Conversation with Anna Kirey about Trans Kyrgyzstan, August 21

Join the Socialisms and Sexualities working group for an informal discussion with Anna Kirey on Sunday, August 21 at 5:00 pm!

Anna is a graduate student in Russian, Eurasian and East European Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She has been an activist for over a decade and co-founded the LGBT NGO 'Labrys' in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in 2004. Currently she is a representative of Central Asia in ILGA-Asia board, Advisor to the Global Fund for Women. In addition, she collected information about the legal situation of transgender people in 81 countries for ILGA World's Trans Mapping project. We will be reading the article she co-authored with Cai Wilkinson called, "What's in a name? The personal and political meanings of 'LGBT' for non-heterosexual and transgender youth in Kyrgyzstan." Discussion participants are also encouraged to view her blog entries at the Huffington Post at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anna-kirey.

Because the location of our meeting will be determined by participant number, we ask that you RSVP to Anastasia Kayiatos at akayiatos@berkeley.edu.

Socialisms & Sexualities, 2011-2012!

A warm welcome to the old guard and incoming comrades alike from the primary coordinator of S&S, Anastasia Kayiatos! My second-in-command, Nina Aron, and I are excited for another year together!

For those who don't already know or just need reminding, I've included a description of our group below. And below that you'll find a schedule for the fall semester, which is very TBD and begging for your bibliographic input.

You can contact us at akayiatos@berkeley.edu or nina.aron@berkeley.edu .

Who we are, what we do.

The Socialisms & Sexualities Working Group offers an interdisciplinary forum for exploring the intersection of formations and articulations of sexuality and the political economic systems called ‘socialist’ and ‘post-socialist.’

How might queer theory benefit from a more sustained look at how political economies other than those of late capitalism intersect with and inflect the formation of sexualities, specifically nonheteronormative ones? And how might theories of socialism and, in particular, the theoretical contributions generated in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union (in the problem-space of the former second world), benefit from an engagement with theoretical insights that have emerged from the study of gender, sexuality and queer subjectivities?

This group will also address texts gathered under the banner of ‘postsocialism’ in order to investigate further the crises of meaning produced by the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and to better understand the negotiations these crises prompted at the level of individual self-making and self-understanding, as well as at the level of ideology.

Fall 2011 Reading Schedule. Please suggest alternative/additional readings!

September 1. Introductory Meeting

September 2. State of the Field: Socialisms and Sexualities

Brian James Baer, “Translating Queer Texts in Soviet Russia.”

Robert Kulpa and Joanna Mizielinska, De-Centring Western Sexualities: Central and Eastern European Perspectives.

Aleksandar Štulhofer and Theo Sandfor, Sexuality and Gender in Postcommunist Eastern Europe and Russia.

October 1. Sex Etiquette and Soviet Advice

Frances Lee Bernstein, The Dictatorship of Sex: Lifestyle Advice for the Soviet Masses.

Catriona Kelly, Refining Russia: Advice Literature, Polite Culture, and Gender from Catherine to Yeltsin.

Tricia Starks, Propaganda, Hygiene, and the Revolutionary State.

October 2. Late-Soviet Gender

Hilary Pilkington, “Farewell to the Tusovka: Masculinities and Femininities on the Moscow Youth Scene”

Benjamin Sutcliffe, The Prose of Life: Russian Women Writers from Khrushchev to Putin

November 1. State of the Field: Post-Socialist Gender

Maria Bucur, “An Archipelago of Stories: Gender History in Eastern Europe”

Almira Ousmanova, “On the Ruins of Orthodox Marxism: Gender and Cultural Studies in Eastern Europe”

Anna Temkina and Elena Zdravomyslova, “Gender Studies in Post-Soviet Society: Western Frames and Cultural Differences” from the special issue on “ Gender and Culture Theory in Russia Today” in Studies in East European Thought (2003).

November 2. Post-Socialist Gender

Gail Kligman and Susan Gal, The Politics of Gender after Socialism

December 1. Queers in Post/Socialism

Brian James Baer, “Russian Gays/Western Gaze” and Other Russias (selections)

Harlow Robinson, "'Molchanie--eto smert' or 'Keeping Russia Clean': Recent Developments in the Gay and Lesbian Movement in Russia.”

Adi Kuntsman, "Between Gulags and Pride Parades”

December 2. Queering Post/Socialism

Vladimir Sorokin, Blue Lard

anyone at Stanford want to help us get him to Berkeley for the afternoon????

Sexpo in Moscow

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/fashion/15sex.html?th&emc=th

Voina (War) - Deliciously Scandalous Radical Conceptual Art Group

Thanks to the fabulous Daria of East Bay Food Not Bombs and Muscovite roots, I got an introduction to one of the members of the radical conceptual-art group, Voina. For those sad folks who have yet to hear of their unthinkable anarcho-art actions, check out any or all of the following links. Among my personal favorites, group sex in the state science museum in front of the stuff bears on the eve of Medvedev's "election"; still better epatage, their tribute to the Decembrists, an in-store (in Ashan, a gipermarkt chain) lynching of three Tadzhiki guest-workers and two homos, loving christened "A Gift for Luzhkov," the homophobic, xenophobic mayor of Moscow.

Enjoy!

Акция "Хуй в очко" (концерт)
http://plucer.livejournal.com/157798.html
выставка "Леттризм"
http://plucer.livejournal.com/168286.html
Акция ЗК
http://plucer.livejournal.com/128862.html
Видео ЗК http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfCTdH_AsyI
Акция "Штурм"
http://plucer.livejournal.com/112417.html
Акция в супермаркете
http://plucer.livejournal.com/97416.html
Акция "Мент в поповской рясе"
http://plucer.livejournal.com/94884.html
Акция "Цензура сосет"
http://plucer.livejournal.com/92836.html
Акция "УМВЕД" (унижение мента в его доме)
http://plucer.livejournal.com/88685.html
Легендарная акция "Ебись за наследника медвежонка"
http://plucer.livejournal.com/55710.html
Акция ПП (Памятник Пригову, по другой версии - План Путина)
http://community.livejournal.com/rulis/1662.html
Акция "Пир"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0PRkFxOZRg&feature=related
Акция "Мордовский час"
http://www.gif.ru/themes/life-in-the-world/bombily/

Sexuality and Socialism by Sherry Wolf

SHERRY WOLF is a long time activist currently living in Chicago. Member of the Editorial Board of International Socialist Review, Wolf has written articles on a variety of topics ranging from the war in Iraq to the struggle of women to gain access to abortion. Some recent articles include “Stonewall: The birth of gay power,” and “The Myth of the Black/Gay Divide.” Her essays and lectures can be seen in Monthly Review, Znet, and on CounterPunch.org. Her forthcoming book, Sexuality and Socialism: The History, Politics, and Theory of LGBT Liberation, published by Haymarket Books, addresses both the history of the LGBT Liberation Movement as well as the means by which we can achieve sexual equality.

http://www.thesitch.com/politics/activism/2009/02/sherry-wolf-sexuality-socialism-ur/

Moscow Doesn't Believe in Queers.

If anyone knows where to locate a copy of this cleverly-named documentary, please contact me.
More movie details:

Title: Moscow does not believe in queers
Author: Greyson, John, 1960-; Kitchen Video Collective.
Publisher: The Kitchen Video Collection
Date: 1986.

Save the Date: S&S Spring Event!