HOT ON THE HEELS of a popular series of public lectures in lesbian and gay studies, the Centre for Women's Studies at Trinity College Dublin has announced a new extra mural course an introduction to lesbian and gay studies.
"We've now realised that sexual orientation has to be examined as class, race and gender have to be examined," says Dr Maryann Valiulis, academic co ordinator in the centre. To this end the series of six seminars will begin on April 3rd at 7 p.m. in Swift Theatre A, in the arts building.
Ide O'Carroll, who is co ordinating the new course, says that the course is the first of its kind in Ireland and will act as a gauge of people's interest in the area.
"The format will be geared towards discussion, with a presentation by a specialist in a particular area to kick off, and we'd also draw in people with specific interests," O'Carroll says.
The course starts with an historical overview of the position of lesbians and gays, concentrating - as do the rest of the seminars - on Ireland. "We will look at the establishment of a lesbian movement emerging out of the 1970s women's movement, and the establishment of the gay rights movement also in the 1970s," O'Carroll explains.
This doesn't mean that lesbian and gay history began in the 1970s, but studying it can be problematic. "Before the 20th century the documentation we have is limited because it concerns a group that has been marginalised and mainly invisible," O'Carroll says.
"Queer theory" might be new to many people; O'Carroll explains: "It's an emerging theory. Most of it has developed out of an analysis of literature, politics and film - and much of it is culturally specific to North America and the UK - but we're looking to develop it and apply it to Ireland.
Although queer theory draws on theories dealing with race and gender, it "is different to say, feminism, because it deals with the fact that some women are faced with the double whammy of being a woman and being gay. Similarly gay men are outside of mainstream notions of masculinity, and queer theory tackles this."
Recent legislative changes that affect lesbians and gay men, such as the lowering of the age of consent for gay men in 1993 and the recognition of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in the Unfair Dismissals Act in 1993, will also be covered during the course, as will poverty and the "pink economy".
Anyone interested in finding out a few more facts about the position of women today may also he interested in a course entitled "Women in Contemporary Irish Society", also offered by the Centre for Women's Studies at TCD. It is already running on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in TCD, so hurry.
