In the Shadow of the Pandemic: The Impact of Authoritarian Trends and Tendencies on Gender and Sexual Politics.

As a global community, we are - at the moment – encumbered in unprecedented ways. On the one hand, we continue to be accosted by growing populism, xenophobia, extreme nationalist and religious fervor that has steadily – and, perhaps increasingly - chipped away at our notions of justice, human rights, and equality. On the other hand, we are combating a catastrophic pandemic that has destabilized global society in unexpected ways. The pandemic, as some argue, has possibly even fanned conservative ideologies, trends toward de-democratization, and the escalation of authoritarian politics. Yet, this chaos has simultaneously spurred and (re)shaped transformative politics as we have also witnessed progressive “moments”, resilient movements, and abiding displays of hope, ingenuity, and defiance. In this context, this session seeks to take stock of, and interrogate, the many ways in which these social upheavals have specifically shaped and re-shaped gender and sexual based politics. To that end, we invite papers that examine the multifaceted, intersectional, and nuanced ways in which patriarchal nationalist, authoritarian, and/or religious forces have targeted, attacked, culled, and co-opted the conversations on social justice, women’s rights, and LGBTQI rights as well as account for the “moments” and movements that have stalled and resisted the encroachment of heteropatriarchal conservatism, script of de-democratization, religious fervor, and authoritarian politics.