[CALL FOR PAPERS] 2027 Penn Graduate Conference in GSWS

From its very inception, the field of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies was closely related to local and global struggles for social justice. Feminist and queer theorists have analyzed the social construction of identity categories across history, challenging dominant ideologies that stigmatized individuals and communities on the basis of gender and sexuality, as well as race, class, and other factors. In recent years, we are witnessing a powerful backlash that targets not only non-heteronormative individuals, but also the critical research on gender and sexuality in academia. As of 2026, over 50 Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies departments and centers have been shut down across universities in the United States (Jones & Contreras). As scholars in the field, we must reckon with the social and political processes that underlie this reactionary movement, and reflect on the mission and methodologies of gender and sexuality studies at the university, from its origins to the present day.

The Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies Graduate Conference at the University of Pennsylvania will be held in Philadelphia on Saturday, February 27, 2027. It is an interdisciplinary forum that invites advanced graduate students to reflect on and discuss the past, present, and future of critical research on gender and sexuality in academia. We welcome papers from various academic disciplines (including, but not limited to history, literary and media studies, political science, sociology and anthropology) that critically examine the current state of affairs through the lens of gender, sexuality and women’s studies.

To apply:

Submit your abstract, not to exceed 300 words, via this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScMJcHBK9pCe2RLg-Aehw_WvL5xH3A1UVrFTdVvlLAS2MxaFg/viewform by December 14, 2026. 

Speakers will be asked to pre-circulate their papers among fellow-panelists and a faculty respondent.

Key dates:

• December 14, 2026: Applications due
• Early January, 2027: Decisions announced
• February 1: Papers due for pre-circulation to faculty respondents and panel members
• February 27, 2027: Penn Graduate Conference in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at the University of Pennsylvania

This conference is generously sponsored by The Trustees’ Council of Penn Women.

Our thanks to Paige Jones & Kristian Contreras (2026) for compiling a living document that tracks the closure of Women’s Studies Programs across the United States.