School as a Battlefield: The Debate on Sexuality Education in Ukraine Published: 1 December 2021 Over the past decade, activists and CSOs have argued with conservative and religious groups in Ukraine over the introduction of the so-called “comprehensive sexuality education” in Ukrainian schools. By Maryna Shevtsova
Veiled Bodies of Muslim Nonnormative Sexualities: Notes from a Youth Ethnography in Turkey Published: 1 December 2021 The veiling experiences of two LGBTI+ women in Turkey open questions about the discursive constructions of femininity, masculinity, piousness, LGBTI+ secularity, and how these are used in political rhetoric. By Zeynep Kuyumcu
From Cairo to Berlin: Architectures of Homophobia Published: 1 December 2021 What does a police raid on a bathhouse in Cairo have in common with a police raid on a queer rave in Berlin? Through an examination of two case studies of homophobic violence in Cairo and Berlin, separated by temporal and spatial dimensions, the architecture of homophobia employed by state and media is revealed. By Ahmed Awadalla
Political homophobia and the making of a rainbow criminal in Turkey Published: 1 December 2021 In the past months, Turkey has prosecuted students who have displayed rainbow flags in Istanbul, indicating a pattern of state-induced political homophobia and violence against marginalized groups, together with the motivation to delegitimize the political opposition in Turkey and elsewhere. By Tunay Altay
Women, Queers, and Far-Right Politics in Israel/Palestine Published: 1 December 2021 Israel's embrace of far-right politics rendered the lives of the marginalized Jewish population and Palestinians ever more precarious with forces that promote women’s and queer rights, in tension with forces promoting misogyny and homophobia, all contributing to the contemporary far-right political landscape in Israel. By Sa’ed Atshan and Katharina Galor
Queer Feminist Perspectives on Political Homophobia and Anti-Feminism Published: 30 November 2021 Dossier This Dossier contains articles, emerged from the conference „Queer Feminist Perspectives on Political Homophobia and Anti-Feminism in the Middle East and Europe“, which brought together academics, activists and artists within a digital space.
Pride and Prejudice: Georgia after the Escalation of Violence against Civil Society Published: 15 July 2021 Analysis More than 50 people were injured in attacks on journalists and civil society in Tbilisi in early July in connection with Pride Week. The German Federal Government and the EU should strongly urge their Georgian partners to address the violence through prompt and comprehensive legal and political action. By Dr. Sonja Katharina Schiffers
Queer activism in Kenya - "speak truth to power!" Published: 5 February 2021 Interview Queer feminism allows us to understand that patriarchy harms all of us and only an intersectional approach enables collective liberation and working together in solidarity. Queer resistance can also be fun - and sometimes a dandy outfit is enough to make patriarchy shake. We talked to Yvee Oduor about activism and mobilization of genderqueer people in Kenya. By Claudia Simons
Queer community in South Africa - "I am feminism!" Published: 5 February 2021 Interview The queer community is not free from exclusions and the fight for resources.. Class plays as much a role as ideas about femininity and masculinity. Black trans*women from rural areas, who are often poor, face particularly strong discrimination. Therefore, the queer community itself must address its own internalised prejudices, distorted perceptions, and exclusions. A conversation with Seoketsi Mooketsi (Seopowerr). By Claudia Simons
Queer community in Nigeria: "My feminism is queer feminism" Published: 5 February 2021 Interview We must resist the patriarchal system. But as long as it persists and continues to exist, queer people in Nigeria are seeking ways to simultaneously resist the system all the while not putting their own lives, joy, and happiness at the center. Queer feminism allows for the development and testing of new ways of existing - new ways of living in community with others, new ways of organising and distributing resources, new ways of making sure that people’s needs are met. Hbs in conversation with OluTimehin Adegbeye, on the meaning and opportunities of queer feminism. By Claudia Simons