Other Conferences Research

Prepared by: Lionel Walsh

A website entitled Gay and Lesbian Organizations and Publications revealed the following information: There are 54 links in this section of the website, listing caucuses, round tables, committees, and organisations. While most are located in the United States, (eg. American Association for Italian Studies, AAIS Queer Caucus), there are also organisations listed for Australia, Europe, France, Germany, International, and Switzerland. With the exception of the AAIS Queer Caucus, listed above, the remaining 53 organisations use one of the following: Lesbian and Gay; Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual; or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered.

Please explore the following link:

http://faculty.washington.edu/alvin/gayorg.htm#ACADEM

Additional information submitted by Lionel Walsh:

Report on Research into Nomenclature for Lesbian, Gay, Transsexual, Transgendered, Questioning and Queer groups within Academic Societies

This was a very difficult study to conduct as a number of google searches did not produce any successful results. I found that websites of academic organisations did not list sub-groups, caucuses, etc. However, in the course of my research, I contacted a colleague in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Dr. Barry Adam, whose research is focussed in Gay and Lesbian issues. He was kind enough to forward a link to a site entitled Gay and Lesbian Organizations and Publications. This proved to be a gold mine for my contribution to our study.

The Table of Contents includes “Academic/Professional/Employees” which revealed the following information. There are 54 links in this section of the website, listing caucuses, round tables, committees, and organisations. While most are located in the United States, (eg. American Association for Italian Studies. AAIS Queer Caucus), there are also organisations listed for Australia, Europe, France, Germany, International, and Switzerland. With the exception of the AAIS Queer Caucus, listed above, the remaining 53 organisations use one of the following: Lesbian and Gay; Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual; or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered.

In my various conversations with colleagues who are involved in issues related to Queer Studies and issues related to the LGBT community, I can offer the following anecdotal information. First, as is demonstrated by the information noted above, some form of LGBT is dominant amongst organisations serving our community. Second, the word Queer seems to be reserved for actual academic studies. Hence, organisations will often be labelled LGBT but present conference sessions that focus on Queer Theory.

Further, it appears that LGBT and Queer each have a particular political stance. The use of the former generally refers to inclusion within the main organisation; the use of the latter generally refers to an outsider’s stance. By way of a detailed explanation, I offer the following explanation from my colleagues Dr. Erica Stevens Abbitt:

QUEER
Queer theory and queer performance sees gender and sexuality (and desire) as constructed, not innate. "Queer performance" involves a challenge to societal norms of sexuality, gender and desire -- rejecting the Western notion of fixed identity, and universalist concepts (such as "everyone wants the same thing -- to be in a family. We're all the same, no matter what our sexuality").

"Queer studies" implies a stance on the periphery of power: an outlaw, outsider viewpoint, from the outside looking in.. "Queer tactics" seek to interrupt and destabilize the status quo through confrontation and critical awareness. It "outs" all identity. sexuality and desire as a performance -- fluid, erotic, unfixed -- refusing to be policed or normalized by the government, consumers, the academy, police, or even our own fearful selves.

Queer, then, is a word that usually denotes a challenge -- to gays and lesbians as well as straight people. Queer -ness is a technique, a strategy, a political affiliation with outsiderness and alterity. As a theory, it is an approach that unites straights and gays in a 21st century, postmodern, poststructuralist view of the world in which there are no fixed truths, interrupting fixed ideas, and creating new ones.

Queer studies is a field linked with cultural studies, disability studies, postmodernism, visual arts, dance, postcolonialism, trans-national studies, interculturalism, linguistics, film studies, performance studies, political science, and contemporary approaches to human psychology and behaviour. In theatre, it is linked to performance art, and left-wing political theatre, and public demonstrations, advocacy (ActUP would be a good example) celebrating outrageous, confrontational and even separatist viewpoints and challenging the status quo.

LGBTQ
LGBTQ theatre promotes plays and performance work exploring lesbian/gay life, and the critical exploration of theatre from the lesbian/gay perspective. It celebrates theatre practitioners who were lost or marginalized in theatre history because of their sexuality and celebrates the entry of gay, lesbian, bi and transgender theatre practitioners and plays into the mainstream -- from Tennessee Williams to Cherry Jones (or Robert Lepage) and seeks to bring them into the mainstream. It is often linked with women's studies, LGBT studies, music, dance, design and theatre performance programs.

LGBTQ theatre promotes drama in social action to support diversity and gender equity. It looks at theatre that connects across differences, and elicits compassion and understanding. It often re-examines theatre training practices within the profession and within higher education to ensure they are less sexist, and celebrate the full range of human sexual diversity.

In conclusion, I would like to offer that we may now need to have a conversation about how we wish to view our organisation as advocating inclusion of members of our community (LGBT), fighting from the outside (Queer), or a combination of both (LGBTQ).