Queer and Trans Ethnic Studies

The College of Ethnic Studies developed the Minor in Queer and Trans Ethnic Studies to draw from the expertise of our faculty, and to address the demand of our current students, our alumni, and our future students. We see this minor as preparing students for post-graduate study, and for work in a variety of fields, including health care, social work, education, the private sector, and the non-profit sector.

Queer and Trans Ethnic Studies is an interdisciplinary field, emergent since the late 1980s; it brings into sharp focus the history and diversity of genders and sexualities in communities of color; with specific attention on the LGBTQ population.

San Francisco has long been heralded as a city that embraces the wide-ranging diversity of its varied populations. In this regard, San Francisco has been seen as a haven that has for many years attracted a large gay, lesbian, and transgender population, and is popularly known as the “Gay Mecca.” This sexual diversity has not been limited to the highly visible white gay and lesbian population in the city. Communities of color also have been a central, yet often underrecognized segment of this diverse population. The Minor in Queer and Trans Ethnic Studies strives to shed light on the history and contemporary status of queer communities of color. Moreover, the minor underscores how queer of color theory – seeing the world through a queer of color lens – can create revolutionary change for a more just and equitable world.