Bianca Fileborn, Rachel Loney-Howes, Matthew Mitchell, Tully O’Neill, Emma Russell
The Gender, Sex and Sexualities thematic group brings together scholars, students, activists, and practitioners working across criminology on issues related to gender identity and sexuality. Over the past year, the Gender, Sex, and Sexualities thematic group has organised several events aiming to drive innovative dialogues within and around criminology.
Queer Matters in Criminology, Law, and Surveillance – 20th July 2023
The Gender, Sex, and Sexualities thematic group recently co-hosted the Queer Matters workshop in Melbourne in collaboration with La Trobe University.
The workshop brought together scholars working in and around queer criminology, socio-legal, and surveillance studies across Australia. Its purpose was to provide queer and trans scholars with the opportunity to share emerging research and critically reflect on the importance of queer theories and critique in our work.
The full-day workshop consisted of four compelling panels, beginning with Surveillance, Space & Legal Regulation (Gilbert Caluya, Senthorun Raj, C.L. Quinan, and Simona Castricum), followed by Digital Affects & Futures (Zahra Stardust, Justin Ellis, and Rahul Sinha Roy), Queer Tensions in Criminology (Nicole Asquith, Matthew Ball, Ryan Thorneycroft), and concluding with Ethics, Responsibility & Risk (Shaez Mortimer, Dave McDonald, and Tully O’Neill).
Workshop participants, including HDR students from four Victorian universities, reflected on the event’s inclusive and incisive atmosphere, allowing queer and trans scholars to debate cutting-edge ideas in a supportive and critical intellectual space.
We look forward to organising more collaborative events to continue strengthening queer and trans perspectives in Australian criminology.
Public Lecture with Dr Senthorun Raj – 22nd July 2023
On 19th July, the Gender, Sex, and Sexualities thematic group held a public lecture at the University of Melbourne featuring Dr Senthorun Raj from Manchester Metropolitan University. This event was associated with the Queer Matters workshop and with additional support from the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne.
In this lecture, ‘Reparative Encounters with Law: Navigating Emotions in LGBTIQ Rights & Reforms,’ Dr Raj delivered a captivating exploration of the emotional dynamics of law reforms related to LGBTIQ rights, addressing the potentials and pitfalls of efforts to repair inequality through the law and discussing the challenges that arise with increasing visibility and recognition of gendered and sexual minorities.
With over 190 registrations for in-person and online attendance, the event was a remarkable success.
Online Panels in 2022
In 2022, the Gender, Sex and Sexualities thematic group also hosted two noteworthy online panels.
The first, ‘The Road to Sex Work Decriminalisation: Where to From Here,’ was held on 28th April and featured an interdisciplinary dialogue between discussants from multiple spheres, including former Victorian MP Fiona Patten, activists Dame Catherine Healy and Dylan O’Hara, as well as academic Dr Lynzi Armstrong.
The second panel took place on the 1st of June and was titled ‘Yes Means Yes? Consent and Sex Education.’ This discussion provided a platform for emerging scholars and practitioners, featuring PhD students Sharon O’Mara and Sophie Hindes and practitioners Katrina Marson and Deanne Carson.
Both panels fostered rich discussion at the intersection of academia, policy, and activism.
ANZSOC 2023
At the upcoming ANZSOC conference, the thematic group will host a Roundtable Discussion, ‘Heterosexist and cissexist violence amplified.’ This discussion will examine the exclusion, hatred, and vilification of LGBTIQ+ communities and how pathologising discourses have been amplified recently, including within criminology. This Roundtable builds on two panels hosted at the 2022 conference, which focused on queering gender-based violence and LGBTIQ+ people and justice.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Joining the Thematic Group
If you would like to join the thematic group and stay up-to-date with our latest activities, please contact Dr Bianca Fileborn, Dr Larissa Sandy, or Dr Rachel Loney-Howes.