Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Who really belongs? Power, Space and Participation in LGBTQIA+ events

  • Grabher, B. (Presenter)
  • Willem Coetzee (Presenter)
  • Clifford Lewis (Presenter)
  • Shiva Chandra (Presenter)

Activity: External talk or presentation › Invited talk

Description

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) remain marginal concerns in LGBTQIA+ events research and practice.

This panel moves beyond the language of inclusion to critically examine belonging, how individuals experience and feel within LGBTQIA+ event spaces. Emerging research indicates that poorly conceived DEI initiatives may be superficial or even counterproductive, failing to meaningfully engage marginalised and vulnerable communities.

While LGBTQIA+ events play a vital role in fostering social connection and community cohesion, they are also shaped by existing social norms and hierarchies. As such, they can unintentionally reproduce forms of exclusion, influencing who participates and how.

This panel brings together scholars and practitioners to reflect on how LGBTQIA+ events can be more thoughtfully designed to cultivate genuine belonging, challenge entrenched hierarchies, and create more inclusive, equitable, and meaningful experiences for all.
Period1 Jul 2026
Held atWestern Sydney University, Australia
Degree of RecognitionInternational