Newsletter Gender, Sexual Behavior, Politics, and Communities SSSP INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Message from Co-Chair Chair Introduction Book Release Publications Upcoming SSSP Sessions Upcoming Award Opportunities Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/10015371/ Message from Co-Chair Kat Fuller Happy Fall! Thank you for being a part of the Gender, Sexual Behavior, Politics, and Communities (GSBPC) division. By joining and reading this newsletter, you already contribute to the division through your interest alone. I want to remind everyone that our research, engagement, and learning make our community essential to resistance. I would also like to share that my fellow Co-Chair, Hannah Regan, has stepped down from her position due to family responsibilities. I sincerely appreciate her contributions and dedication to the GSBPC Division, and extend my warmest congratulations to Hanan and her growing family, and wish them all the best! For now, I will continue serving as the Division's sole Co-Chair, and we will select a new Co-Chair soon. I look forward to welcoming our new Co Chair and continuing to work with our members! I also want to let members know that the 2027 SSSP Conference Call for Papers is coming in soon! It will take place in Chicago. Given the current climate in the United States, as noted last year, it’s completely understandable if you decide not to attend, especially considering safety concerns for non-US citizens and trans and non-binary scholars in SSSP. Your well-being is top priority. The theme for the 77th SSSP Annual Conference, “Building Communities for Radical Change,” reflects the urgent need to reconsider sociology’s role in addressing systemic inequalities and advancing meaningful social transformation. Fall 2026 Drawing on SSSP founder Alfred McClung Lee’s vision of a “humanist sociology,” the theme emphasizes community engagement, collective liberation, and accountability to marginalized communities. It challenges sociologists to move beyond traditional academic boundaries and actively confront racial capitalism, gendered violence, settler colonialism, and neoliberalism. Through abolitionist praxis, mutual aid, collective resistance, and public engagement, the conference encourages scholars, activists, and community members to imagine new possibilities for sociology grounded in solidarity, emancipatory action, and radical social change. GSBPC is sponsoring and co-sponsoring upcoming sessions covering a range of topics, including race and ethnicity, digital media, reproductive care, and works in progress. Please read below about the sessions if you are interested in submitting your paper for one or two of them! On that note, if you have published a book recently (between 2025 and 2026), I encourage you to apply for the C. Wright Mills Award. As a committee member, I would love to see submissions relevant to our division! Below, learn about recent publications shared by some of our fellow members for this newsletter, along with other awards to apply for. I would like to close this message with the words of Andre Lorde: “Without community, there is no liberation.” I hope you have a wonderful fall season! Thank you for your continued support and involvement in the GSBPC Division. I look forward to seeing the meaningful contributions you will continue to make! Kat Fuller Introduction Kat Fuller is a PhD student in sociology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Fuller is also the co-founder of the Canadian Institute for Far-Right Studies (CIFRS). Fuller served as a co-guest editor for the recent special issue of the Bulletin of Applied Transgender Studies (BATS) focused on transphobic online disinformation. Currently, Fuller is the guest co-editor for an upcoming special issue of the Journal of Right-Wing Studies on techno-authoritarianism. Fuller's research interests include far-right radicalization, disinformation, and online spaces, especially in the context of anti-gender movement. Fuller is also co editing a volume that critically examines how both alternative media (also known as alt-tech) and mainstream platforms are utilized by the far-right movement to spread disinformation and promote acceptance of fascism. Recent Book Release Winner of 2026 Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship Book Award, given by the American Sociological Association, Latina/o Sociology Section Honorable Mention for 2026 Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship Book Award, given by the American Sociological Association, Race, Gender, Class Section Dr. Fatima Suarez, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. https://www.latinofathers.com/ In Latino Fathers, Fatima Suarez explores how Latino men experience fatherhood and navigate cultural expectations, parenting challenges, work-life balance, and relationships with their own fathers. