CGS214 | Gender, Sexuality and Law

This course examines the role of law in regulating gender and policing sexuality. This is a standalone course designed to encourage students to critically engage with, reflect on, and develop sociological perspectives to the law with respect to gender and sexuality. Through this course, the students will develop the skills to critically analyze the emerging jurisprudence around the recognition of queer relationships in India, in particular the right of queer couples to cohabitate without the interference of their families or the state.

This interdisciplinary course will draw from law, sociology, anthropology, literature and media. The course seeks to :

(i) introduce students to the legislative and judicial history of the recognition of queer relationships through canonical texts on gender, sex and identity. Classroom instruction for this course will be based on seminar-style discussion of pre-assigned readings. Discussion prompts will be prepared by the instructor to discuss the modules that will include case law, scholarly analyses, and media texts.

(ii) involve interactions with queer activists and lawyers who have engaged in litigation around the recognition of queer relationships. Interspersed with instructor-led sessions, the course will also incorporate two interactive sessions with lawyers/activists who have been intervening in issues of gender and sexuality as they intersect with law.

The course will be delivered through seminar style discussion based on pre-assigned readings.