Call for Papers - Volume 12 (2023) "Trans & Two-Spirit Histories"

Across the world, trans antagonism is increasingly predicated upon ahistorical claims of trans peoples’ novelty in the twenty-first century. After decades of radical historical research, it is more clear than ever that the textual, ephemeral, and oral historical archives of trans pasts are far from empty. On the contrary, stories of trans life and possibility abound in countless temporal, cultural, and geographical contexts. On the continent otherwise known as ‘North America,’ rich histories of Black and Indigenous trans and Two-Spirit life foreground the trans present, with powerful resurgence and recovery of these stories taking place today. Here and elsewhere, trans possibilities of endless forms can be found scattered throughout the works of archaeology, literature, ethnography, visual art, oral tradition, and more. Brought together, our histories are multidimensional; in addition to presumed violence and suppression, trans and Two-Spirit pasts echo with great resilience, joy, humour, contradiction, defiance, and even monotony. Despite an uptick in this area of historical research, though, outlets for trans and Two-Spirit historians to bring these stories to life are minimal. For students and early-career scholars, these opportunities are near non-existent.

 In response to the growing demand for this research, and to provide opportunities for emerging scholars, the University of Victoria’s graduate-student journal Graduate History Review is proud to announce a special volume, “Trans & Two-Spirit Histories.” This instalment will be written, edited, and published by trans and Two-Spirit graduate students or recent graduates. Starting now, we are accepting submissions on a rolling basis through April 10th, 2023. Once final decisions are made by May 1st, selected authors will revise and copy-edit throughout the summer, in anticipation of publication and launch in September.

We are looking for full-length articles (5,000 - 6,500 words) of original historical research, along with critical commentaries (1,000 - 2,500 words) responding to trans and Two-Spirit histories as a field and/or possibility. Our framing of “trans” and “Two-Spirit” is as broad and generous as possible, open to various forms of gendered and sexual embodiment throughout time, space, and language, but with the latter term a specifically Indigenous one. As our journal and university are situated atop the lands of the Lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples — including the Songhees, Esquimalt, and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples — the naming of “Two-Spirit” in this volume intends to acknowledge local, land-based queer and trans Indigenous histories. We are, however, open to any and all trans-adjacent or aligned histories from any time, culture, or geography. Scholarship from and about Black and Indigenous trans and Two-Spirit peoples is especially encouraged in this volume. To read more about the journal and our submission guidelines, visit uvic.ca/ghr. To support the professional development of trans and Two-Spirit students, we are also looking for additional volunteer peer reviewers, for as much or as little labour as you would like to give. To ask about joining our team or for any other inquiries, email us at gradhistoryreview@gmail.com.

 

We look forward to hearing from you!

Jamey Jesperson (she/her) &

Chris Aino Pihlak (she/her) 

For more information contact gradhistoryreview@gmail.com.