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 60 Latino fathers in California, Suarez highlights their personal experiences, including joy, struggles, resentment, uncertainty, and hope. The book examines how social and economic inequalities shape Latino men's parenting experiences and their ability to meet societal expectations of being a “good father.” Suarez also explores how these men challenge, negotiate, and sometimes reinforce traditional ideas of masculinity and fatherhood. Through their personal stories, the book challenges stereotypes about Latino fathers while emphasizing how cultural norms, family relationships, and structural barriers influence parenting and family life Publications Fuller, Kat. Extra Credit for Transphobia: Canada’s Risk of Anti Intellectualism. The Canadian Institute for Far-Right Studies. (September 2026) Fuller, Kat. The Politics of Fear: The Media Hype Around Detransition Regret. Hype Studies. (July 2026) Fuller, Kat. (2026, May 12). Becoming myself: Marrying a man and having children wasn’t my dream, but could I be queer? [Online]. The Sociological Review Magazine. https://doi.org/10.51428/tsr.hvtr6414 Sorensen, Haniel. “Inside Canada’s Conservative Identity Crisis ⋆ The Breach.” The Breach, 18 June 2026, https://breachmedia.ca/inside-canadas conservative-identity-crisis/ . Yang, Yuchen. 2026. “Raewyn Connell’s Critique of ‘Intersectionality’: A Reconsideration.” Men and Masculinities. Online First: https://doi.org/10.1177/1097184X261488829 We’re also happy to highlight our members’ publications on LinkedIn upon request! Upcoming Sessions for 2027 Annual Meeting Digital Spaces and Gender This session examines how digital technologies and online spaces shape experiences of “doing” gender and power dynamics. It considers how social media, online communities, gaming platforms, and other digital environments can reproduce existing gender inequalities while also creating opportunities for resistance, community-building, and self-expression. The session explores topics such as online harassment and gender-based violence, digital activism, representation, and the ways people perform or negotiate gender online. It also considers how gender intersects with race, class, sexuality, and other forms of social difference, shaping how individuals experience, participate in, and navigate digital spaces. CRITICAL DIALOGUE: The Politics of Reproductive and Gender Affirmative Care In 2026, 63 anti-trans bills have been passed so far, 17 of which involve healthcare. These policies are part of a broader politicized healthcare environment in which access to reproductive healthcare is increasingly shaped by legislation, public discourse, and competing definitions of bodily autonomy. This session invites papers that attend to the politics of reproductive health, including (environmental) reproductive justice, gender-affirming care, sexual and reproductive health education, abortion, contraception, surrogacy, fertility, the overmedicalization of pregnancy, reproductive healthcare and provision in carceral settings, and other forms of embodied healthcare. We also welcome papers that examine how individuals and communities navigate, negotiate, and resist these mechanisms of regulation and control in the pursuit of a more equitable reproductive future. Chicago, Illinois - August 5-8 Gendered Carework in Communities and Families amidst the Neoliberal Assault on Safety Net Programs and Policies The social welfare state in the U.S. was threadbare, even before the assaults on funding and administration in the Trump regime. Only now are impacts from recent legislation being seen and felt, across areas of food insecurity, rental assistance, disability supports and services, and access to healthcare. Families so often have no choice but to absorb these impacts, with unequal ramifications according to gender and sexuality. In response, there are worlds of resistance and compensation—both individual and collective— which this session is devoted to describing and reflecting on. Only weeks from a pivotal midterm election in the U.S., formal policy advocacy or critique are welcome. Biopolitics in Place: Bodies, Technology, and Power Across Rural and Urban Spaces This interdisciplinary panel explores different ways to identify, understand, study, and eradicate social problems related to power, the body, technology, and the environment across the rural / urban divide. In both rural and urban areas, when facing hazardous conditions, political pressure, discrimination, and bodily threats, cisgender and heterosexual men are less affected than women and LGBTQ+ people, especially BIPOC and people with disabilities. By creating space to discuss sexuality, sociology, public health, environmental, political, and economic realities, technological and industrial conditions, communities, families, survival, dreams, resistance, and spirituality, we hope to bring together in an academic setting lived rural and urban experiences. We welcome scholarly research, creative work, talks by frontline community members, activists, and/or practitioners, and demonstration ideas. Chicago, Illinois - August 5-8 Upcoming Sessions