FA26 - Pre-Stonewall Queer US History Elective 12pm Tuesdays

Term: Fall 2026

Date: October 19th to November 20th, 2026

Time: Tuesdays 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Location: Online Only

Instructor: Haleigh Wallace

Presented By: Virginia Tech Pride Center

Description:

This course is the third installment in the VirTual Safe Zone series. It offers an introduction to queer U.S. history that builds on the material covered in VirTual Safe Zone 101 and VirTual Trans Safe Zone. As such, VirTual Safe Zone 101 and VirTual Trans Safe Zone are both prerequisites for registration in this course. This course focuses on the cultural elements that have shaped understandings of gender and sexuality in the U.S. and how those understandings have gone on to inform legal policies and social norms that have impacted the LGBTQ+ community across history. Course materials will cover topics like: native understandings of gender, the earliest examples of drag balls and gay bars, the impact of cultural moments like the World Wars and the Lavender Scare, pre-Stonewall uprisings against harassment, and other examples of queer and trans resistance throughout U.S. history.

This course runs for five weeks and includes a combination of weekly readings and videos, discussion board posts, and a live Zoom session. Course materials are thoughtfully sequenced to encourage learners to develop foundational competencies when discussing identity, sexual orientation, gender, and gender expression before introducing more complex and nuanced topics. The discussion boards build on these materials by providing an important space for contemplation, reflection, and sharing of personal experiences. Finally, the weekly Zoom sessions offer the opportunity to bring everything together in community.

In order to receive credit for completing a VirTual Safe Zone course, participants must attend at least four of the five Zoom sessions and contribute one discussion board post and two comments each week.