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. Richmond is licensed to grant BA and BS degrees by the Department of Education in the State of Delaware, where the University is incorporated.

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 letter 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

HST 5XXX TP (3 credits)
LGBTQ History - For Queer and Country

For Queer and Country primarily teaches the history of queer people in the UK. Students are introduced to key events and actors in British queer history whilst also acknowledging the role of transnational forces and influences. Starting in the 18th century and ending in the present day, the course introduces topics such as the repression of queer people, the emergence of gay literary and urban culture, the lives of queer people in rural areas, the impact of war, Gay Liberation, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and the professionalization and normalization of queer people and politics in recent decades. Overall, this course invites students to consider the ways queer culture has suffused the political and the cultural despite, paradoxically, also being the target of discrimination, persecution, and exclusion by the state and wider society. The course will involve field trips in London, throughout the UK and in Europe.

Prerequisite: any lower division history class. This is a new course and the course code is not yet finalized; it will be updated when available.