CFP Extended to 29 January 2021!

SEXUALITY STUDIES ASSOCIATION
CONGRESS 2021 CALL FOR PAPERS

VIRTUAL PLATFORM
June 1^ST-3^RD, 2021
Anti-Black Racism & Decolonialization

The Sexuality Studies Association welcomes proposals for our annual meeting to be held virtually on June 1^st – 3^rd, 2021 in conjunction with the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities. The conference will feature a blend of synchronous and asynchronous content. More details on conference format will be forthcoming in the spring.

Anti-Black racism and decolonialism is the conference theme for 2021. We invite proposals for work in English or French from any disciplinary, interdisciplinary, or transdisciplinary approach. Presentations will be in individual paper formats. Proposals must be submitted through our online form in English or French. All presenters must pay 2021 membership dues to the association, as well as Congress and Conference Registration fees. To become a member of the SSA please register through our website here. The extended deadline for submission is January 29th, 2021.

Sexuality Studies encompasses at least the following:

• Two-spirit and Indigequeer* critiques
• Queer of colour critique and sexualities
• Erotic rights to sexual health and education
• Challenges to the heteropatriarchal state
• Queer inter/trans disciplinary pedagogies
• Activist and artivist resistances, aesthetics and cultural production
• Archives, ephemera, epistemologies, futures, optimisms
• Sexual media and technology

                                                                            *with acknowledgement to Thirza Cutland

The Sexuality Studies Association invites its members to engage with anti-Black racism and decolonialism as it relates to a/sexual and erotic subjects and communities on a global, transnational, national and local scale. How can sexuality studies take advantage of its historical and contemporary efforts to draw on creative and erotic embodied knowledges rooted in pleasure and danger to engage in transformative anti-racist and decolonizing actions? As subjects and communities that reflect “a symphony of voices, perspectives, ideas, communities and cultures coming together…” (Congress 2021) we may consider reflexive questions such as:

• How can sex, sexuality or asexuality inform the way we approach scholarship as “theory in the flesh”, or as embodied, pleasurable and inclusive practices?
• How can we contribute meaningfully to decolonizing sexuality studies?
• How can we uncover and challenge ways that whiteness and global Northern exceptionalism mediates sexuality studies?
• How can the ongoing erasure of scholarship, artivism and activism produced in the global South be disrupted in meaningful ways?
• What are the ethical implications of doing art/activism/scholarship with, about, and for sexually marginalized communities within indigenous nations, as well as within communities of color?

We encourage proposals for individual paper submissions that define and expand upon the theme anti-Black racism and decolonization.  Due to the online conference format this year we will only accept individual paper submissions.

In particular, we invite Indigenous perspectives on sexuality from international contexts, as well as work by queer and trans artists, scholars and activists of colour so that we may create a gathering of global communities with varied histories. The Sexuality Studies Association (SSA) is a scholarly association for scholars, artists, activists, and all community members who have an interest in the teaching and study of sex, sexuality, and gender diversity. The SSA provides opportunities to connect the broader research, artistic, and activist communities, and encourages us to listen deeply, mentor and support each other in our work.

All individuals who were accepted to present at the annual SSA conference in 2020 that was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic are automatically accepted to present their work at the SSA conference in 2021. Please indicate whether or not you wish to be included in this year’s program.

We are also pleased to accept submission for our annual award, the Thomas Waugh Award for Best Paper by an Emerging Scholar. Eligibility for consideration is restricted to doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and recent graduates in non-continuing academic appointments. We will require a submission of the full-length conference paper by April 30^th, 2021. Please indicate on the submission form whether you want to be considered for this award.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our Program Officer, Dr. Cait McKinney at cait_mckinney<at>sfu<dot>ca

Submission form: English | French

This call for papers is also available as a PDF.