Al-Raida Magazine - Call for Papers: A Special Issue on The Lesbian Subjectivity in the Arab World.
"The subject of lesbianism has rarely been addressed in the Arab world on the assumption that it is not a priority, or that 'there are no lesbians in our culture', or that some women 'become' lesbians due to some negative experiences or imposed sexual segregation, thus conveying an implicit message that lesbians can or should be heteronormalized once women's circumstances change. All these assumptions and misconceptions tend to deny the existence of an independent lesbian subjectivity that demands different priorities, ethics, rights and politics. The emergence of literature on 'female homosexuality' during the past few years constitutes a huge leap in gender and sexuality studies.
This special issue of Al-Raida is intended to shed light on the problematic position of the lesbian in Arab cultures on various interdisciplinary levels. It is also intended to question the politics of love and friendships in the Arab cultures, in an attempt to examine the perplexing position of the lesbian subjectivity and the perils of "coming" out of the complicated Arab closets. The future of lesbian studies in Women's Studies and Gender Programs in the Arab countries is a question that needs to be answered within the context of this issue. One of the key questions that this special issue will address is the extent to which the lesbian identity can become a recognized reality and a perceived lifestyle without provoking the latent homophobia of the Arab World which still regards gender identity, sexual identity and sexual orientation as alien to the values of 'Our Culture'. (...)
"The subject of lesbianism has rarely been addressed in the Arab world on the assumption that it is not a priority, or that 'there are no lesbians in our culture', or that some women 'become' lesbians due to some negative experiences or imposed sexual segregation, thus conveying an implicit message that lesbians can or should be heteronormalized once women's circumstances change. All these assumptions and misconceptions tend to deny the existence of an independent lesbian subjectivity that demands different priorities, ethics, rights and politics. The emergence of literature on 'female homosexuality' during the past few years constitutes a huge leap in gender and sexuality studies.
This special issue of Al-Raida is intended to shed light on the problematic position of the lesbian in Arab cultures on various interdisciplinary levels. It is also intended to question the politics of love and friendships in the Arab cultures, in an attempt to examine the perplexing position of the lesbian subjectivity and the perils of "coming" out of the complicated Arab closets. The future of lesbian studies in Women's Studies and Gender Programs in the Arab countries is a question that needs to be answered within the context of this issue. One of the key questions that this special issue will address is the extent to which the lesbian identity can become a recognized reality and a perceived lifestyle without provoking the latent homophobia of the Arab World which still regards gender identity, sexual identity and sexual orientation as alien to the values of 'Our Culture'. (...)
If you are interested in contributing to this issue of Al-Raida, kindly send your abstract (250-300 words) no later than June 20, 2011. All abstracts submitted are reviewed by Al-Raida's editorial staff and are subject to its approval. Once the abstract is approved contributors will have to submit their paper no later than September 20, 2011. Submissions are accepted in English, Arabic or French. All non-English submissions will be translated by IWSAW and published in English following the approval of the author.
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