Why (Queer) History Matters: The Politics of History
International, interdisciplinary conference, 29–30 August 2022.

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Watch the recordings of the conference below:
Direct links to the speakers, day one
Direct links to the speakers, day two
Neglect and erasure of queer history has been the norm in all national histories until quite recently. In this conference we address how this highly problematic practice of history can also enable the eradication of LGBT+ rights in contemporary societies. For, in some places LGBT communities are seen as a national threat while in others, homo-tolerance is instrumentalized to build national self-identity. In both cases, interest in and knowledge of queer history is usually absent. In this conference we therefore ask: How are national histories cleansed of unwanted elements? What role does ignorance and censorship play? Can the lack of knowledge of queer history be fundamental to contemporary oppression of queers? If so, what can be done to preserve and disseminate queer histories?
In this conference we hear reflections and examples on how and why queer history matters in different contexts. Norway officially opened its national queer archive here in Bergen in 2015, and queer history is slowly starting to appear as a legitimate academic field in line with other academic fields of research also in Norway.
PROGRAMME
29 August
10:00 | Registration.ÌýPossibility of visiting the queer history exhibition at the Ìý |
11:00 | Welcome by Margareth Hagen, Rector at the University of Bergen |
CHAIR: | Bjørn Enge Bertelsen, Professor of Social Anthropology and Academic Director of the Holberg Prize, University of Bergen |
11:10 | Norway & the queer history context – the Norwegian Queer archive by Tone Hellesund, Professor of Cultural ´óÏó´«Ã½, University of Bergen |
11:45 | LunchÌý |
12:45 | The roots of Russian homophobia, and why historical research matters by , Professor of Russian History, University of Oxford |
13:15 | Break |
13:30 | Queer history and neoliberal Islam by , Assistant Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality ´óÏó´«Ã½, Yale University |
14:00 | Postsocialist homophobia and the lesson of histories past, present, and future by , Assistant Professor in Gender ´óÏó´«Ã½, Central European University |
14:30 | Break |
15:00– 16:15 | Panel discussion:ÌýCulture wars and queer history Participants:Ìý,Ìý ÌýandÌý Chair: Ingunn Lunde, Professor in Russian Language and Culture, University of Bergen |
17:30– 18:30 | Conference reception at KODE, hosted by the City of Bergen (for all participants) Welcome by the Mayor of Bergen, Rune Bakervik |
19:00– 21:30 | How to document and tell queer history?Ìý Screening of Susan Stryker’s filmÌýÌý(57 minutes)Ìýfollowed by a discussion involving Susan Stryker, Hadley Renkin, C. Anzio Jacobs, Dan Healey and Svati Shah.Ìý Chair: Kari Jegerstedt, Head of the Centre for Women’s and Gender Research, University of BergenÌý |
Watch recordings from day one:
30 August
CHAIR: | Andrea Vige Grønningsæter, PhD candidate at the Faculty of Law, University of Bergen |
09:00 | Queer archives and activism in India by ,ÌýExecutive Director at Centre for Law & Policy Research and , Indian transgender activist |
09:40 | White words & violence: A queer African herstory by , Co-Founder and Executive Director of Scope Non-Profit Organisation, South Africa |
10:10 | Queer history in the USA. The development of trans history and the uses of transgender history for the present by , Professor Emerita of Gender and Women’s ´óÏó´«Ã½ at the University of Arizona & Stanford University Humanities Center External Faculty Fellow (2022-23) |
10:40 | Break |
10:50 | Panel discussion:ÌýTrans histories in a global perspective Participants:Ìý ,Ìý,ÌýÌýandÌý Chair:Ìý, Research Anthropologist at the Center for Race and Gender at University of California, Berkeley |
12:00 | Lunch |
CHAIR: | , PhD candidate at the Centre on Law and Social Transformation, University of Bergen |
13:00 | The politics of sexuality in Latin America by , Professor of Political Science at Amherst College |
13:30 | Sexualities and the uses of history in different African contexts by , Professor of Law, Makerere University |
14:00 | Mapping queerness in postcolonial South Asian worlds by , Associate Professor, Women, Gender, Sexuality ´óÏó´«Ã½, University of Massachusetts Amherst |
14:30 | Break |
14:45– 16:15 | Panel discussion: The promise and future of queer history making. All speakers are welcome to attend the discussion Chair: Ìý, Professor of Modern History, Birkbeck, London University |
16:30 | Possibility of a guided tour at theÌýQueer exhibitionÌýat the KODE Art Museum (KODE 1, Nordahl Bruns gate 9). |
Watch recordings from day two, part one:
Watch recordings from day two, part two: