Lavender Languages and Linguistics Conference

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Lavender Languages & Linguistics Conference
StatusActive
Founded1993
FoundersWilliam Leap

The Lavender Languages and Linguistics Conference is an international conference for LGBT linguistics and other related queer language research and discourse studies.[1] It provides a place for emerging queer linguistics scholarship.[2] The conference is the longest continually running LGBT studies conference in the US.[3]

In 2017 the conference expanded to a Summer Institute[4] with 10 days of class discussion, research opportunities and informal conversations exploring topics of current interest in language and sexuality studies, queer linguistics, and various lavender language themes.

History[edit]

The Lavender Languages and Linguistics Conference was founded in 1993 by William Leap[5][6] to coincide with the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. At the time, research on these topics was considered marginal within linguistics, and the conference was a key place for researchers to come together to discuss issues in the field.[7][8] By the 20th conference, there were over 80 presentations and 150 attendees.[9] The conference was host yearly at American University in Washington, DC until 2017 when the conference began to move each year.

A meta-synthesis of conference abstracts by Paul Baker and published in Milani's chapter in The Oxford Handbook of Language and Society found early work presented at the conference focused on the existence of "gay language" such as Polari and "lesbian language". In line with the trajectory of the field, more recent work has focused on how various linguistic features index different identities.[10]

The Journal of Language and Sexuality (though not officially linked to LavLang) is closely affiliated with the conference.[11] It was an established venue to publish queer linguistics research.[7][12]

Conferences[edit]

Number Year Date Host University City Country Website Notes
1st 1993 April American University Washington, D.C. United States
2nd 1994 American University Washington, D.C. United States
3rd 1995 American University Washington, D.C. United States
4th 1996 September American University Washington, D.C. United States Keynote speakers: Ellen Lewin, Charles Nero, Deborah Tannen, Riki Ann Wilchins
5th 1997 American University Washington, D.C. United States
6th 1998 American University Washington, D.C. United States
7th 1999 American University Washington, D.C. United States
8th 2000 American University Washington, D.C. United States
9th 2002 February American University Washington, D.C. United States
11th 2003 American University Washington, D.C. United States
12th 2004 American University Washington, D.C. United States
13th 2005 American University Washington, D.C. United States
14th 2006 American University Washington, D.C. United States
15th 2008 American University Washington, D.C. United States
16th 2009 February American University Washington, D.C. United States Plenaries: Aren Aizura and Mary Weismantel
17th 2010 April American University Washington, D.C. United States Plenaries/Special Presentations:

Gibran Guido, Ellen Lewin, Andrew Tucker

18th 2011 February American University Washington, D.C. United States Plenaries:

Scott Kiesling, Carlos Decena, Sharif Mowlabocus

19th 2012 February American University Washington, D.C. United States Special Events:
  • Reporting and Writing Queer Temporalities (Panel discussion)
  • Voices from a Chorus(featuring Paula Bresnan Gibson)
  • 1 Girl, 5 Gays and LGBTQ Discourses in School Settings (featuring Philip Tetro)
  • A Reading from “The Bar Notebook” (featuring Bonnie Morris)
20th 2013 February American University Washington, D.C. United States Special Events:
  • Master Class with Tom Boellstorff
  • 20th Annual Conference Reception with AU Pride
21st 2014 February American University Washington, D.C. United States Special Events:
  • Critical Discourse Analysis Workshop with David Peterson
  • Premier of Reinterpreting Bukovac (A Documentary Film)
  • “American Orientation: Interpellation of the Gay Male Subject in Literary Narratives in Taiwan” with Ta-Wei Chi
22nd 2015 February American University Washington, D.C. United States Plenary: Rusty Barrett
23nd 2016 February American University Washington, D.C. United States
24th 2017 April University of Nottingham Nottingham United Kingdom [1] Keynote speakers: Dr Helen Sauntson, York St John University (UK) and Professor Paul Baker, Lancaster University (UK).
25th 2018 April Rhode Island College Providence, Rhode Island United States [2] Keynote speakers: Mie Hiramoto (National University of Singapore) Margot Weiss (Wesleyan University) and Lal Zimman (University of California, Santa Barbara).
26th 2019 May University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden [3] Keynote Speakers: Erika Alm, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Mons Bissenbakker, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Rodrigo Borba, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Holly Cashman, University of New Hampshire, USA, Thabo Msibi, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

27th 2021 May California Institute of Integral Studies San Francisco United States [4] Keynote speakers: Jack Halberstam, Columbia University and Elizabeth Freeman, University of California at Davis

Originally planned to be hosted in 2020 in San Francisco at California Institute of Integral Studies, the conference was postpoponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually moved to an online format in 2021.

28th 2022 May University of Catania Catania Italy [5] Keynote speakers: J Calder, Adriana Di Stefano, Busi Makoni, Pietro Maturi, Tommaso M. Milani, Eva Nossem
29th 2023 March Boise State University Boise United States [5] Keynote speakers: Nikki Lane, Luhui Whitebear, and a Plenary Roundtable "Lavender Languages Past, Present, and Future"

Lavender Languages Summer Institute[edit]

The Lavender Language Institute, a summer program that Leap founded at Florida Atlantic University in 2017, offers training in queer linguistics to undergraduates, grad students, and others interested in language and sexuality studies.

Number Year Date Host University City State Notes
1st 2018 June Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton Florida
2nd 2019 June Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton Florida
3rd 2021 June Florida Atlantic University Originally planned to be hosted in 2020 in person at Florida Atlantic University the conference was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually moved to an online format in 2021.
4th 2022 June Florida Atlantic University
5th 2022 June Florida Atlantic University

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Breaking the Stereotype of LGBTQ Language". www.newswise.com. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  2. ^ Blauenstein, Laura (April 26, 2021). "Lavender Languages Legacy: The No Attitude, Community-Building Conference Comes to CIIS". CIIS News and Events. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  3. ^ Friess, Caitlin (February 7, 2014). "Lavender Languages: Linguistics and Culture for the LGBTQ Community". American University. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  4. ^ "2nd Annual Lavender Languages – Summer Institute". Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  5. ^ "Lavender Language, The Queer Way to Speak". www.out.com. 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  6. ^ "This Month in Linguistics History: Lavender Language/Linguistics | Linguistic Society of America". www.linguisticsociety.org. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  7. ^ a b Jones, Lucy (2021-02-15). "Queer linguistics and identity: The past decade". Journal of Language and Sexuality. 10 (1): 13–24. doi:10.1075/jls.00010.jon. ISSN 2211-3770. S2CID 234078991.
  8. ^ "Definition of lavender language, BuzzWord from Macmillan Dictionary". www.macmillandictionary.com. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  9. ^ DiGuglielmo, Joey (2013-02-14). "Queer conference explores language". Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  10. ^ García, Ofelia; Flores, Nelson; Spotti, Massimiliano, eds. (2016-12-05). "The Oxford Handbook of Language and Society". Oxford Handbooks Online. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190212896.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-021289-6.
  11. ^ "William Leap's Reflections upon Retirement". CaMP Anthropology. 2019-12-15. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  12. ^ Leap, William L.; Motschenbacher, Heiko (eds.). "Journal of Language and Sexuality". JLS. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
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