CALL FOR PAPERS
Conference: "Representations and Self-representations of Queer(s) in East Asia"
March 20 and 21, 2015, University of Vienna, Austria

Deadline for submissions: 15. November 2014 The CfP can be found online at:
http://www.oeh.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/femref/q
ueereastasia_eng.pdf

Dear Collegues,
we would like to invite you to submit a paper for the conference “Representations and Self-representations of
Queer(s) in East Asia”, taking place on 20th and 21st of March, 2015 at the University of Vienna, Austria.
The conference is organized by students of East Asian Studies in Vienna in cooperation with the LGBTI*Q* Department of the Austrian Students Union (ÖH) and supported by the Department of East Asian Studies/Japanese Studies and the Gender Research Office at the University of Vienna. We look forward to presentations from diverse fields of research such as East Asian Studies, Gender Studies, or Queer Theory.

CONFERENCE VISION

The coverage of ‘queer’ topics and their representations in popular culture, media, and the general public is changing in many East Asian regions.
The transformation in the representation of the ‘queer’
in traditional channels has been accompanied by a surge within the ‘new media’. While visibility enables networking among persons who identify with a queer lifestyle, it simultaneously establishes proscriptive standards and norms, producing a pressure to adapt.
Local and foreign scholars in Gender Studies, Sexuality Studies, and Queer Theory have analyzed diverse aspects of ‘representation’ (cf. McLelland und Mackie 2014).
Additionally, certain scholars have pointed out a perceived ‘western’ infl uence in form of activist practices (such as pride parades) or through the usage of the term ‘queer’ (cf. Shimizu 2007). With this conference we hope to encourage a critical examination of representations and self-representations of queer(s) in East Asia. We inquire after contemporary foreign depictions of queer people and queerness in East Asia and interrogate whether and how marginalized groups form, defi ne, and spread their own conceptions of ‘queerness’ using diff erent media and resources such as social media.

CONFERENCE CONTRIBUTIONS MAY INCLUDE:

• The relationship between making or being made visible and making invisible • Queer and minorities, queer people in minorities • Queer self-representations and foreign depictions, e.g. representations of queers and queerness in literature, fi lm or television programs • Queer fandoms and reception of queer popular culture • etc.

We are especially looking forward to contributions that focus on inter*sexuality, trans*gender, asexuality or neo-sexuality, and take race and class into account.
Presentations concerning Queer Theory in East Asia that do not center on ‘representation’ will also be considered in the program planning.
We ask for an abstract of approximately 250-300 words with information about the focus of the presentation and the preferred format (e.g. talk, workshop, poster presentation etc.).

Speakers will receive an allowance to cover accommodation expenses and travel expenses (within Europe). A conference program including the contributions of conferences participants (activists and researchers) from Japan, (South) Korea, China, Taiwan or Hong Kong will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

The organizing team is looking forward to hearing from you.

With best regards,
Jasmin Rueckert, grad student, Japanese studies, representative of the organizational committee Please send your questions and submissions to:
QEA.Conference.Vienna@gmail.com

Barbara G. Holthus, Ph.D.
University of Vienna, Department of East Asian Studies / Japanese Studies, AAKH Campus, Hof 2, Tuer 2.4, Spitalgasse 2, 1090 Wien, Austria E-mail work: barbara.holthus@univie.ac.at E-mail private: barbaraholthus@gmail.com