Richmond, The American International University in London

This program is accredited by Richmond, The American International University in London. The university is an independent, non-profit international university of liberal arts and professional studies. It is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, one of the regional accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. In addition to the U.S. degree granting authority, it has U.K. taught degree awarding powers granted by the U.K. Privy Council. It is the first university in the U.K. to have dual degree awarding powers.

Academic Overview & Policies

Attendance at all lectures and site visits is mandatory.

Grades No AIFS participant is permitted to take a course without receiving a grade. Pass/Fail grade options are not available.

Transcripts are issued by Richmond, The American International University in London. An official transcript will be sent directly to the student’s home university on completion of the program.

Course Description

SOC 5710 (3 credits)
LGBTQ+ in the UK: Pride and Prejudice

Examines the history, culture, politics, relationships and images of queer peoples in the U.K. Students explore LGBTQ+ history and society from the 18th century to the present day, considering stories of oppression and liberation, stigmatization and assimilation, as well as studying the ways the LGBTQ+ story has been written and understood. Covering everything from Molly Houses to Oscar Wilde, and the Gay Liberation Front to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, this course invites students to consider the ways that queer people have suffused the political and the cultural life of the U.K. despite, paradoxically, also being the target of discrimination and exclusion by the state and wider society. The course will involve field trips in London such as a Pride in Parliament tour and beyond, including a 3-day visit to Amsterdam.