Call for Papers - Feminist and Queer Youth Activism in Asia

Organizer: University at Albany, SUNY

Description:

Recent years have seen both remarkable resurgences of, and remarkable variations in, youth activism across Asia. These movements have built on past legacies, even as they introduce novel dimensions and directions. Contemporary youth activism around gender and sexuality—particularly involving feminist and queer identities or claims—is one striking feature of many of these movements. The recent #metoo movement, for instance, resonated strongly among youth in many Asian countries, inspiring new activist frames and claims against sexual harassment and for women’s equality. Other activist strategies and messages are more distinctive to youth protest than to other mobilizations, such as the deployment of explicitly queer performances in protests against authority or agitation for broader civil and political rights.

In this workshop and resultant journal special issue, we will examine and assess the forms, utility, and externalities of claims and tactics that draw on tropes of gender and sexuality among present-day Asian (and particularly Southeast Asian) youths. At issue are questions of performativity and cultural claims-making, collective identity-building, frame-bridging between seemingly disparate movements, and implicit or explicit claims to expanding access to political space and voice.

Application due by: April 30, 2023

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