eBook available with sample pages: 0203801350

A rich heritage that needs to be documented
Beginning in 1869, when the study of homosexuality can be said to have begun with the establishment of sexology, this encyclopedia offers accounts of the most important international developments in an area that now occupies a critical place in many fields of academic endeavors. It covers a long history and a dynamic and ever changing present, while opening up the academic profession to new scholarship and new ways of thinking.
A groundbreaking new approach
While gays and lesbians have shared many aspects of life, their histories and cultures developed in profoundly different ways. To reflect this crucial fact, the encyclopedia has been prepared in two separate volumes assuring that both histories receive full, unbiased attention and that a broad range of human experience is covered.
Written for and by a wide range of people
Intended as a reference for students and scholars in all fields, as well as for the general public, the encyclopedia is written in user-friendly language. At the same time it maintains a high level of scholarship that incorporates both passion and objectivity. It is written by some of the most famous names in the field, as well as new scholars, whose research continues to advance gender studies into the future.

A rich heritage that needs to be documented Beginning in 1869, when the study of homosexuality can be said to have begun with the establishment of sexology, this encyclopedia offers accounts of the most important international developments in an area that now occupies a critical place in many fields of academic endeavours. It covers a long history and a dynamic and ever changing present, while opening up the academic profession to new scholarship and new ways of thinking. A groundbreaking new approach While gays and lesbians have shared many aspects of life, their histories and cultures developed in profoundly different ways. To reflect this crucial fact, the encyclopedia has been prepared in two separate volumes assuring that both histories receive full, unbiased attention and that a broad range of human experience is covered. Written for and by a wide range of people Intended as a reference for students and scholars in all fields, as well as for the general public, the encyclopedia is written in user-friendly language. At the same time it maintains a high level of scholarship that incorporates both passion and objectivity. It is written by some of the most famous names in the field, as well as new scholars, whose research continues to advance gender studies into the future.

Professions of Desire includes examples of lesbian and gay literary analysis and thoughtful discussions about what it means to be lesbian, gay, or queer in the literature classroom. The four essays in the first section, "Teaching Positions", examine teaching from a theoretical perspective, analyze the role of the professor in the classroom, and seek to redefine what instructors ask of their students as well as of themselves. In "Canons and Closets", five essays focus on curricular and organizational shifts warranted by lesbian and gay studies. "Sameness and Differences" presents five essays that explore the influence of race, gender, and sexuality on gay and lesbian identity. Finally, the section "Transgressing Subjects" gathers four provocative critical readings of various works, including Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest; the art and sculpture of Auguste Rodin, Constantin Brancusi, and Gustav Klimt; Frances Ellen Watkins Harper's Iola Leroy; and the poetry of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Wait Whitman.

"This insightful and groundbreaking volume is full of unexpected pleasures and is sure to be a foundational work in gay studies for years to come.... A readable, serious addition to the literature". Choice