French and Francophone Philosophers and The Development of LGBTQIA+ Movements in The 20th Century (Aberystwyth University, United Kingdom)
French and Francophone Philosophers and the Development of LGBTQIA+ Movements in the 20th Century
CALL FOR PAPERS
About the Conference
This international one-day conference, held during LGBTQ+ History Month, will explore the relationship between French and Francophone philosophy and the development of LGBTQIA+ movements across the twentieth century. The intellectual contributions of figures such as Simone de Beauvoir, Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, Monique Wittig, and Hélène Cixous profoundly shaped how we think about gender, sexuality, embodiment, and power. Their ideas crossed borders and disciplines, providing key foundations for feminist and queer theory, and influencing the strategies of activists, artists, and scholars.
The aim of this event is to bring together academic research, creative expression, and political engagement. In doing so, it highlights not only the philosophical underpinnings of queer thought but also the ways in which theory interacts with activism, performance, and literature. By situating these discussions during LGBTQ+ History Month, the conference celebrates both the intellectual history and the ongoing struggles of queer communities worldwide.
Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Elliot Evans (University of Birmingham), a prolific scholar of French and Francophone thought and queer theory. Alongside Dr. Evans, we will welcome a second keynote speaker, the famous Moroccan LGBTQIA+ author and film director, (Dr.) Abdellah Taïa, each of whom will offer a different and complementary perspective.
Structure of the Day
The programme will combine keynote lectures and paper panels. Keynotes speakers will have forty-five minutes for their presentations followed by fifteen minutes of discussion. Paper presenters will deliver twenty-minute talks, arranged into paired panels with shared Q&A sessions. During the extended lunch break, students at all levels (BA, MA, MPhil, PhD, others) will present research posters. These will be entered into a competition, with a prize of £100 awarded to the best poster. Coffee breaks will be scheduled in the morning and afternoon to allow for networking, and the event will end with a conference dinner for those who wish to continue the conversation in a more informal setting.
Submissions
Those wishing to present a paper are invited to submit an abstract of no more than 300 words, written in clear academic English. Submissions should also include a title, a short biographical statement of no more than 100 words, and five keywords separated by semicolons. Applicants may also include an optional cover letter of no more than 250 words if they feel their profile and/or their work addresses issues of underrepresentation – whether relating to their own background, the research area, or methodology.
Students wishing to submit a poster should provide an abstract of up to 200 words outlining its objectives, along with a 100-word biography. A cover letter may also be included. Posters are welcome from students based abroad or with limited resources, and in-person attendance is not required in order to participate in the poster competition, but still warmly encouraged.
Because the number of paper slots is limited, a certain number of slots will be reserved to early career researchers, PhD candidates, and scholars from underrepresented backgrounds.
Deadline for submissions: December 12th, 2025.
Notification of acceptance will be sent by December 19th, 2025.
Registration Fees
While we aim to offer the event free of charge, a small registration fee may be requested should we not be able to secure all necessary funding.
Publication Opportunity
Selected speakers will be invited to contribute their papers to a collective edited volume to be published with a British university press, providing an opportunity to extend the conversations of the day into a broader academic audience.
Inclusivity and Diversity
The organising committee is promoting a genuinely diverse and inclusive event. This entails ensuring fair representation across gender identities, sexual orientations, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and other dimensions of human diversity. A number of presentation slots will be reserved for early career researchers, doctoral students, and underrepresented groups. We encourage applicants to make use of the optional cover letter to highlight how their specific participation might contribute to this aim. In addition, a portion of the budget will be allocated to childcare support, for participants who require it.
Date: Saturday, February 7th, 2026
Location: Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
Conference Language: English
Submission & Contact Email: thp42@aber.ac.uk">thp42@aber.ac.uk
Contact
Please send all submissions and enquiries to: thp42@aber.ac.uk