"Trans people have a unique relation to gender in that they have experienced being two (or more) genders, whereas most cis people have only ever been one. So what if we took the accounts and theories about gender created by trans people as central to thinking the concept of gender in general, rather than as as a subtopic to feminist or queer theory that referred only to a special case? We will build on some pioneering work in trans studies (Susan Stryker, Sandy Stone, Leslie Feinberg) as well as recent contributions (Paul Preciado, C Riley Snorton) as ways of constructing alternate pathways into the research on gender and sexuality of some more standard accounts (Eve Sedgewick, Judith Butler). It may turn out that some aspects of transsexual experience and thought do not fit neatly in accepted conceptual frameworks. Besides theoretical texts, we will look at selected examples of trans literature, art and media that might exceed some existing theoretical categories and call for novel concepts." * Students enrolled in the GSSI program may register for this course.