CFP: Beyond Inclusion: Centering Intersex and Trans-Identities (10/15/03; 2/22/04)

CALL FOR PAPERS

BEYOND INCLUSION: Centering Intersex and Trans-Identities in Academia,
Activism, and the Helping Professions

A 1-Day, Interdisciplinary Conference
to be held at Simmons College, Boston Massachusetts

Saturday 22 February 2004

Tentative Plenary Speakers:

* VIVIANE K. NAMASTE
Author of Invisible Lives: The Erasure of Transsexual and Transgendered
People, winner of the 2001 Gustuvas Myers Outstanding Book Award, and Health
Services Coordinator for ASTT(e)Q, Action Sante:
Travesti (e)s et Transsexuel (le)s du Quebec, a project of CACTUS in
Montreal

*IMANI HENRY
Playwright and performer of B4T (Before Testosterone). Since 1993 he has
been a Staff Organizer at the International Action Center (IAC), where his
work has focused on national organizing of communities of color and the
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement toward broader social
justice campaigns. Co-founded Rainbow Flags for Mumia, a coalition of LGBTST
people who demand the freedom of political prisoner and journalist Mumia Abu
Jamal. Coordinator for the second annual TransWorld – a people of color
trans conference and has served as the administrator for two national lists
for trans people of Color – TGPOC and TPOCX.

About the Conference:

This conference provides an opportunity to re-examine intersex and trans-
identities (openly defined) in the areas of academia, activism, and the
helping professions. By centering the voices and works of intersex and
trans-identified individuals, we are looking to move beyond mere inclusion
to form feminist/womanist and queer communities and movements informed
explicitly by the lived experiences of intersexed and transpeople.
Additionally, we would like to investigate the current intersex and
transgender movement in relationship to race, class, and gender expression
in order to create a full and rich movement/community in which individuals
are able to bring their whole selves to the work of social justice without
the fragmentation of identity. While it is our hope to privilege the voices
of intersex and trans-identified individuals in our workshops and
presentations, all submissions are welcome. The goals and objectives of the
conference are to:

1. Bridge divides between activism, academia, and helping professionals, and
particularly addressing disconnect of information and lived experiences of
intersex and trans- individuals within the medical profession.

2. Examine the intersections of race, class, gender expression, and
sexuality within the intersex and transgender movement.

2. Raise awareness of intersex and trans- identities in under-represented
fields, and the treatment of intersex and trans- identified individuals in
every day society.

3. Create a community of both information and activism for future connection
and coalitional work.

Papers may address, though are not limited to discussing the conference
themes and how they relate to intersex identities, trans- identities,
theory, and activism; pedagogical approaches to intersex and trans-related
topics; feminism and women’s studies; intersectionality; LGBTQ studies;
social work; the medical field; the politics and policing of “women only”
spaces; intersex and trans-identities in the arts, and other related topics.
The conference organizers welcome proposals for (A) individual papers, (B)
sessions, (C) round table discussions, and (D) workshops.

(A) INDIVIDUAL PAPERS: Individual papers should last 20 minutes (c. 2,400
words). Individuals should submit: (1) paper title, (2) abstract (c. 100
words), (3) biography (c. 100-150 words), (4) institutional
affiliation and address, (5) audio-visual requirements.

(B) SESSIONS: Panels of academic papers should include 3 speakers and 1
moderator. Each paper should last for 20 minutes (c. 2,400 words), with a
further 30 minutes for questions and discussion. Proposers should submit (1)
session title, (2) paper titles, (3) abstracts for
each paper (c. 100 words), (3) biography for each participant (c. 100-150
words), (4) institutional affiliation and address for each participant (5)
audio-visual requirements.

(C) ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS: Round table discussions should include 6
speakers and 1 moderator. Each paper should last for 10 minutes (c. 1,200
words), with a further 30 minutes for questions and discussion.
Proposers should submit (1) round table title, (2) rationale for round table
(c. 100 words), (3) biography for each participant (c. 100-150 words), (4)
institutional affiliation and address for each
participant (5) audio-visual requirements.

(D) WORKSHOPS: Workshops last 90 minutes. Proposers should submit (1)
workshop title, (2) rationale for workshop (c. 100 words), (3) biography (c.
100-150 words), (4) institutional affiliation and address (if relevant), (5)
audio-visual requirements.

E-mail proposals to conference coordinators Christina Borel
(christina.borel_at_simmons.edu) and Jessica Hague (jessica.hague_at_simmons.edu)
or mail them to
Christina Borel
Gender and Cultural Studies Program
Beyond Inclusion Conference
Simmons College
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115

Electronic Submissions are strongly encouraged. The deadline for submissions
is October 15, 2003.

For further information, please contact:
Christina Borel and Jessica Hague at the following e-mail addresses:
christina.borel_at_simmons.edu or jessica.hague_at_simmons.edu

**************************************
"A theory in the flesh means one where the physical realities of our
lives-our skin color, the land or concrete we grew up on, our sexual
longings-all fuse to create a politic born out of necessity. Here, we
attempt to bridge the contradictions in our experience.
   We are the colored in a white feminist movement.
   We are the feminists among the people of our culture.
   We are often the lesbians among the straight.
   We do this bridging by naming our selves and by telling our stories in
our own words."

--Cherrie Moraga

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Received on Sat Sep 06 2003 - 15:21:04 EDT