International Conference: “Queer Journeys in North American Literature and Culture”

University of Innsbruck (Austria), November 14-15, 2025  

This two-day conference will consider the diverse ways in which journeys undertaken by queer people have been represented in North American literature and culture, as well as how queer journeys interact with and impact social structures, transnational relations, and cultural forms. LGBTQ+ people in North America and beyond continue to experience forms of mobility characterized by complex and often fraught economic, cultural, and affective dynamics. Queer journeys may contain forms of movement that are voluntary or involuntary, joyful or exploitative, expansive or inhibiting, normative or deviant. This conference will consider such queer mobilities through an interdisciplinary lens that includes literary and cultural studies, media studies, gender and queer studies, history, and the social sciences.

We welcome papers that analyze queer journeys in and across a range of media (including literature, film, television, performance, video games, and other digital media). Within this intermedial and interdisciplinary context, we are also interested in discussing how queer journeys may challenge the dominant forms and conventions for narrating movement. We particularly invite interested participants to approach the subject from intersectional and transnational perspectives. 

Please send proposals for individual presentations (250 words) or panel presentations of 3-4 participants (c. 600 words) to: queerjourneys2025@uibk.ac.at. The deadline for submissions is Friday, May 16th, 2025. You can download the full CfP here or visit our conference website for additional information and suggested topics. We look forward to receiving your submissions!

Ben Robbins, Devon Anderson, and Matthias Klestil

“Queer Journeys” Organization Team, Department of American Studies, University of Innsbruck