Focus on Academic Freedom: Research on Queer Topics from BUA at the Lesbian and Gay City Festival
Prideflag at the city hall of Berlin Schöneberg
Image Credit: Stadtfest Berlin
How can academic freedom and democratic resilience be strengthened in the face of growing anti-queer sentiment? The DiGENet Working Group on Queer Networks from Berlin University Alliance (BUA) will provide answers to these questions on July 18 and 19 at the Lesbian and Gay City Festival around Berlin’s Nollendorfplatz. At the booth in front of Kalckreuthstraße 7, research and teaching in the fields of queer and gender studies will be presented, along with support networks run by and for queer faculty and students from the institutions affiliated with BUA.
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On July 18, Stefan Evers, the Senator for Finance as well as Culture and Social Cohesion of the State of Berlin, will also visit the event. He will be welcomed by Andrea Güttner, Chancellor of Freie Universität Berlin, and by Carla Eysel, Executive Director of Human Resources and Nursing at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. The Lesbian and Gay City Festival, also known as Motzstraßenfest, is one of the largest queer events in Europe.
Drawing on her personal experiences, Dr. Alicia Neesemann describes how anti-queer political developments can impact academic freedom and international research collaborations. She is transgender herself and, until the start of Donald Trump’s second term, traveled to the U.S. on business trips regularly for many years. The DiGENet Working Group on Queer Networks – part of the Diversity and Gender Equality Network (DiGENet) of the Berlin University Alliance – also showcases outstanding queer research projects, such as the handbook project “Queer Contemporary Histories”, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG); the Charité project “Loneliness Among LGBT People: Causes and Approaches to Support”, and the student research project “Media Discourse and Trans*Agency”, which examines the portrayal of trans* people in the media. In addition, the working group provides information about support and networking opportunities for queer staff and students in the Excellence Alliance.
The Diversity and Gender Equality Network (DiGENet) is a strategic initiative of Berlin University Alliance that brings together researchers and practitioners committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable academic environment. DiGENet addresses discriminatory structures, strengthens diversity studies, and promotes gender equality in order to sustainably improve the quality of research and academic integrity.
More information
see Diversity and Gender Equality Network (DiGENet) of Berlin University Alliance