NOG Masterclass: Paradoxes of Trans Recognition

CQ Quinan

3-4 June: 13.15-16.00h
Utrecht University

On Tuesday June 3, and Wednesday June 4, dr. CQ Quinan (University of Melbourne, AUS), will give the NOG Masterclass ‘Paradoxes of Trans Recognition’.

Paradox is a central trope in trans studies – we might even say that transness is, quite simply, flooded with paradoxes. This masterclass will zero in on two such paradoxes or double-edged swords integral to struggles for trans rights: recognition and representation/visibility. For example, we might fight for legal recognition, but what happens when this leads to being ‘recognized’ in other ways, including by tools of state surveillance? How can increased representation and visibility actually come with diminished life chances for some trans people? In addition to engaging with these questions, we will also touch upon broader debates around resistance in the fields of trans studies and queer theory. In this current political climate – which is both neoliberal and illiberal, with overtones of fascism – we will also ask if recognition and representation are the most appropriate tools to fight for social justice and gender liberation.

Biography

CQ Quinan is a Senior Lecturer in Gender Studies at the University of Melbourne. CQ’s expertise lies in the fields of trans studies and queer theory, with a particular interest on how anxieties around nationality and racial difference come to be transposed onto queer, trans, and gender diverse bodies and subjectivities. Their current research focuses on nonbinary legal recognition and the impacts that biometric security technologies have on trans and nonbinary lives.

Details Masterclass

Date & Time: June 3 & 4, 2025, 13:15-16:00h
Location: Tuesday June 3 – Drift 25, room 001 // Wednesday June 4 – Drift 25, room 105. Both rooms are wheelchair accessible.
Contact Person: c.quinan@unimelb.edu.au
ECTS: 1 or 2 ects (1 for attendance, 2 for completing a written assignment. You will receive further information on the assignment a few weeks ahead of the masterclass).
Registration: Please send an email to nog@uu.nl with as a subject line ‘registration masterclass CQ’. Specify the amount of ECTs you aim to receive.

** the reading for this masterclass will follow in the upcoming weeks**