THE 30TH ANNUAL
TWO DAYS OF CANADA CONFERENCE
2nd and 3rd November, 2017, Brock University
“Queer Canada”
People of Colour have already begun a body of writing and scholarship engaging with the
meaning of Canada as a “queer place in Diaspora” (Walcott 2005: 90). “Queer Canada” will
be a two-day conference of scholars, students, community members, artists, and activists at
Brock University coming together to examine the various intersections between and
implications of nation-state identity and queerness. In 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
marched in several Pride parades across Canada. This occurred against the backdrop of the
“Black Lives Matter” protest at Toronto Pride Parade as well as the decision of several
groups not to march in Pride in Vancouver. Notably, there was also the mobilization of
Alternative Pride events with aims of creating “a new kind of inclusivity”. Also, in 2016, in
the wake of the Syrian refugee crisis, it was announced that the Trudeau government
would accept 25,000 refugees into Canada, but only if they came as whole families, lone
women, or children. Excluded were unaccompanied men as part of this resettlement,
except for those who were gay, bisexual, or transsexual. These events demand that we
revisit and reconsider the relationship between queerness and nation at our current
historical juncture.
We invite proposals for critical and creative presentations. Possible themes include, but
are not limited to: writing and rewriting the nation; queer diasporas; homonationalisms;
queer art and literature; queer theatre in Canada; politics and resistance; queer histories;
archives and representations; queer time; queer space; trans-subjectivities; trans
families, groups, and affiliations, queer indigeneity; bodily transformation; law and the
body; embodied queer thought; utopias and dystopias; decolonizing time; queerness on
TV; philosophies of queerness; queering feminism; International and transnational
connections and activism; future visions
Proposals for individual papers, presentations, or panels from all disciplines, covering
any aspect of Queer Canada’s past, present or future are welcomed. Abstracts should be
no longer than 250 words and may be sent to Natalee Caple, Department of English
Language & Literature (ncaple@brocku.ca) before May 1, 2017. Please attach a 50-word
biography to your submission. Hardcopy proposals should be sent to: Professor Natalee
Caple, c/o The Department of English Language & Literature, Brock University, 1812 Sir
Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON L2S3A1