Questions surrounding gender and sexuality loom large in the cultural conversation of twenty-first-century western society. Notable examples include, but are by no means limited to, the relationship between biological sex and gender identity, the rights of LGBTQIA2 individuals, and the issue of consent in the #MeToo era. But since gender and sexuality are essential both to individual identity and to interpersonal, familial, and societal relationships, strikingly similar questions crop up in texts from throughout the medieval world. This course introduces students to medieval texts dealing with topics such as masculinity and femininity, gender fluidity, homosexuality, and sexual assault. The reading list draws from a wide range of medieval corpora, including the Old Norse-Icelandic, English, French, and Arabic. With reference to key works of theoretical and literary-critical scholarship, students are encouraged to consider how these texts reflect the attitudes and customs of their originating societies, well as how they relate to ideologies in the pre- and post-medieval context. Texts are read in translation where appropriate, though students will be encouraged to engage with the lexis of gender and sexuality in various medieval contexts.