*PLEASE CIRCULATE*

Dear all, 

Registration is now open for a 2 day conference titled 'Recognising Diversity?: Gender and Sexual Equalities In Principle and Practice', which is organised by Sally Hines and Stefanie Boulila from the Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies, University of Leeds, and will take place on the 20th & 21st June. The conference will be held at 'The Carriage Works' in the center of Leeds.

*Please note, there is no CfP for this conference - all presentations will be given by invited speakers.

Please see the attached Conference Flyer for details of registration fees, and for a link to online registration and venue directions.

Please see the attached Conference Programme for details of speakers and conference schedule.

Numbers are limited so early booking advised.

All very best,
Sally


**********************************************************

Recognising Diversity?: Gender and Sexual Equalities In Principle and Practice

20th & 21st June: Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies, University of Leeds

Recognising Diversity?: Gender and Sexual Equalities In Principle and Practice marks the end of the research project ‘Recognising Diversity?: Equalities In Principle and Practice’, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) (PI. Dr. Sally Hines, Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies (CIGS), University of Leeds). The project was designed to provide knowledge transfer of Sally Hines’ previous research which explored understandings, meanings and significance of the UK Gender Recognition Act (GRA). Set within the context of an increasing legal, policy and political focus on ‘equality’ and ‘diversity,’ and a raft of other legal and policy shifts around gender and sexuality, the GRA promised increased rights and recognition for trans people. Yet, the project found that whilst some trans people were afforded increased levels of citizenship, others were further marginalised. Fuelled by ‘rights based’ claims for inclusion founded on notions of ‘sameness’, findings from the project suggested that equality and diversity agendas fail to account for ‘difference’. This 2 Day Conference explores these issues in relation to UK gender and sexualities equalities and diversities more broadly. In keeping with the aims of the knowledge transfer award, it seeks to bring academics working around equalities and diversities together with policy makers, activists, journalists, artists, and campaigning/support organisations to explore the significance of recent UK cultural, social, political, legal, and policy shifts which address gender and sexuality. The conference will centre the importance of dialogue both across academic disciplines and between academic and non-academic members and user group communities.

Invited speakers will speak to the following themes across the 2 days:

*Community Organising *Policy Change and Resistance
*Intimate Diversities *Intersecting Inequalities
*Cultural Politics *Queer(y)ing Theory and Activism
*Resisting Liberation Narratives *Policies and Practices of Care

Serge Nicholson and Laura Bridgeman will present a reading from There Is No Word For It: Trans MANgina Monologues (Hot Pencil Press) following the Conference Dinner on the first evening. Serge will also introduce his film Trans Guys Are…, which will be screened on day two of the conference. LGBT Youth Theatre Group Side By Side will perform on the second day of the conference. The conference will close with a screening of Jason Elvis Barker’s film Millennium Man and a talk/Q & A with Jason.

For full details of speakers and conference timetable see the Conference Programme at: http://www.gender-studies.leeds.ac.uk/

Registration: Please follow the link below for online registration: http://store.leeds.ac.uk/browse/product.asp?catid=78&modid=1&compid=1

The deadline for registration is Friday 7th June.

Travel, Conference Venue, Conference Dinner, and Accommodation
The conference will be held in The Carriage Works, which is located at No. 3 Millennium Square in the centre of Leeds. The postcode is LS2 3AD
See: carriageworkstheatre.org.uk

The venue is a few minutes’ walk from the train station and there are city center car parking facilities. There is a wide range of nearby accommodation to suit different budgets
The conference dinner will be held in the nearby University of Leeds Refectory and delegates will be guided to the dinner venue from the conference.

Conference Contacts:
Sally Hines: Email: [log in to unmask]; Stefanie Boulila: Email: [log in to unmask]

Conference Fees
2 Day Waged: £150 (including conference dinner) 2 Day Unwaged/Student: £50 (including conference dinner)
Thursday 1 Day Waged: £100 (including conference dinner) Thursday 1 Day Unwaged/Student: £30 (including conference dinner)
Friday 1 Day Waged: £80 Friday 1 Day Unwaged: £25

Dr Sally Hines
Associate Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies, and Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies

School of Sociology and Social Policy
University of Leeds
Leeds
LS2 9JT

T +44 (0)113 343 38273
E [log in to unmask]
___________________