Queer Liberation Theory Project

September 6th, 2017

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Project Scope and Objectives
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The Queer Liberation Theory Project seeks to advance the public education and community development work being done in the name of queer liberation, by resurrecting the principles of the historical gay liberation movement, re-contextualizing them within contemporary queer discourse, translating the findings in theoretical terms, and disseminating them through various accessible multimedia platforms.  International literature is being reviewed and a multi-media resource list of sources that deal with queer liberation theory and perspectives has been created and is being regularly updated.  Ontario-based activists, academics and artists who engage in queer liberation theory and activism have been interviewed and an oral discussion and feature documentary created for public education and queer community development purposes. A clear language pamphlet, ‘Queer Liberation in the 2010s’, has been produced, as well as an ‘Understanding Queer Liberation’ infographic.
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Project Significance

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The significance of this project is in its attempt to disrupt the forces of a neo-liberal agenda that has infiltrated the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and transgender (LGBT) communities over the last two decades, partly due to many positive advancements made by equal rights advocates (i.e. marriage equality), and also because of the overriding discourse that queer persons are just like straight persons save for their sexual attractions.  A queer contingent of the LGBT communities have become more and more dissatisfied and discontented with the direction of the LGBT movement, feeling that their countercultural voices are being increasingly drowned out by heteronormative, assimilationist, capitalistic and corporatizing powers at the expense of diversity and queer social justice.  In response, this research project will resurrect the principles of the historical gay liberation movement, re-contextualize them within a contemporary discourse, iterate the findings in theoretical terms and disseminate them via multimedia approaches to further the aims of modern queer liberation movements, including community development and public education.
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Research Team

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The Queer Liberation Theory Project is a community-based research study that features the following partnership:

  • Principal Investigator: Nick Mulé, PhD
  • Community-Based Partner: Queer Ontario

 

  • Project Outputs
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    A collection of resources related to queer liberation compiled as an annotated bibliography can be found on our Queer Liberation Theory Resource List page
  • A pamphlet providing detailed information on ‘Queer Liberation in the 2010s’ provides an updated iteration of earlier pamphlets produced by Queer Ontario’s predecessor the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario (CLGRO)
  • Peer-reviewed journal article: Mulé, N.J., Lowik, A.J., Teixeira, R., Hudler, R. & Hader, D. “Engaged Queer Scholarship: Probing a New Paradigm of Knowledge Creation,” Scholarly and Research Communication 5 (3), 17 pp. http://src-online.ca/index.php/src/article/viewFile/160/327
  • An infographic, ‘Understanding Queer Liberation’ that features clear, accessible text and symbology to describe queer liberation
  • A feature documentary, “QueerEdge: From Gay to Queer Liberation” featuring over 30 academics, activists and artists discussing a queer liberation sensibility and its importance in queer movement politics

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Funding

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The Queer Liberation Theory Project is a research project made possible thanks to funding from York University and the Inside Out-OUTtv Post-Production Fund.
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