My Trouble with Queer

Gay Bosnians are struggling with the (US-based) concept of ‘coming out’. Homosexuality here is shameful and is only possible when it is secret, hidden, anonymous. My problem with queer theory and activism is not the theory itself. Indeed queer theory’s most important contribution is to disclose how the gay movement of the 1970s and 1980s only dealt with white gay male experience, thus centralising some identities and marginalising others. However my problem (or, to be more exact, my concern or maybe my own ignorance) is how to translate queer theory into the practice of everyday politics, especially in thepostwar areas of the former Yugoslavia. As yet, it seems that the (radical) US queer model does not translate well into those societies on the doorstep of the European Union (EU). Even so, as someone at the Queer Zagreb conference mentioned, New York and San Francisco are not the USA, which means that ‘queering’ in some other parts of the country would provoke similar hostile reactions, or, to put it differently, one can find Bosnia in many parts of the USA. The million-dollar question, therefore, is how to translate the queer sensibility of identities into policy papers and government resolutions

Erforschung schwer zugänglicher Bevölkerungsgruppen: Fallbeispiel Schwulen- und Lesbenpopulation in Slowenien

The article1 discusses the main methodological dilemmas in researching the everyday life of a hard-to-reach social group – gay and lesbian population. It is based on the experiences from the research project on the everyday life of gays and lesbians in Slovenia, carried out by the authors of the paper in the period 2002-2004. The project combined qualitative and quantitative methodology. The quantitative survey consisted of face-to-face structured interviews (questionnaires) carried out on the sample of 443 gays and lesbians. Sampling was done by link-tracing method. The qualitative part consisted of three lesbian and four gay focus groups. While the quantitative survey covered a wide range of aspects of the everyday life (homosexual identity and coming-out; partnership; violence and discrimination; education; working place; GLBT subculture and media; children and family relations), the qualitative research focused on the selected topics (coming-out, partnership, and violence) in order to deepen the information gathered by the survey. In the last part of the article, the authors present the main findings from the research project, focusing on the selected topic: violence.U ~lanku se iznose glavne metodolo{ke dileme u istra`ivanju svakodnevnog `ivota te{ko dostupnih dru{tvenih grupa – gej i lezbijske populacije. Članak se temelji na iskustvima autora ste~enim tijekom istra`iva~koga projekta o svakodnevnom `ivotu gejeva i lezbijki u Sloveniji, koji se provodio od 2002. do 2004. godine. Istra`ivanje je kombiniralo kvalitativnu i kvantitativnu metodologiju. Anketa je provedena na uzorku od 443 gejeva i lezbijki. Uzorak je sastavljen metodom \u27link- -tracing\u27. Osnovu kvalitativnoga dijela istra`ivanja ~ine 3 lezbijske i 4 gej fokusne grupe. Dok se kvantitativnom anketom pokrio {iri aspekt svakodnevnog `ivota (homoseksualni identitet i coming out/iskorak, partnerstvo; nasilje i diskriminacija; obrazovanje; posao; GLBT supkultura i mediji; djeca i obiteljski odnosi), kvalitativno istra`ivanje usredoto~ilo se na odabrane teme (coming out/iskorak, partnerstvo i nasilje), s ciljem da se prodube podaci dobiveni anketom. U zadnjem dijelu ~lanka autori izla`u glavne rezultate istra`ivanja, usredoto~uju}i se na jednu temu: nasilje.Im Artikel werden die methodologischen Hauptschwierigkeiten bei der Erforschung des Lebensalltags schwer zugänglicher Bevölkerungsgruppen dargelegt – im konkreten Fall der Schwulen- und Lesbenpopulation. Die Angaben beziehen sich auf Erfahrungen, die die Autoren im Verlauf ihres Forschungsprojekts über den Lebensalltag der in Slowenien lebenden Schwulen und Lesben gemacht haben (2002–2004). Die Untersuchung, der eine kombinierte qualitativ-quantitative Methodologie zugrunde lag, wurde unter 443 Gays und Lesben durchgeführt. Die Probanden waren anhand von „link-tracing „ zusammengestellt worden. Die Grundlage des qualitativen Teils der Untersuchung bildeten 3 Lesben- und 4 Schwulen-Fokusgruppen. Mit einer quantitativen Umfrage wurde der Großteil des Lebensalltags abgedeckt (homosexuelle Identität und Outing, Partnerschaft; Gewalt und Diskriminierung; Bildung; Beruf; LGBT-Subkultur und Medien; Kinder und Familienverhältnisse). Eine qualitative Umfrage konzentrierte sich auf einzelne Themen (Outing, Partnerschaft und Gewalt), um Erkenntnisse darüber zu vertiefen. Im letzten Teil des Artikels werden die Hauptergebnisse der Untersuchung mit Fokus auf das Thema Gewalt dargelegt

Gender and politics research in Europe: towards a consolidation of a fourishing political science subfeld?

