Call for Papers - Gender and Sexuality in Southeast Asia: Contemporary Perspectives and Local Knowledge Systems
About This Collection
Contemporary scholarship on gender and sexuality must include the rich intellectual traditions and diverse lived experiences emerging from Southeast Asia. This edited volume seeks to center Southeast Asian voices and perspectives in gender and sexuality studies, highlighting the region's unique contributions to global conversations while addressing the complex intersections of tradition, modernity, and social transformation.
Southeast Asia's dynamic societies offer compelling sites for examining how gender and sexual identities are constructed, negotiated, and lived across diverse cultural, religious, and political contexts. From the gender-fluid traditions found in various indigenous communities to contemporary LGBTQ+ movements navigating state policies and social acceptance, the region presents a rich tapestry of experiences that both challenge and expand existing theoretical frameworks.
This collection aims to showcase scholarship that develops conceptual and theoretical insights grounded in Southeast Asian contexts, drawing from vernacular archives, local knowledge systems, and community-based research. We particularly welcome contributions that examine how global processes of modernization, digitalization, and neoliberalism intersect with local practices and understandings of gender and sexuality.
Eligibility
This call is open to scholars who are from Southeast Asia. We define Southeast Asia as including Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Scholars may be based anywhere in the world but must have Southeast Asian origins.
Scope and Approach
We welcome contributions from diverse disciplines, including but not limited to anthropology, sociology, history, literature, cultural studies, political science, religious studies, philosophy, communication, and media studies. We particularly encourage:
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches
Community-based and participatory research methodologies
Integration of indigenous knowledge systems and local theoretical frameworks
Critical engagement with theoretical paradigms through Southeast Asian lenses
Attention to intersectionality, including considerations of class, race, ethnicity, religion, age, and ability
Possible Topics
Contributors may address any aspect of gender and sexuality in Southeast Asian contexts. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
Historical and Cultural Perspectives:
Pre-colonial and colonial histories of gender and sexuality
Traditional gender systems and their contemporary transformations
Religious and spiritual dimensions of gender and sexual identity
Ritual and ceremonial expressions of gender diversity
Contemporary Social Issues:
LGBTQ+ rights movements and activism across the region
State policies and legal frameworks affecting gender and sexual minorities
Family structures and changing kinship patterns
Gender-based violence and advocacy responses
Identity and Representation:
Gender and sexual identity formation in multicultural societies
Representation in media, literature, and popular culture
Social media and digital identity construction
Generational differences in gender and sexual expression
Intersectional Analyses:
Gender, sexuality, and migration patterns
Economic development and changing gender roles
Environmental change and gendered impacts
Disability, gender, and sexuality intersections
Transnational Connections:
Cross-border marriages and relationships
Regional networks of gender and sexuality activism
Diaspora communities and transnational identities
Global feminisms and local adaptations
Theoretical Contributions:
Developing Southeast Asian feminist and queer theories
Critiquing and expanding gender and sexuality paradigms
Indigenous concepts of gender and their contemporary relevance
Decolonizing gender and sexuality studies
Submission Guidelines
Abstract Submission: Please submit a 500-word abstract outlining your proposed chapter, along with a brief biographical note (100 words per author) highlighting your relevant expertise and Southeast Asian background.
Full Chapter Requirements: Selected contributors will be invited to submit full chapters of 7,000 words, including abstract, keywords, and references.
Language: All submissions should be in British English, following Peter Lang's Style Guideline.
Deadline for Abstracts: November 30, 2025
Notification of Acceptance: January 31, 2026
Full Chapter Deadline: April 30, 2026
Submission and Contact Information
You may send your abstracts and biographical notes as PDF attachments to: jslabor@up.edu.ph and mtpayongayong@up.edu.ph
Subject line: "CFP: Gender and Sexuality in Southeast Asia - [Your Last Name]"
About the Editors
Dr. Jonalou S. Labor is a communication scholar at the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Media and Communication and is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Aarhus University School of Culture and Society, Denmark. He studies communication and technology, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in the Global South.
Dr. Ma. Theresa T. Payongayong is a philosopher at the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. She is currently a Board Member of the International Association of Women Philosophers, convenor of the ASEAN University Network on Gender Justice and Inclusion, and President of the Pambansang Samahan sa Pilosopiyang Pilipino. She researches feminist philosophy, philosophy for children, and Filipino philosophy.
