Oh this sounds like an easy 'A' and I wouldn't even have to go to class. I had to pay my own college tuition, but had my parents paid, I would've taken this just to see their jaws hit the floor. They would have preferred I take a course in how 'not' to be a gay.

Section 002 — How to be Gay: Male
Homosexuality and Initiation.

Is that what they're calling it - initiation? I hope the person who named the course isn't the one teaching the class. I'm probably not the first gay guy to say that maybe their intentions are good by trying to educate people, but this could just as easy be a chapter in course called 'human sexuality'. I wonder if there's a class on how to be...

Oh this sounds like an easy 'A' and I wouldn't even have to go to class. I had to pay my own college tuition, but had my parents paid, I would've taken this just to see their jaws hit the floor. They would have preferred I take a course in how 'not' to be a gay.

Section 002 — How to be Gay: Male
Homosexuality and Initiation.

Is that what they're calling it - initiation? I hope the person who named the course isn't the one teaching the class. I'm probably not the first gay guy to say that maybe their intentions are good by trying to educate people, but this could just as easy be a chapter in course called 'human sexuality'. I wonder if there's a class on how to be gay for females?

Talking with someone who is actually gay makes more sense to me if something needs to be learned. This isn't rocket science and a course name suggesting an initiation process is already flawed the way I see it.

I am a heterosexual man. Should I look into taking lessons on watching sport, drinking with my mates in the pub and changing the oil on my car?

Ok, I'm playing on simple stereotypes here. But isn't this the main basis of the course: Stereotype and identity. Surely these themes should figure in any studies around literature and culture? I didn't have time to peruse the website so didn't see what other courses within that broader subject were available.

It seems to me that by choosing to highlight homosexuality as a vehicle to discuss issues in wider themes of societal grouping, stereotype and identity, the course runs the risk of giving controversy priority over broader themes.
On the ot...

I am a heterosexual man. Should I look into taking lessons on watching sport, drinking with my mates in the pub and changing the oil on my car?

Ok, I'm playing on simple stereotypes here. But isn't this the main basis of the course: Stereotype and identity. Surely these themes should figure in any studies around literature and culture? I didn't have time to peruse the website so didn't see what other courses within that broader subject were available.

It seems to me that by choosing to highlight homosexuality as a vehicle to discuss issues in wider themes of societal grouping, stereotype and identity, the course runs the risk of giving controversy priority over broader themes.
On the other hand, I could be missing the point entirely and this course could be a reaction to a demand for such prioritisation.

Good clip n2sooners.

A students insight into Professor Haperin's Literature Course. www.michigandaily.com/media/storage/paper851/news/2007/02/14/TheStatement/How-David.Halperin.Taught.Me.To.Be.Gay.sort.Of-2718774.shtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Link

Now before you write your congressman, let's back up a second. The fate of my sexuality was sealed long before I met David Halperin. What struck me about his class was how he taught it as not only an intellectual but a moral imperative. He knew the syllabus inside out, and he taught it with due attention. But for my money, that's not why he was there.

He was there because he knew the objections to his classes could never be substantiated. He was ...

read more»

A students insight into Professor Haperin's Literature Course. www.michigandaily.com/media/storage/paper851/news/2007/02/14/TheStatement/How-David.Halperin.Taught.Me.To.Be.Gay.sort.Of-2718774.shtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Link

Now before you write your congressman, let's back up a second. The fate of my sexuality was sealed long before I met David Halperin. What struck me about his class was how he taught it as not only an intellectual but a moral imperative. He knew the syllabus inside out, and he taught it with due attention. But for my money, that's not why he was there.

He was there because he knew the objections to his classes could never be substantiated. He was there because he knew there were some students who needed a different perspective. He was there because of us.

And that's where the regents really should fear him. Halperin doesn't teach his students how to be gay - even he doesn't have the ego to stake that claim - but he is a maverick social critic, and that's what's so dangerous about him. I suspect "How to Be Gay" was meant to spark exactly the reaction it did, but that's only because Halperin is a smart and amusing man. He knows it's only a matter of time before those objections collapse on themselves.

Found this on the web.

Richard A. Barney, Department of English
University at Albany, State University of New York

1997-2003 Associate Professor, University of Oklahoma

Graduate Courses taught (University of Oklahoma) include:

Missed/Taken Identities: Gender, Sexuality, and Contemporary Narrative Fiction

Here's an interesting article on the challenges of being gay in a backward state like Oklahoma. Link.

Officially, ass-kicking is not allowed on school grounds since Oklahoma adopted anti-bullying laws. But Michael's life at Charles Page High turns miserable. He is called a faggot in the hallways. For ...

Found this on the web.

Richard A. Barney, Department of English
University at Albany, State University of New York

1997-2003 Associate Professor, University of Oklahoma

Graduate Courses taught (University of Oklahoma) include:

Missed/Taken Identities: Gender, Sexuality, and Contemporary Narrative Fiction

Here's an interesting article on the challenges of being gay in a backward state like Oklahoma. Link.

