A long sought Conference with workshops for History postgraduates who want to look into LGBT people’s histories is to take place at the University of London on November the 7th. LGBT co-chair Sue Sanders will be one of the speakers.
Historical work on LGBT or queer “issues” is now more accepted in the academy than ever before, and has enriched our knowledgeenormously. However, postgraduate historians working on LGBT research topics – atleast in the UK – have no recognisable network to call upon, lack any clear idea ofwhat this “generation” of researchers’ agenda, approach and methodology might be, and many academics and researchers appear curiously aloof from communityprojects such as LGBT History Month.
This conference aims to bring together postgraduate historians and early-career researchers working on any aspect of LGBT or Q history, in any country or era. We want to highlight and discuss the range of topics and methodological approaches being pursued by this generation of researchers; to consider the intersections and differences between historical work on L, G, B, T and Q topics, and to explore howLGBTQ history relates to wider narratives, and the modern historical profession.
This will be followed by an evening panel event chaired by Sue Sanders, co-chair of LGBT history month. She will be joined by Professor Julian Jackson, whose latest book concerns homosexual politics in France in the post-war period, and Lindsay River, an activist in the 1970s with – among others – Gay Liberation Front, and more recently the founder of Age of Diversity, which aims to provide a national voice forolder LGBT people in the UK (other speakers tbc). This evening event will give us thechance to explore some of the definitional, historical, political and activist implications of “LGBT history” and to explore how researchers might better engagewith LGBT history month and community history.
Postgraduates at any level, and early career researchers are invited to send abstractsof not more than 400 words to Charles and Craig by Friday 13th July 2012. We wouldespecially welcome papers discussing adapting research work for a non- academicaudience. We are also interested in interdisciplinary approaches to LGBT(Q) historyand welcome papers from those whose research is not necessarily based in historydepartments. The conference is kindly supported by LGBT History Month and QueenMary, University of London. Travel grants may be available for postgraduates.
Queen Mary, University of London To register go here
For the full programme go here