Professor Dibyesh Anand, Head of School of Social Sciences and a member of Centre for the Study of Democracy, delivered a keynote talk at a public event at the University of Bradford about decolonising sexuality and queering decolonisation.
The online event took place on 16 February, exploring how queer people engage with decolonisation as part of the University of Bradford’s LGBT+ History month. Professor Anand sought to provide a wider framework of understanding around decolonisation, and what this means for the representation of sexual identities.
Professor Anand, who self-identifies personally and politically as queer, argued that ‘queer’ is not “only a fixed identity that is non-heterosexual but a continuing process that challenges heteronormative-patriarchal discourses and practices”. Using auto-ethnography, a form of qualitative research, he was able to put forward a conception of queering that necessitates querying exclusionary and dehumanising notion of collective identity categories such as that of the nation and coloniality.
Professor Anand, who is also co-chair of the University of Westminster’s BME Network as well as the EDI Committee, acknowledged that simplistic notions of decolonisation, ‘West’/East’, culture, religion and community need to be challenged.
Speaking on the event, he said: “When invited to speak at University of Bradford’s LGBT staff network, I said yes because if individuals with non-dominant identities don’t practice camaraderie, we’d remain either tokenised or marginalised”.
Usman Ahmed, the host for the event from the University of Bradford, said “I would like to thank Professor Anand for agreeing to deliver such an event. The event as part of LGBT+ History month sought to provide a wider framework of understanding around decolonisation and what this means for representation of sexual identities. The event was very well received, with all 100 tickets sold and at least 50 participants in attendance from all over the world. We are constantly working to ensure our community at Bradford is one that is open to all, and so an event on decolonizing sexualities and queering decolonisation, aims to inform how we do this in an informed and truly inclusive manner.”
Both Professor Anand and Usman Ahmed highlighted the need to collaborate, decolonise, diversify and work across communities and universities, and more specifically, give platform to hitherto marginalised voices.
Find out more about the Centre for the Study of Democracy and the School of Social Sciences at Westminster.
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