Officially, ass-kicking is not allowed on school grounds since Oklahoma adopted anti-bullying laws. But Michael's life at Charles Page High turns miserable. He is called a faggot in the hallways. For his own safety, he starts avoiding places where he could be trapped.

While the rest of the country is laughing over "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," Michael stops using the restroom during the seven-hour school day.

Brent Wimmer has a shelf of ribbons for raising purebred show chickens and knows his way around a hog auction. He is 6-foot-2 and also the most unabashedly gay student at Charles Page High. Michael is in awe of Brent's outspokenness, but it frightens him, too. Brent has paid a price for being so open. He's been called to the front of his church to have demons cast out of him. Someone sent a mailbox crashing through his living room window. His car gets egged and scraped with keys in the student parking lot. Nothing seems to stop him.

And that's where the regents really should fear him. Halperin doesn't
teach his students how to be gay - even he doesn't have the ego to
stake that claim - but he is a maverick social critic, and that's
what's so dangerous about him. I suspect "How to Be Gay" was meant to
spark exactly the reaction it did, but that's only because Halperin is
a smart and amusing man. He knows it's only a matter of time before
those objections collapse on themselves.

Thank you Bobby. A friend of my daughter's was attending class one day and two other male students approached him and said "Go home faggot". But the problem was that he was already home.
This is what it is like sometimes to...

And that's where the regents really should fear him. Halperin doesn't
teach his students how to be gay - even he doesn't have the ego to
stake that claim - but he is a maverick social critic, and that's
what's so dangerous about him. I suspect "How to Be Gay" was meant to
spark exactly the reaction it did, but that's only because Halperin is
a smart and amusing man. He knows it's only a matter of time before
those objections collapse on themselves.

Thank you Bobby. A friend of my daughter's was attending class one day and two other male students approached him and said "Go home faggot". But the problem was that he was already home.
This is what it is like sometimes to be gay in a backward state whether it is Oklahoma or West Virginia. At least he had the intestinal fortitude to come out of the closet unlike his grandfather who confessed once that he really didn't know how his grandmother even got pregnant.
Years ago I was working out in the gym and I often talk to all kinds of different people and I was talking to an lady I knew was a lesbian. She was a really nice person and we were having a nice discussion in between sets. I was pulled aside by another male I knew a little later and he said to me that I didn't want to talk to her. Full well knowing what he meant I asked why and he said OMG stay away from her! Didn't I know she was a dyke? I laughed and said "Well, it's not a virus! You can't catch it you know!"
Because I am a more "feminine" looking woman than the lady I mentioned most people would never suspect my sexual orientation is bisexual, and lots of us are closeted. But that's changing and I suspect the reason for that is edcuation. What does society have to fear about homosexuality between two consenting adults?
It's not contagious you know.

Another good example, and I am sure you can find many more all the way back to the old jokes about athletes taking advanced basket weaving. Point is, where do these classes get someone when it comes to a degree?

I just wonder why we don't do one of two things. Either improve the quality of education by removing credits for classes such as this thus forcing students to take courses which are more in line with the degree they are seeking. Or reduce the cost of education by removing the requirement for electives which often end up with students taking unnecessary courses such as this one (and many, many others) which take time and money away from the student without advancing their education i...

Another good example, and I am sure you can find many more all the way back to the old jokes about athletes taking advanced basket weaving. Point is, where do these classes get someone when it comes to a degree?

I just wonder why we don't do one of two things. Either improve the quality of education by removing credits for classes such as this thus forcing students to take courses which are more in line with the degree they are seeking. Or reduce the cost of education by removing the requirement for electives which often end up with students taking unnecessary courses such as this one (and many, many others) which take time and money away from the student without advancing their education in the direction of the degree they are seeking.

The only reason I pointed out this class was that it was a provocative subject that would be more likely to bring out the discussion, and because I found it somewhat amusing that this was the more advanced classes and I wasn't aware it took any classes to be gay, let alone multiple classes.

But Sooners, you didn't point out a class about basket weaving, this was a class about homosexuality, and after reading the above link provided by Bobby I'm not sure if it should be dismissed as not being educative unless someone actually took the course and was able to tell you if he/she actually learned something from it as the article implied. The point is whether the conservative objection is actually to the "homosexual agenda" (whatever that is) and furthering that objection by putting the argument in a different context by using distractive means.
Of course, if one wants to talk about removing silly classes such as basket-weaving or changing a light bulb as electives that are unnec...

