[Commlist] Call for Proposals: The Politics of (In) Visibility, Conference and exhibition University of Brighton, UK, 15-16 March 2019

*Lesbian Lives Conference 2019*

*The Politics of (In) Visibility*

*Call for Proposals*

**

*University of Brighton, UK, 15-16 March 2019*

The theme for the 2019 Lesbian Lives Conference is *The Politics of (In) 
Visibility*. The 24th edition of this conference is hosted by the 
University of Brighton Centre for Transforming Sexuality and Gender in 
conjunction with feminist scholars from University College Dublin and 
Maynooth University. The organisers of this two-day international and 
interdisciplinary conference now welcome proposals from academics, 
scholars, students, activists, documentary and film-makers, writers and 
artists.

The Lesbian Lives Conference is not just the *world’s only annual 
academic conference in Lesbian Studies*, it is a large international 
event that draws speakers and participants from all continents and hosts 
the best-known as well as emerging scholars in the field. In the past we 
have hosted Emma Donoghue, Jackie Kay, Joan Nestle, Sarah Schulman, 
Cherry Smyth, Del La Grace Volcano, Sarah Waters, Campbell X and 
academics such as Sara Ahmed, Terry Castle, Laura Doan, Lisa Downing, 
Lillian Faderman, Sarah Franklin, Claire Hemmings, Alison Hennegan, 
Sally R. Munt, Helena Whitbread, Bonnie Zimmerman among many others.

Moving beyond the notion of the politics of visibility as meaning only 
the politics of being ‘out’ or being about erasure from cultural 
representation, the conference seeks to further probe what the politics 
of (in)visibility means to the LGBTQ community and individuals today. 
 With celebrity culture and new media is visibility still a burning 
issue? Although visibility has increased, there are still media 
representations drawing predominantly on limiting stereotypes; lesbians, 
bisexual women and trans folks continue to be marginalised; yet visual 
activism and expression; from painting, photography, and documentary 
making to romcoms, comics, YouTube serials, and slasher fiction are at 
the heart of LBTQ culture.

The conference also would like to invite delegates to think about the 
politics of (In) visibility beyond visual culture and media 
representations, to include broader notions of public life and spaces. 
Gay culture may be increasingly visible in some metropolitan areas but 
lesbian spaces and places continue to be invisible. Similarly, Pride may 
be considered a moment of public visibility for the whole of the LGBTQ 
spectrum, but also in this case visibility is shaped by commercial 
interests and this again marginalises LBT and other non normative 
perspectives and experiences. Beyond these particular examples it is 
also important to consider intersectionality in relation to societal 
aspects of power that  potentially render identities  either or both in- 
and hyper visible.

Proposals are welcomed on (though are by no means limited to) the following:

·The relation of queer to lesbian visibility

·Visual activism

·Revisiting debates about LGBTQ visibility and its discontent

·(In)visibility and intersectionality

·(Bi) invisibility in LGBT communities

·Visibility in mainstream media

·Fake news and tablodisation of sexual identities

·Social media and visibility

·Lesbian YouTube culture

·Sexuality and Instagram

·Dating apps

·Film and screen studies

·Comics

·Photography

·LGBTQ domestic photography and home movies

·Lesbians in the archives

·The visual imprint of subcultures

·The lesbian lens

·The lesbian gaze

·LBTQ looks

·Youth and (in)visibility

·Visibility and social class / disability/ race/gender

·Visibility and invisibility of LGBT in museums

The conference organisers welcome proposals for (A) *individual papers*, 
(B) *sessions*, (C) *round table discussions*, (D) *workshops* and (E) 
*visual presentations*.  We encourage submissions across all genres, 
both fact and fiction which align to the conference theme, and which 
have been produced between 2015-2018.

Lesbian Lives aims to build bridges across disciplines and explore less 
traditional forms of critical engagement with the politics of 
(in)visibility. In 2019, this underlying ethos of inclusiveness and 
dialogue will materialize in a fundraiser exhibition. Under the remit of 
“The Lesbian Lens”, we invite artists to digitally submit visual work: 
drawing, painting, photography and video. The exhibition opening will 
take place on the 15th of March and it will close a week after.

For papers, panels or workshops, please submit proposals of no more than 
300 words to: (sexgencentre /at/ brighton.ac.uk) 
<mailto:(sexgencentre /at/ brighton.ac.uk)> clearly the information required as 
per the guidelines below, by the *17th December 2018*. For submissions 
to the exhibition, please send your work to: (J.Keane /at/ brighton.ac.uk) 
<mailto:(J.Keane /at/ brighton.ac.uk)>

If your proposal is selected you may be directed to a formal submission 
through our contributions and registrations site. For all further 
details please see 
https://www.facebook.com/Lesbian-Lives-Conference-2019-316502112413277/

*The Lesbian Lives Conference is open to all genders and any political 
and sexual orientations. There is an ethos of welcome and accessibility. *

*We particularly want to extend a welcome to bi and trans communities.*

We look forward to welcoming you to the conference and to hearing the 
exciting papers, participating in the enlivening workshops, watching the 
phenomenal films and engaging in a process of learning and growth.

For regular conference updates follow us on twitter: @CTSG_Brighton


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