Over the past twenty years, the feld of “gender and politics” has fourished in European political science. An example of this is the growing number of “gender and politics” scholars and the increased attention paid to gender perspectives in the study of the political. Against this backdrop, we take stock of how the “gender and politics” feld has developed over the years. We argue that the feld has now entered a stage of “consolidation”, which is refected in the growth, diversifcation and professionalization of the subfeld, as well as in the increased disciplinary recognition from major gatekeepers in political science. But while consolidation comes with specifc opportunities, it also presents some key challenges. We identify fve such challenges: (1) the potential fragmentation of the feld; (2) persisting hierarchies in knowledge production; (3) the continued marginalization of feminist political analysis in “mainstream” political science; (4) the changing link between academia and society; and (5) growing opposition to gender studies in parts of Europe and beyond. We argue that both the “gender and politics” feld and political science in general should address these challenges in order to become a truly inclusive discipline

Framing gender equality in the European Union and its current and future Member States. Deliverable No. 61: Final LARG Report

Published versio

The litmus test of pride: analysing the emergence of the Belgrade “Ghost” pride in the context of EU accession

The transformation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights into a “standard for civilisation” has not been without consequences. With LGBT Pride parades becoming a symbol for Europeanness in the European Union (EU) accession process, this article asks how the litmus test character of Belgrade Pride has transformed LGBT politics in Serbia. Empirically, the analysis provides an in-depth analysis of how Serbia’s EU accession process has shaped the politics of Belgrade Pride between 2001 and 2015 and vice versa. It is argued that the international symbolic usage of Pride is no innocent practice as it has foreclosed its local politicality. Indeed, whilst Belgrade Pride became politicised as a litmus test in the EU accession process, domestically it developed into an apolitical ritualised event devoid of LGBT politics

Okrogla miza "Jezik in spol"

Filozofska fakulteta Univerze v Ljubljani in Komisija za slovenski jezik v javnosti pri Slovenski akademiji znanosti in umetnosti sta v torek, 23. oktobra 2018, organizirali okroglo mizo »Jezik in spol«, ki je potekala na Filozofski fakulteti v Ljubljani. Izhodišče razprave je bil sklep Senata Filozofske fakultete o izmenični rabi moške in ženske slovnične oblike za vse spole v pravilnikih Filozofske fakultete, s sogovornicami in sogovorniki pa sta organizatorja želela razpravo razširiti na vprašanja, kakšne možnosti ponuja slovenski jezik za uporabo spolno občutljivega jezika in kako v slovenskem jeziku zagotavljati vključujoč jezik v različnih družbenih situacijah. Objavljamo zapis je po posnetku dogodka, ki je na voljo na YouTubu

Gibanje proti “teoriji spola” v Evropi in izobrazevalni proces v javnih solah

Mass protests across Europe against marriage equality, reproductive rights, gender mainstreaming and sexual education have centralized n the past few years around so-called “gender theory”. This theory is explained as a new threat to the “traditional family” and “natural masculinity and femininity”, as it allegedly aims at cultural revolution: a post-binary gender world. Many of these debates (and concrete actions) are targeted at schools and the educational process. It is believed that “gender theory” is already being taught in schools, which will have detrimental consequences for pupils. Agents of the anti-gender movement claim that children are being sexualised and brainwashed by “gender theory”. Taking this debate as the starting point, we first examine the roots of the term “gender theory” and point to its nature as an “empty signifier”. We then analyse the types of anti-gender actions across Europe that interfere with the educational process in public schools. Finally, we consider the role of parents and their right to intervene (or not) in the educational process. On the basis of the existing rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, we argue that the provision that parents are entitled to educate their children in accordance with their religious and moral beliefs does not mean that teachers in schools should avoid issues that might “morally distress” pupils or their parents, as long as schools avoid indoctrination, and providing the topics (like any other topics) are conveyed in an objective, critical and pluralistic manner. (DIPF/Orig.

Pluralizacija druzinskega zivljenja: implikacije zapredsolsko vzgojo

The article takes as its starting point the public debate about the newly proposed Family Code in Slovenia in 2009. Inter alia, the Code introduced a new, inclusive definition of the family in accordance with the contemporary pluralisation of family life. This raised a number of questions about how – if at all – various families are addressed in the process of preschool education in public preschools in Slovenia. We maintain that the family is the child’s most important frame of reference. It is therefore necessary for the preschool community to respect family plurality and treat it as such in everyday life and work. In addition, preschool teachers and preschool teacher assistants are bound by the formal framework and the current curriculum, which specifies that children in preschools must be acquainted with various forms of families and family communities. This also implies that parents – despite their right to educate their children in accordance with their religious and philosophical convictions – have no right to interfere in the educational process and insist on their particular values, such as the demand that some family forms remain unmentioned. (DIPF/Orig.

Homofobija: kultura strahu pred homoseksualnostjo

Avtor v članku izhaja iz teze, da je homofobija - ne glede na to, kako jo razumemo - vedno povezana z vprašanjem seksualnosti in telesa. Definira jo kot sredstvo za vzpostavljanje opozicije do Drugega. Prek tega se šele vzpostavlja identiteta homofobičnega subjekta, ki je primarno definirana prav prek polja (hetero)seksualnosti kot naravne, samoumevne in neproblematične. Avtor homofobijo interpretira predvsem skozi vprašanje seksualnosti in opozarja, da je kultura strahu okrog homoseksualnosti "strašljiva" predvsem v svojih posledicah: vrsta raziskav namreč kaže, da internalizirana homofobija bistveno določa vsakdanje življenje gejev in lezbijk in da ti pogosto živijo v neprestanem strahu pred "implementacijo kulture strahu" v obliki nasilja. Glede na raziskavo o vsakdanjem življenju gejev in lezbijk je to izkušnja več kot vsakega drugega homoseksualca v Sloveniji.The author\u27s starting idea is that homophobia is always connected to sexualityand body regardless of how we understand it. He defines it as a means of constitution an opposition to the Other. Through this process the identity of homophobic subject is constituted and based on the idea of (hetero) sexuality as natural, taken for granted and non-problematic. The author analyses homophobia through sexuality and points out that the culture of fearing homosexuality is above all "horrifying" in its consequences: numerous research show that internalized homophobia importantly defines everyday life of gays and lesbians. They often live in constant fear of "implementing the culture of fear" in form of violence. According to the research on everyday life of gays and lesbians this holds true for every second homosexual in Slovenia