Academic Program

This information is part of the Colgate University catalog, 2024-25.

Faculty
Associate Professor Barreto (Director), Humphrey, Woolley Lecturer Sprock Assistant Professor Toman Post-Doctoral Fellow Thomas Advisory Committee Barreto (Director), Gorshkov, Hill, Humphrey, Julien, Kuan, Loe, Maitra, Sanya, Simonson, Sprock, Stern, J. Tomlinson, Woolley

The minor in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer studies (LGBT) examines the lives and representations of individuals and groups considered sexual minorities, as well as the various forces that have affected them across cultures and throughout time. Sexuality offers a critical lens to analyze communities, cultures, and subcultures; institutions, discourses, and literatures; economic and political movements; the social construction of power, status, and hierarchies; and identity categories configured on the basis of age, ability, class, ethnicity, gender, race, and religion. Moreover, sexuality is considered as the subject of biological, medical, and psychological research. LGBT studies is an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary minor that emphasizes the application of new theories and methodologies (e.g., queer, feminist, critical race, and multicultural theories) to established disciplines as it promotes the generation of new knowledge within traditional fields. Through the minor, students gain critical understandings of normative categorization, query unspoken assumptions, examine social stratification and distributions of power, and explore the diversity of forms that sexuality has taken historically and in contemporary contexts.

Related Major

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Major

Awards

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies Award for Academic Excellence, in honor of Marilyn Thie — awarded by the program to a senior, on the basis of completion of the minor or three or more courses, a GPA of 3.30 or higher, and significant scholarly achievement in LGBTQ studies.

The Ken Valente Award for Leadership in LGBTQ Studies and Community, in honor of Ken Valente — awarded by the program to a senior who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in LGBTQ studies and community.

Courses

Use the minor link below to find courses that count toward the LGBT minor requirements.

Majors and Minors

Minor

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies Minor