CFP: Theorising Transphobia and Dehumanisation

The aim of this workshop is to explore the relationship between dehumanisation and transphobia. There has been an uptick in philosophical attention to dehumanisation in recent years, yet its application to trans experience remains underexplored. This gap is especially troubling given the recent rapid rise in transphobic rhetoric and anti-trans policies, especially in the US and the UK. This workshop seeks to bring together philosophers and scholars from cognate disciplines to explore the possibilities and limitations of analysing transphobia through the lens of dehumanisation.

Papers may address, but are not limited to, the following questions:

·      How should we conceptualise dehumanisation, and does transphobia fit within such a conceptualisation?

·      Does dehumanisation adequately capture the wrongs of transphobia?

·      What is the relationship between objectification and transphobia?

·      How do legal and institutional exclusions of trans people function as mechanisms of dehumanisation?

·      How do dehumanising speech acts function in anti-trans rhetoric?

Abstracts of no more than 400 words should be emailed as an attachment to [email protected] by July 31. Submissions should be anonymised, but please ensure the email contains your name and affiliation. Abstracts should be suitable for a 40-minute presentation.