Law 584 - Seminar: Human Rights and Sexual Politics (Prof. Stemple)

The topic of sexual politics cuts across issues in human rights, encompassing debates about gay rights, gender equality, cultural relativism, and U.S. foreign policy (e.g., abstinence-only education to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS). This seminar will explore the role of law generally, and of human rights texts and principles in particular, in shaping global perspectives on sexuality and responses to the AIDS pandemic. It will expose students to relevant theoretical issues in the legal literature and, to a lesser extent, in other disciplines grappling with this topic. Students will look at the theoretical framework early in the seminar, followed by issue-oriented sessions which will serve as a vehicle to examine the ways in which theory plays out in practice.

The seminar will emphasize contemporary developments in human rights legal advocacy. We will study the role of NGOs, examining the potential for – and the limits of – using a rights-based approach to these issues. What do advocates mean when they talk about sexual rights? Do such rights exist apart from privacy rights or the right to equality? How do cultural differences come into play? What is appropriate role of human rights in combating the spread of disease?

There are no prerequisites. Grading is based on class participation, a group research project on national-level HIV/AIDS laws and their compliance with international norms, and a final paper.