“In the current political climate in the United States where there’s so much legislation against LGBTQIA+ people, it feels really important to have a space carved out in our day where we can experience queer joy,” said Jenn Hartman, a Queer Literature teacher at Berkeley High School, “It’s really important for me that students exit my class with a greater sense of community, a sense of continuity, and solidarity with queer experiences.”
The class was introduced to BHS three years ago, during the 2022-23 school year. Hartman felt it was important for students to be reading and comprehending literature that is a reflection of the LGBTQIA+ community. Hartman believes being able to relate and identify with topics discussed throughout certain forms of literature can make it much easier for students to connect with the studied material.
With their class, Hartman makes a distinctive effort to pick and choose topics and projects that they feel will resonate with their students deeply. They are able to peak their students’ interest while teaching them crucial and historically neglected lessons surrounding queer culture and history.
“We’re getting ready to do literature circles, we watch a lot of documentaries, we go on field trips, I try to make it as interdisciplinary as possible, I try to fit it all in, and I also try to build in a lot of student choice,” Hartman said.
Hartman’s students profoundly recognize and appreciate their efforts as an educator to make this class fun, interactive, and interesting, all while remaining educational and informative. Those who have made the choice to take this class over a standard English class don’t regret their choice. Several recommend the class to other BHS students so that they too can open themselves up to the beautiful recollection of queer history and culture that Hartman offers.
“(AP Language classes are) just a lot quieter, it’s just kind of a very different vibe. With Queer Lit, we all know that we have something in common, which is an interest in Queer history and literature,” Eva Patrick said, a BHS senior and former student of Hartman.
Patrick, who was a very active participant in Queer Lit the previous year, discussed how the small class size made for a very close-knit community, one that thrived on acceptance and friendship.
“I think (it was) the best choice that I could have made. For English class in junior year, you don’t really get small class sizes, so having an option for that is very nice,” Patrick said, “A lot of it was individual work, but (we were) very much encouraged to talk with people.”
With such a close community comes the eventual ease of new friendships and a new space that is not only accepting, but also inventive, interesting, and educational, which Patrick acknowledged and appreciated.
“I think it is probably the best queer community on campus, (and) I would recommend it to most people, even if you’re not queer, because it’s just a good class,” Patrick said.
Many other current Queer Lit student perspectives were similar. Allison Gomez, a BHS junior who is currently enrolled in Queer Lit, conveyed how beneficial the class has been to the acceptance of her own identity. The accessibility of information on Queer history, literature, and culture, helped to scratch an itch Gomez hadn’t realized she’d had.
“I like the class because there’s like a bunch of people that I can just relate to,” Gomez said, “When I leave I always think, wow that felt really short, time flies when you’re having fun somewhere, (and) I never realized how much fun I have in that class.”
Though both Hartman and the students of Queer Lit speak highly of the class’s inviting community and riveting curriculum, the class struggles with student enrollment, according to Hartman.
Though accomplishing the establishment of this class as a part of the Berkeley High Elective and English Departments wasn’t particularly challenging, according to Hartman, keeping the class is proving to be. Unless enrollment rises in the next several years, this historically significant class, and the inclusive, supportive community it creates, may unfortunately cease to exist.