldaggers, and Welfare Queens”: 30 Years Later (Durham, NC)

from $25.00

**This course is in-person only. There is no virtual component. Participants must be age 21+

Full Tuition: $135 — Sliding-scale tuition options are available in the drop-down enrollment menu for you to self-select. To pay in installments, choose PayPal or Klarna at check out.

We've seen entirely too many mainstream news stories featuring a white, married, propertied, and conventionally attractive lawyer who happens to be gay but is otherwise "just like us." This strategy centers organizing by and for those who are almost but not quite normal, and says that these wins--for marriage equality, for inclusion in the military, and so on--will eventually "trickle down" to benefit those at the bottom. But has this strategy worked?

Instead, what is to be gained from a queer politics that centers punks, bulldaggers, and welfare queens? This is the question asked and answered by Cathy Cohen in an essay authored 30 years ago, in 1997. In this class we'll study Cohen's foundational essay, which troubled familiar queer-versus-heterosexual distinctions to focus on “heterosexuals on the (out)side of heteronormativity.” Many straight people do not receive the benefits associated with a normative sexuality, just as many people who are not straight (like our lawyer above) are considered normal in their sexuality and deserving of their rights. Cohen therefore called for coalitions that focus on people's proximity to power. She mapped a queer politics attuned to nonnormative family structures, disruptive gender roles, and criminalized and stigmatized practices; in doing so, she upended queer theory.

You'll leave our class better able to articulate your own politics as they either complement or challenge those described by Cohen. During week 1, we'll work together to interpret and analyze her 25-page essay. During week 2, we'll study excerpts from authors and organizers who have, since 1997, extended Cohen's analysis.

If you're new to the field of queer studies, this class will be an excellent introduction! It combines mini-lectures with significant discussion-based learning. If you've studied Cohen's canonical essay in other settings, you'll benefit from revisiting its arguments and noticing the tools it continues to offer, on its 30th birthday, to the future of queer politics.

—

The Fine Print

Gift certificates may only be redeemed at the full tuition tier.

SLIDING SCALE TUITION

We now offer an early-bird low-tier tuition special as a way of incentivizing early enrollment. This is available up to 4 weeks before the class begins. Early enrollment allows us to gauge if a course will meet the minimum number of students required to run the course.

Full tuition is the cost per-student of running the class. If you choose a tier below full tuition, you are receiving a discount. If you choose to make a donation in addition to full tuition, you are helping to cover the cost for students who are not able to pay the full amount.

The mid-level tier is a discounted rate for people whose household income is at or above living wage but who have limited discretionary income.

The low-level tier and the full-scholarship tier are for people whose household income is below living wage or who need extra assistance to meet their needs.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Through our fundraising efforts, we are able to offer three full scholarships per class. The full-scholarship tier is a nonrefundable offering. Each student may only take one full-scholarship class at a time. Because our scholarship funding is limited, if a student selects multiple overlapping classes at the full-scholarship level, they will be disenrolled from all classes.

All sliding-scale and scholarship needs are self-assessed, and we will never request or require proof of need.

Please see our FAQ for more information, including installment plans, refund policy, and sick and inclement weather policy.

Sliding-Scale Tuition:

**This course is in-person only. There is no virtual component. Participants must be age 21+

Full Tuition: $135 — Sliding-scale tuition options are available in the drop-down enrollment menu for you to self-select. To pay in installments, choose PayPal or Klarna at check out.

We've seen entirely too many mainstream news stories featuring a white, married, propertied, and conventionally attractive lawyer who happens to be gay but is otherwise "just like us." This strategy centers organizing by and for those who are almost but not quite normal, and says that these wins--for marriage equality, for inclusion in the military, and so on--will eventually "trickle down" to benefit those at the bottom. But has this strategy worked?

Instead, what is to be gained from a queer politics that centers punks, bulldaggers, and welfare queens? This is the question asked and answered by Cathy Cohen in an essay authored 30 years ago, in 1997. In this class we'll study Cohen's foundational essay, which troubled familiar queer-versus-heterosexual distinctions to focus on “heterosexuals on the (out)side of heteronormativity.” Many straight people do not receive the benefits associated with a normative sexuality, just as many people who are not straight (like our lawyer above) are considered normal in their sexuality and deserving of their rights. Cohen therefore called for coalitions that focus on people's proximity to power. She mapped a queer politics attuned to nonnormative family structures, disruptive gender roles, and criminalized and stigmatized practices; in doing so, she upended queer theory.

You'll leave our class better able to articulate your own politics as they either complement or challenge those described by Cohen. During week 1, we'll work together to interpret and analyze her 25-page essay. During week 2, we'll study excerpts from authors and organizers who have, since 1997, extended Cohen's analysis.

If you're new to the field of queer studies, this class will be an excellent introduction! It combines mini-lectures with significant discussion-based learning. If you've studied Cohen's canonical essay in other settings, you'll benefit from revisiting its arguments and noticing the tools it continues to offer, on its 30th birthday, to the future of queer politics.

—

The Fine Print

Gift certificates may only be redeemed at the full tuition tier.

SLIDING SCALE TUITION

We now offer an early-bird low-tier tuition special as a way of incentivizing early enrollment. This is available up to 4 weeks before the class begins. Early enrollment allows us to gauge if a course will meet the minimum number of students required to run the course.

Full tuition is the cost per-student of running the class. If you choose a tier below full tuition, you are receiving a discount. If you choose to make a donation in addition to full tuition, you are helping to cover the cost for students who are not able to pay the full amount.

The mid-level tier is a discounted rate for people whose household income is at or above living wage but who have limited discretionary income.

The low-level tier and the full-scholarship tier are for people whose household income is below living wage or who need extra assistance to meet their needs.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Through our fundraising efforts, we are able to offer three full scholarships per class. The full-scholarship tier is a nonrefundable offering. Each student may only take one full-scholarship class at a time. Because our scholarship funding is limited, if a student selects multiple overlapping classes at the full-scholarship level, they will be disenrolled from all classes.

All sliding-scale and scholarship needs are self-assessed, and we will never request or require proof of need.

Please see our FAQ for more information, including installment plans, refund policy, and sick and inclement weather policy.