But Sooners, you didn't point out a class about basket weaving, this was a class about homosexuality, and after reading the above link provided by Bobby I'm not sure if it should be dismissed as not being educative unless someone actually took the course and was able to tell you if he/she actually learned something from it as the article implied. The point is whether the conservative objection is actually to the "homosexual agenda" (whatever that is) and furthering that objection by putting the argument in a different context by using distractive means.
Of course, if one wants to talk about removing silly classes such as basket-weaving or changing a light bulb as electives that are unnecessary toward a particular degree that's a whole different issue and I do believe you have a good point. But college is also about education.
Ha, I often joke with my children that "righty tighty, lefty loosy" was all you needed to know to get along in life. Well, that and basic math and reading skills. Of course, I'm kidding. I think life is about growing and learning all kinds of things and hopefully we all encounter that teacher that helps us to do that along the way.

@n2, this course is a literature course, that explores gender and sexuality in literature. It would be taken for degrees such as comparative literature as would the gender sexuality literature course I listed taught at University of Oklahoma.

Many university have religious studies courses. In fact, University of Oklahoma has a religious studies program. Look it up on the web. University of Oklahoma has a literature course on the Bible (at least offered in 2007).

One of the most respected literary review magazines is the Cimmarron Review published through Oklahoma State University.

Comparative Literature is a solid degree, requiring a level of English comprehension, verbal and written comm...

@n2, this course is a literature course, that explores gender and sexuality in literature. It would be taken for degrees such as comparative literature as would the gender sexuality literature course I listed taught at University of Oklahoma.

Many university have religious studies courses. In fact, University of Oklahoma has a religious studies program. Look it up on the web. University of Oklahoma has a literature course on the Bible (at least offered in 2007).

One of the most respected literary review magazines is the Cimmarron Review published through Oklahoma State University.

Comparative Literature is a solid degree, requiring a level of English comprehension, verbal and written communicative skills, well above the average citizen. It isn't football.

The first day here people were speaking more freely than most do in the 16th week.

The classroom was permissive and expectant. It was like we were in a
different place altogether. There was a sense of collectivism, and
that's exactly the way Halperin would have it.

I looked at the people across the hall, thinking how different an experience I was having.

I think we can put all of that in proper perspective when considering.....that........:

half the guys in the class had already hooked up.

----------------------- ----------------------------
And........

And I'm serious when I say the class ...

read more»

The first day here people were speaking more freely than most do in the 16th week.

The classroom was permissive and expectant. It was like we were in a
different place altogether. There was a sense of collectivism, and
that's exactly the way Halperin would have it.

I looked at the people across the hall, thinking how different an experience I was having.

I think we can put all of that in proper perspective when considering.....that........:

half the guys in the class had already hooked up.

----------------------- ----------------------------
And........

And I'm serious when I say the class was an event.

Well, most would be if the course was largely made of having the prof.........:

often talk about his past and tell stories, and everyone
would just listen, like they were somewhere else entirely.

and,...

conversation would swerve all over the place

and,...

There were actual parties,

Any class is more fun, an event, if there isn't a real cirriculum to learn. Let's not glorify gayness and the shock value of the course title. Because in the end that is all that is there.
And finally,......

He knew the syllabus inside out

because half the attendees already knew each others waste product passage inside and out. So, of course the....

classroom was permissive and expectant.

Your a loser. All you try to do is run people off instead of providing some relevant material.

And when he can't provoke intentional anger by posting comments designed to run people off as opposed to intelligent discussion as Sooners has shown himself to do in this particular clip, he resorts to nasty emails like this one that he sent to my husband Bobby:

Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2007 23:50:17 -0800
> From: dav7boz@comcast.net
> To: harrishunt@hotmail.com
> Subject: Clipmarks
>
> Civil request - Please stop "following" me at the dumb little Clipmarks
> venue.
> I know you think its fun and you think you are doing your little silent
> hounding thing but you won't be interested i...

Your a loser. All you try to do is run people off instead of providing some relevant material.

And when he can't provoke intentional anger by posting comments designed to run people off as opposed to intelligent discussion as Sooners has shown himself to do in this particular clip, he resorts to nasty emails like this one that he sent to my husband Bobby:

Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2007 23:50:17 -0800
> From: dav7boz@comcast.net
> To: harrishunt@hotmail.com
> Subject: Clipmarks
>
> Civil request - Please stop "following" me at the dumb little Clipmarks
> venue.
> I know you think its fun and you think you are doing your little silent
> hounding thing but you won't be interested in anything I have to say. So
> go away now.
> No venomous slandering you're expecting to catch me doing will come to
> the level of your girlfriend's prior nastiness, anyway. So who wants to
> try . Not me.
> Give it up and get off my ass.

Apparently he objects to my husband following his clips although he is a follower of my husbands clips which he neglects to mention. Clipmarks is a free community, and we are all free to follow any clips we choose to. Again, a post of one's email is an invitation of sorts and I welcome any polite adult discussion or even disagreement. But I do NOT welcome emails such as this. And any threats will be turned over to our local police in our city which do excellent work.