The Gender and Sexuality Studies Reading Group (GSS-RG) (previously the Gender Politics Reading Group) is an interdisciplinary collective dedicated to reading and discussing gender and sexuality scholarship. Comprised of academic staff and postgraduate research students, from across the University, GSS-RG explores cutting edge research, canonical texts and works-in-progress. 

The GSS-RG provides an informal, interactive, and inclusive space for seasoned scholars and early career academics to discuss a range of ideas and arguments. It is organised according to a broadly feminist ethic: sessions are informal, non-hierarchical, non-adversarial, and focus on the collaborative generation of understanding. Members openly recognise and embrace their epistemic vulnerabilities, not least with regards to contingent positionalities. We work in a way that nurtures dialogue and solidarity, without comprising intellectual rigour. We want all gender and sexuality scholars to feel at ease within the group, and would like to extend a particularly warm welcome to those who might feel excluded from other feminist spaces (we are trans-inclusive). 

The GSS-RG has read and discussed work by Maria Lugones, Donna Haraway, Silvia Federici, Cynthia Enloe, Amia Srinivasan, and Sarah Ahmed, to name but a few. All readings are selected by the membership.   

The GSS-RG also runs an annual, month long, ‘Deep Dive’, during which time we consider the work of one theorist in depth. Comprised of lectures, discussion groups, and a carefully curated reading list, this series of events allows time-strapped academics to develop a more thorough understanding of a particular oeuvre.  For details of the 2022 Judith Butler Deep Dive, see here.

All academic staff and PGR students at the University of Edinburgh are welcome. On occasion, staff and students from other institutions have joined the group.

For more details, or to join our mailing list, email Dr Rebecca Hewer: rebecca.hewer@ed.ac.uk