[Gesth-l] queer conference

[Borgos Anna]

>From: queer queer Subject: Fwd: Konferencja / Conference
>Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2006 21:14:05 +0100

The 7th international queer studies conference, *Seeking Queer Alliances:
Resisting Dominant Discourses and Institutions*, will be held in Warsaw,
Poland, on August 29-30, 2005. For details please see the attached Call for
Papers. By forwarding this Call for Papers to others you will help us to
reach the largest possible group of potential participants from all walks of
life. Accept our apologies for cross-listing.


Warsaw University
Gender Studies Center and American Studies Center

Seeking Queer Alliances: Resisting Dominant Discourses and Institutions
7th international queer studies conference

29-30. 08. 2006

As the political climate in many parts of the world turns increasingly 
conservative, we are asking whether a concept such as global homophobia may 
be a useful analytical and/or political tool, and—as a correlate 
question—whether queer concepts travel well across political borders and 
geo-cultural spaces.

Do dominant discourses that include neo-liberalism as well as 
fundamentalisms of all kinds, and dominant institutions spanning the state 
as well as churches, require distinct forms of counterpractice? How to 
reclaim discourse appropriated by the dominant institutions?

What are and what could such practices of resistance be? To what extent may 
our experiences of LGBTQ subjugation and LGBTQ resistance be shared and also 
used to mutual advantage? Who may our dialogue partners be for such sharing? 
What alliances have been formed, and in which locations, for purposes of 
political activism and for achieving particular strategic aims? What is the 
place of feminist concepts in queer theory?

How is queer theory reflected in political activism, and how have particular 
theoretical concepts been adopted for political practice in different 
cultural contexts? How do activists serve as theorists, how do theorists 
serve as political practitioners, and how does the relationship between 
those functions manifest itself across contexts?

What is the role of mutual respect and self-respect in the forming of 
queer/LGBTQ alliances across cultural spaces? What are some internal and 
external obstacles to communication among queers occupying different social 
and geographical spaces? What role does the category of gender play in those 
different places? And what are the factors of cohesion from one alliance to 
another?

We wish to ask those questions, and others, in the context of the 
translatability of queer concepts across cultural and linguistic spaces, as 
well as the translatability between the analytical and the practical uses to 
which these concepts are put.
As far the format of the conference is concerned, there will be twelve 
90-minute sessions5  over the course of two days, and a two-hour summing up 
discussion at the end of each day. We would like each of the 90-minute 
sessions to be hosted by individuals or teams ("session leaders") who will 
be responsible for the theme and form of the session, e.g. workshop, 
roundtable discussion, conventional panel, panel consisting of several short 
statements (or "postcards") followed by a discussion, or any other format.

We welcome 200-word proposals for whole 90-minute sessions or individual 
papers until May 15th, 2006. The proposals should be sent to:

Tomasz Basiuk
American Studies Center
Warsaw University
Al. Niepodleglosci 22
02-653 Warszawa (Warsaw)
Poland
Fax: (+4822) 5533322
Or via e-mail:
queerconference at gmail.com

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