ASEEES- Queer Studies Panel

[Jodi Greig]

"The Other 'Other Europe'"- Queer Studies in Eastern Europe

The advent of queer theory in the 1990s precipitated a radical shift in the
perspectives of both scholarly and activist circles. It blazed new trails in
nearly every aspect of culture, from race and feminism to economics. Queer
theory along with LGBTIQ studies have been particularly popular in realm of
literature, in part because they force us to interrogate how we view both
the authors who occupy a comfortable spot in the literary canon and those
who have always hovered about the periphery. Utilizing queer theory as a
tool, we are allowed to reposition those figures and to delve deeper into
their lives and their works, illuminating previously murky or “shameful”
aspects by shining a light into the figurative closet. This isn’t, however,
a purely intellectual or scholarly pursuit- these explorations have
implications in community-building and political activism. In Eastern Europe
and Russia, where in many instances homophobic behavior is implicitly or
even explicitly condoned, a need for queer space and discourse is especially
pressing. A vibrant, progressive, culturally-rich LGBTIQ movement is slowly
becoming more visible in Eastern European and Russian societies, and
it has proven fertile ground for exploring not only sexual identity, but
also conceptions of nation, religion, and culture.

Thus far we have two papers based on Polish literature and a chair. We are
looking for a third panelist who is interested in and has done work with
LGBTIQ studies in Eastern Europe (certainly not limited to Poland or to
literary studies- the more interdisciplinary the better). The position of
discussant also may be available.

If interested, please send your title and brief abstract to
jcgreig at umich.edu by January 13th.

Best,
Jodi Greig

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