Mapping Queerness in Times of Uncertainty: Stories of Struggle, Invisibility and Space

This book offers a new critical perspective on emerging and alternative ’spaces’ for emancipation within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities. It considers these across various geographic regions, and in times of social, political, and ecological uncertainty and change. The work delves into complex, often invisible spaces where queer communities navigate social, political, and ecological upheavals. Through a blend of critical theory, digital mapping, and rich case studies from regions like the Middle East, North Africa, Singapore, Poland, and Russia, the authors illuminate the intersecting challenges of neocolonial legacies, religious conservatism, and political repression.

A must-read for scholars and advocates involved with human rights and LGBTQ organisations; this book provides a nuanced, interdisciplinary perspective on the evolving landscapes of queer emancipation and resistance. As such, it will appeal to scholars and students of queer studies, political sociology, social inequality, international relations, global studies, international justice, development studies, and the digital humanities.

Arnaud Kurze is Associate Professor of Justice Studies at Montclair State University and a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center. He has published widely in academic journals, contributed to edited volumes and is author of several reports on foreign affairs for government and international organizations. He is the co-author of Justicecraft: Imagining Justice in Times of Conflict (2024) and the book Mapping Global Justice: Perspectives, Cases and Practices (2023). He has been the recipient of many awards and fellowships, including Fulbright, the Library of Congress and the US State Department.

Sarah Sturken is a Research Associate at JusticeCraft Solutions, affiliated with McGill University, the University of Glasgow and Jagiellonian University. Her primary research interests lie in the history of the former Eastern Bloc, with a focus on memory politics, ethnonationalism, and illiberalism. Her work investigates the nexus of the politics of history and memory and nation-building in illiberal regimes. She is the recipient of multiple scholarships and awards, and has conducted research in Canada, the United States, Estonia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Kazakhstan.

Steve Thwe is a Research Associate at JusticeCraft Solutions, holding a Master’s degree in International Relations from New York University and former managing editor of the Journal of Political Inquiry. His primary research interests lie in the politics of South Asia, with a focus on conflict resolution, ethnonationalism, and democratic consolidation. His work explores the impact of governance systems on the emergence of violent or peaceful outcomes during periods of political contestation.