In 1970, the first courses in the newly developing field of LGBTQ studies were offered at U.S. universities—among these few pioneers was the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. “Proseminar in Homophile Studies,” led and designed by English professor Louis Crompton and psychology professor James Cole, received an unprecedented level of scrutiny by scholars, administrators, legislators, mental health professionals, and social activists; and its bold, multifaceted, prescient scholarship set the path for a national trend in LGBTQ Studies around the world.

This event features members of UNL’s LGBTQ community reading from materials related to the course, its development, its controversies, and the hearings of the Nebraska Legislature.