This project reimagines Donald E. Brown's concept of “human universals”—traits, behaviors, and practices found across all human cultures—through the lens of lesbian and queer experiences. Inspired by the clean, practical design of 1970s and 1980s textbooks and trade catalogs, the work interrogates the supposed neutrality of the textbook as a medium while emphasizing how personal context influences the interpretation of universal traits. The project explores the intersection of shared human experiences with individual identity, highlighting how universal traits manifest differently across cultures, eras, and power structures. The project also examines the biases embedded in academic publications, reflecting on who is represented and whose experiences are overlooked. For example, universals like “Husband older than wife on average” feel both distant and familiar to a contemporary lesbian perspective.
This ongoing work will expand into a zine and, eventually, a full textbook.