Florida has a unique and vibrant history when it comes to expressions of same-sex desire and transing gender. At the intersection of multiple cultures, extending back centuries, a wide range of practices and beliefs have led to the unique conditions shaping gender and sexuality in our state. From the consequences of the brutalities of enslavement, to the commodification of bodies promoted by the tourist industry, to the founding of some of the first organizations of the gay and lesbian liberation movement, Florida has always had its own unique story. Come and hear more about these events, and learn about the best sources for exploring your favorite aspects of Florida’s LGBTQ+ history on your own.

 

 

Prof. Charles Upchurch teaches British and LGBTQ History at Florida State University, and is the chair of the Advisory Board of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at FSU. His latest book, “Beyond the Law”: The Politics of Ending the Death Penalty for Sodomy in Britain, recounts the previously untold story of the parliamentary effort to end the death penalty for sodomy in the early nineteenth century. His first book, Before Wilde: Sex Between Men in Britain’s Age of Reform, explores the ways in which family and class influenced the interpretation of same-sex desire in the period between 1820 and 1870. He has served as a Distinguished Academic Patron of LGBT History Month in the United Kingdom, and as the President of the Southern Conference on British Studies.