Course Details

Course offered Winter 2021

HONORS 231 B: LGBTI Rights in International Affairs (SSc, DIV, W)

HONORS 231 B: LGBTI Rights in International Affairs (SSc, DIV, W)

SLN 15427 (View UW registration info »)

Elise Rainer (Scandinavian Studies)
Email: eacr@uw.edu

Credits: 5
Limit: 35 students

Honors Credit Type

This course is offered via remote learning with a hybrid of synchronously and asynchronous sessions.

LGBTI rights in foreign policy represent the evolution of a principle in human rights that formerly did not impact international affairs. Promoting LGBTI rights in foreign policy introduces a new set of principles and moral standards that regulate international relations according to emerging human rights norms. International relations are now reevaluated due to new standards, such as the U.S. and Sweden’s bilateral relationships with Uganda. During this course, students will examine the intense global debate over LGBTI equality norms within a global and domestic context; how human rights concepts evolve, strategies of social movements, as well as how states influence one another. The goal of this course is for students to understand why and how LGBTI rights were introduced into some nations’ foreign policies. What were the catalysts to institutionalize sexual minority rights into the respective foreign policies? The course will examine differences in social mobilizations and in particular the role of NGOs, insider governmental allies, national interest, transnational activists, and sensitizing events for same sex relations globally, as central factors for developing respective foreign policy agendas. Students will investigate the varying strategies civil society groups and leaders have, and continue, to employ in order to influence institutional change across cultures and global regions. Students will focus first on human rights norm entrepreneur nations. Specifically, social movements in Scandinavia that have led to reforms internationally on LGBTI equality. Next, students will analyze human rights in countries such as the United States, where human rights in foreign policy at times presents a paradox when compared to its domestic human rights record. Students will engage with leading American and international activists. Through guest speakers, group projects, and simulations students will gain experiential learning of human rights advocacy.