Sexualities 2011 - International Conference on African Same-Sex Sexualities and Gender Diversity, Practices, Identities and Communities

AIMS & MISSION

Mission

To identify and celebrate indigenous and evolving male and female same-sex sexual practices, identities and communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, including expressions of gender diversity, and to promote their social acceptance and their physical and social well-being.
Aims

To promote understanding and further study of male and female same-sex sexual practices, identities and communities, including expressions of gender diversity, in Sub-Saharan Africa.
To promote understanding of social and structural prejudice towards sexual and gender diversity and strategies to address this prejudice.
To explore how social and structural factors affect the well-being and health of persons engaging in same-sex sexual practices or with gender diverse backgrounds and identify ways of enabling the social environment and reducing vulnerability.
To support capacity building in research and advocacy and to strengthen the development of MSM/WSW/transgendered communities.
Target Audience:

Persons (primarily from Sub-Saharan Africa) who are knowledgeable about or scholarly engaged in the study of same-sex practices, identities, and communities from a liberating or emancipatory perspective.
Persons from Sub-Saharan Africa engaged in the artistic expression of gender and same-sex sexuality issues.
Other scholars and researchers.
Persons involved in the African LGBT movement and interested policy makers and funders.
Format of Conference:

Invited presentations
Competing submissions (abstract-driven)
Mixture of scientific and artistic contributions
Skill-building activities
Book, poster and art exhibition