for 2027 Annual Meeting The Influence of Audre Geraldine Lorde: The Continuation in Intersectionality’s Emergence, Development, and Evolution within Academia Living from 1934 to 1992, Audre Geraldine Lorde remains a critical voice in the continuing emergence, development, and evolution of intersectionality analyses across social justice activism and radical justice-centered academia. The continued work within communities of radical activist intersectional academics across now countless fields of study, influenced by Lorde’s body of work, is critical to illuminating the path toward a just world in these most dim times, both within the United States and internationally. This regular session requests paper submissions with an intersectional analytical framework that examines how social oppressions and privileges across various social intersections, throughout the spectrum of both marginalized and privileged identities and communities, factor into and shape the continuing struggles for true social liberation for all! Racial and Gender Disparities: Latina/e Experiences in Academia Since 2010, Latina women have outpaced their Latino male counterparts in earning advanced degrees (Mora and Lopez 2023). Although Latina students are making significant strides in advancing Latinos' educational attainment, they remain severely underrepresented compared with their counterparts across racial and gender groups. Latinas in academia, across the student, staff, and faculty body, are defending their place in higher education and helping transform and reimagine this historically white-male centered space. This regular paper session invites submissions on the experiences of Latinas/es as they navigate the academy, including the challenges they encounter and/ or the strategies they employ for resistance and success. Chicago, Illinois - August 5-8 Upcoming Sessions for 2027 Annual Meeting CRITICAL DIALOGUE: Impacts of and Responses to Governmental Attacks on LGBTQIA+ Right Though uneven and halting, LGBTQIA+ rights saw progressive expansion during the half century from the 1970s-2010s, in the U.S. and around much of the world. The 2020s, however, have been characterized by a marked governmental retreat from such protections. This has been quite notable when it comes to restrictions being placed on the rights of trans, nonbinary, and intersex individuals. This session explores how LGBTQIA+ communities have been impacted, and how they and allies have organized to respond. Works-In-Progress: Gender, Sexual Behavior, Politics, and Communities A roundtable for scholars, students, and professionals to share works-in-progress and give and receive constructive feedback. Projects may address any topic related to the GSBPC Division. See more information about annual conference The location will be at Palmer House Hilton Hotel Chicago, Illinois - August 5-8 GRADUATE STUDENT PAPER AWARD Deadline: 1/31/27 The Gender, Sexual Behavior, Politics, and Communities Division (GSPC) invites graduate students to submit papers for the 2027 Graduate Student Paper Award Competition. Papers may be empirical and/or theoretical and may be on any aspect of gender and sexualities, broadly defined. Two winners will be selected: one for gender scholarship and one for sexualities (broadly). The winners will receive a cash award of $100, an electronic certificate of recognition, student membership in SSSP for 2027, and complimentary registration for the 2027 Annual Meeting to help the winners attend the meeting. The winners will be invited to present the winning paper at one of the GSPC sessions at the 2027 SSSP Annual Meeting. To be eligible, a paper must meet the following criteria: The applicant must be a graduate student at the time of submission; The applicant must be the first (lead) author on the paper; The paper must not be co-authored with a faculty member or a colleague who is not a student; The paper must not have been submitted to or accepted for publication; The paper must not have been presented previously at SSSP or presented or accepted for presentation at other professional meetings, unless they have been revised substantially with new data, findings, or theoretical contributions; The paper must not exceed 30 pages including notes, references, and tables; The paper must be typed using the 12-point font in either Times New Roman or a similar sized font; Student papers may only be submitted to one of the SSSP division award competitions. U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is not a requirement to be eligible for this award. All submitting authors are required to submit their papers through the Annual Meeting Call for Papers process as a condition for consideration for the award. Please submit your paper to be considered for the GSPC Division Graduate Student Paper Competition electronically as a Microsoft Word or PDF file to Kat Fuller at kat.fuller@unlv.edu. Paper submission must be dated via electronic time/date stamp on or before 1/31/27. OUTSTANDING ARTICLE AWARD Deadline: 1/15/27 