Prompt:
Part 1
Because we all have genders and sexualities, and many of us experience both joy and difficulty around our genders and sexualities, our course materials have probably connected to you and your personal gender and sexuality story. As such, one of the central outcomes of this course is: what did LGBTQ studies teach me about myself and my subjectivity?
This assignment asks you to critically reflect upon your gender and sexuality through an intersectional framework. Create either a booklet, zine, video, poster, or other multi-media project that tells your personal gender and sexuality narrative. Use images—such as photos, artwork, and/or media—to help visualize your narrative. Your narrative does not necessarily need to be chronological (childhood into adulthood). Rather, it should express your creative vision of your gender and sexuality experience.
If you choose to create a traditional print document, I recommend it to be approximately 5-6 pages in length. If you choose the video option, I recommend it being around three to four minutes in length.
This is an unfamiliar genre for many students. In order to provide an equitable learning opportunity, I will assess this assignment using a contract model. If you present a narrative with each of the components below, you are guaranteed a B on the assignment (85/100). I will reserve A grades for students that go above and beyond presenting the categories to engage in a complex, nuanced, reflective, and creative process. Any narrative lacking the below components will be assigned grades less than a B.
- The narrative clearly tells a story about the student’s personal gender and sexuality experience;
- The narrative’s content is thoughtfully conceived;
- The narrative’s content fits with the chosen medium;
- The narrative’s content clearly reflects the themes, topics, and ideas covered in the course.
Part 2 Process Essay
After you complete your Identity Narrative, you will also submit a 3 page (double-spaced)process essay about how the readings, themes, topics, and discussions in Part I of the course (up until M 5/27) influenced how you created your narrative. Since this is a reflective writing assignment, please use the first-person (“I”).
Your essay should include (1) a clear description and vision for the narrative; (2) justification for the project’s creative form and content and what you hoped your audience would take away from it; and (3) an impactful statement about the project’s importance/significance to you and what you learned from completing it.
You are required to cite three course readings from Part 1 in your essay. You will use the readings as evidence for justifying your creative decisions. (Please use whatever citation and style system you’re comfortable with. Also include a bibliography at the end of your essay).
Your essay will be graded by the following criteria:
- Author makes connections between course content and their creative production. Author has expressed unique insight, depth of thought, resulting in a convincing and enlightening reflection.
- Overall fluent and focused essay. Paragraphs are organized by idea and concepts build upon one another. Transitions aid in fluency and author’s prose incorporates textual support in a sophisticated manner.
- The essay is polished, professional prose that, though not necessarily “perfect,” demonstrates clearly organized ideas and a commitment to the drafting and revising process.