About the Special Issue

 

There is a state of emergency for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) people not only in the U.S, but within the larger African world.  In the U.S., Republican state and federal politicians continue to propose white, heteropatriarchal, and capitalist-based legislation that has the potential to impact the life chances and well-being of Africana queer adults and youth. Within the last two years, conservative state politicians have proposed over 400 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills. From proposing bills that challenge gender affirming health care to securing legislation that bans teaching about the lives and history of queer folks to elementary and middle school students, conservative legislators are waging war on freedoms of Africana LGBTQIA+ people. Africana folks in the Caribbean face similar measures. In at least six countries in the African Caribbean, it is still illegal for men to have sex with other men and, if convicted, one must serve a lengthy jail sentence. These colonial era derived laws also continue to impact the life chances of LGBTQIA+ folks living in certain African countries. On the continent, anti-LGBTQIA+ laws are rampant, leaving many African queer folks to live under the threat of severe discrimination, violence, and punishment. While to date, thirty-three African countries have anti-LGBTQIA+ laws, the most shocking pieces of legislation have come out of Mauritania, northern Nigeria, and Uganda, according to the Human Rights Watch, where one could possibly receive the death penalty for same-sex acts. What does justice look like living under these conservative governments? How can we reimagine resistance to these measures? How do we create safety and joy as we are confronted with heteropatriarchal and colonial legislation?

 

The proposed special issue explores the definition and contours of Africana Queer Social Justice in the context of building inclusive democracies and governance structures, and a just world. By Africana, we mean the experiences of homeland African people and Africans in North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe and elsewhere; that is, wherever African people, and their descendants, exist in the world. This issue seeks to build upon the radical theories and activism of writers such as Audre Lorde, Cheryl Clarke, and Marquis Bey; political scientist, Cathy J. Cohen; sociologists, Patricia Hill Collins and Juan Battle; theologians, Kelly Brown Douglas and Horace Griffith; and African sexuality studies scholar, Sylvia Tamale, just to name a few, to engage the following topics*:

 

*The lists of scholars (above) and topics (below) are not exhaustive. We welcome all submissions concerned with Africana queer social justice.  

 

Africana queer social justice - definitions, perspectives, and approaches

Institutional /public policy and protections

Anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation

Anti-LGBTQIA+ colonial legacies/heteropatriarchy/white supremacy

Programming for queer youth and adults (Basic needs support, housing, healthcare etc.)

LGBTQIA+ activism

Sexual politics

Gender identity

Black radical tradition and resistance

Womanist theology as activism

LGBTQIA+ resistance narratives, histories, autoethnographies

Africana queer theory as activism

Africana feminist approaches to Africana queer social justice

Queer theology as activism

Spirituality and radical space holding  

Queer film and media as social justice

LGBTQIA+ arts as activism

Intersections of disability studies and Africana queer theory

Archival preservation and curation of queer representation as activism

 

In this special issue, we warmly invite and encourage interdisciplinary and collaborative submissions. We encourage scholars to embrace the opportunity to contribute diverse perspectives, enriching the dialogue across academic disciplines, and amplifying the depth of our exploration into critical issues surrounding Africana Queer Social Justice. We encourage longer essays and research articles, as well as oral histories, institutional reports, book reviews, commentaries, artwork, and creative works such as poetry, short stories, and narratives. Essays, research articles, reports, and oral histories/interviews should not exceed 10,000 words; review essays, film reviews, and commentaries should not exceed 3,000 words; and book reviews should not exceed 1500 words. The length and medium of all creative work will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

 

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Special Issue Editors

Shameka Cathey (she/they) is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Tennessee State University in Nashville.  Cathey earned a doctorate in Political Science from Howard University, and holds graduate degrees in Public Policy and Administration and Divinity. Their scholarship focuses on the areas of African American Political thought, social justice, and the politics of Black LGBTQIA+ folx.  As a scholar-activist, Cathey works in partnership with students, colleagues, and community advocates to uplift the freedom, affirmation, and celebration of all diverse identities. They serve as the Vice Chair of the LGBTQ+ Caucus for the National Conference of Black Political Scientists and on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Africana Studies. 

 

Jerome Hunt (he/him/his) is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Long Beach City College in Long Beach, California. Hunt received his BA in Political Science and Masters of Administration with a concentration in Public Administration from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. He received his doctorate in American Government and Political Behavior and Black Politics from Howard University. He is a scholar advocate whose research focuses on Black leadership in a “post-racial” America and socioeconomic/social justice issues affecting the Black community and Black LGBTQIA+ folx. Jerome serves as the Chair of the LGBTQ+ Caucus for the National Conference of Black Political Scientists and is a member of the Committee on the Status of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals for the American Political Science Association. 

 

For inquiries, please contact Shameka Cathey and Jerome Hunt at: joafst@gmail.com.