The Gender, Sexual Behavior, Politics, and Communities Division (GSPC) invites members to submit papers for the 2027 Outstanding Article Award. For the 2027 award, the division will consider peer-reviewed articles published between 2025 and 2027. Publication date is determined on the basis of when the paper first becomes available online via a journal’s website, not when it is assigned to a specific issue (i.e., as soon as a paper becomes publicly available, it is considered “published” for the purposes of this award). Papers may be empirical and/or theoretical and may be in the areas of politics of gender and sexualities, broadly defined. Two winners will be selected: one for gender scholarship and one for sexualities (broadly). The winners will receive a cash award of $50 and will be featured in the division newsletter. To be eligible, the article must meet the following criteria: The article must have been published by a peer-reviewed journal between January 1, 2025 and January 1, 2027; The article may be written by students or faculty, solo or co-authored; The article may only be submitted to one SSSP division’s Outstanding Scholar competition. Winners are expected to attend the GSPC Division business meeting at the 2027 SSSP Annual Meeting. Applicants must submit a brief letter explaining how their article advances gender scholarship and a PDF copy of their article to Kat Fuller at kat.fuller@unlv.edu. Submissions must be dated via electronic time/date stamp on or before 1/15/27. Self nominations are encouraged and must be dated via electronic time/date stamp on or before 1/15/27. POETRY SLAM/TALENT SHOW The Poetry Slam/Talent Show will take place on Thursday, August 5, from 5:45pm-7:30pm (Central Time). We are seeking submissions for 5-15 minute performances related to the conference theme, “Building Communities for Radical Change,” that can bridge education, resistance, and entertainment. Examples may include but are not limited to poetry readings, drag performances, music and singing, skits, and stand-up comedy. We are also looking for volunteers to showcase their talents as Master of Ceremonies for the event. Submissions must include: Name, affiliation, and e-mail address Title of the performance A brief description of the performance type and number of minutes requested (not to exceed 15 minutes) A description of the performance (100-200 words), highlighting connections to the conference theme All Poetry Slam/Talent Show proposals must be submitted online. ART EXHIBIT The Art Exhibit will take place on Friday, August 6, from 1:30pm-3:00pm (Central Time). Calling all artists! We would like to feature your artistic creations, including but not limited to paintings, photography, digital art, sculptures, pottery, and jewelry. Artists are expected to remain with and are responsible for their piece during the exhibit. Space is limited to 1 submission per attendee. Easels are limited, so freestanding or table-sized pieces are preferred. Submissions must include: Name, affiliation, and e-mail address Title of the art piece and its medium A brief description of the size of the piece and how it will be displayed (e.g., freestanding, on a table, or on an easel) A description of the art piece (100-200 words), highlighting any connections to the conference theme All Art Exhibit proposals must be submitted online. DEADLINE Submissions for both events must be received no later than January 31, 2027. For questions, please contact the Program Committee at skcarter@ucf.edu Upcoming Award Opportunities SSSP Awards Arlene Kaplan Daniels Paper Award: Recognizes scholarship on women’s contributions to society. Doris Wilkinson Faculty Leadership Award: Honors outstanding faculty leadership in academia and communities. Indigenous Peoples’ Social Justice Award: Recognizes organizations advancing Indigenous social justice in the Annual Meeting’s host city. Joseph B. Gittler Award: Honors scholarship addressing the ethical resolution of social problems. Kathleen S. Lowney Mentoring Award: Recognizes outstanding mentorship of students, scholars, and activists. Application Deadline: April 15 (for all listed awards except the Indigenous Peoples’ Social Justice Award, whose deadline is unspecified). Travel Fund Awards Erwin O. Smigel Award: Provides financial assistance to unemployed or underemployed sociologists with advanced degrees who are not full-time students. Lee Scholar Support Fund: Supports international scholars from oppressed or marginalized communities outside the Global South in attending the Annual Meeting. Lee Student Support Fund: Helps student members cover conference attendance and participation expenses. Transnational Initiatives Fund: Provides partial travel support to scholars from the Global South and other economically or politically marginalized regions. Application Deadline for All Awards: March 15 C. Wright Mills Award: Honors an outstanding book that reflects C. Wright Mills’ sociological tradition of examining the relationship between individuals and society. D