Double special dossier Representations and Media in US Popular Culture: Exploring New Directions, Challenges, and Queer Heritage edited by J. Javier Torres-Fernández for the peer-reviewed journal REDEN(https://erevistas.publicaciones.uah.es/ojs/index.php/reden).

In the ever-evolving landscape of US popular culture, the representation of LGBTIQ+ individuals has undergone profound transformations, reflecting broader societal shifts in attitudes, norms, and activism. Over the years, LGBTIQ+ representation has moved beyond the binary and traditional confines, paving the way for an array of diverse narratives and identities. A recent GLAAD report (2022) found LGBTIQ+ representation on US TV at a high, with nearly 12% of regular characters who are LGBTIQ+, up 2.8% from the previous year. However, the study found that there were shortfalls and missing opportunities to tell a wider range of stories about LGBTIQ+ characters. This special issue aims to examine, critique, and celebrate these representations seeking to foster a comprehensive and interdisciplinary exploration of LGBTIQ+ representations and media in US popular culture.
We encourage contributions from scholars across various disciplines, including media studies, cultural studies, sociology, literature, and beyond aiming to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the evolving landscape of queer representation in US popular culture.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Analyzing how contemporary media and popular culture (including film, TV series, graphic narratives, music videos, art, literature, video games…) challenges or reinforces traditional notions (and stereotypes) of queer identity, resists or subverts homonormative narratives.
• Investigating the emergence of post-queer representations and their implications for LGBTIQ+ communities.
• Identifying opportunities for more inclusive and intersectional storytelling.
• Unpacking the complexities of queerbaiting and queer coding in mainstream media and their impact on representation.
• Exploring the evolving portrayal of transgender individuals in film, television, digital media, literature, etc.
• Assessing the challenges and triumphs of trans visibility and authenticity.
• Analyzing the often-overlooked representation of bisexuality in media, evaluating the role of bisexual characters in reshaping narratives of sexual fluidity.
• Examining the portrayal of aromantic and asexual identities in popular culture, as well as their location in queerness.
• Exploring the potential and limitations of queer visibility in media as a catalyst for social change.
• Documenting and analyzing instances of activism within the realm of popular culture.
• Revisiting and preserving the queer histories and heritage embedded in non-fictional? media narratives.
• Investigating how US popular culture and media have addressed the HIV/AIDS epidemic over the decades and their impact on public perceptions and responses.
• Exploring strategies to challenge and dismantle cis-heteronormative narratives.

Please, find the full call attached and on the official website.

Deadline for submission (full paper): April 15, 2024 | To be published in vol 6 no 1 (November 2024)

Deadline for submission (full paper): October 15, 2024 | To be published in vol 6 no 2 (May 2025)

 

REDEN accepts proposals of articles (6000-7000 words approximately including references) about any aspect related to the call. For any inquiry, refer to revista.reden@uah.es.
Please, upload your full article to https://erevistas.publicaciones.uah.es/ojs/index.php/reden/index as a single file (.doc, .docx, .odt). Keep in mind that you will have to upload an abstract and keywords as well during the submission process.

You can find the guidelines to prepare your paper, as indicated using the latest Chicago manual of style and author-date citation system, here: https://erevistas.publicaciones.uah.es/ojs/index.php/reden/about/submissions