Queer in Africa Reimagined Symposium
Tue, 06 Oct 2015 13:29:00 BST
Professor Surya Monro, with colleagues Professor Vasu Reddy (Human Sciences Research Council and now University of Pretoria) and Dr Zethu Matabeni (University of Cape Town) organised a very successful workshop at the University of Cape Town in April 2015. The Symposium addressed issues of sexual and gender diversity, rights, and citizenship in Africa. This Symposium, which was part-funded by the Heinrich Boll Foundation, attracted academics, activists, and NGO representatives from countries including Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa, who spoke on a range of issues, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) refugees, rural-urban issues, the role of development in shaping sexual and gender identities, and the construction of masculinities. Professor Monro presented a paper about the utility of ideas of citizenship and intersectionality in understanding some of the issues that are relevant to African LGBTQ people. The Symposium forms the foundation for a current book project, which will draw together a set of chapters providing cutting edge insights into topical concerns for African non-heterosexuals, contributing to activist understandings and positive social change, as well as the international studies of gender and sexuality.
