We are pleased to invite you to a symposium that brings together civil society actors and researchers to explore how queerness and religion intersect across local, national, and transnational contexts. The symposium will take place in Malmö, Sweden, lunch‑to‑lunch, 8–9 April 2026.
The first day is open to the public and centres on civil society perspectives. It features a local panel on the possibilities and challenges of queer interfaith solidarities, as well as a transnational panel on queer Muslim community‑building with speakers from organisations located in Turkey, the UK and the Nordics. The day also provides space for conversation, reflection, and networking across organisational and national boundaries. This day is organised in collaboration with ABF Malmö Sydväst and Page28.
Preliminary schedule for the first day:
14.30–15.00 Drop in with an opportunity for networking
15.00–16.30 PANEL 1: Queer interfaith solidarities – local perspectives
16.30–17.00 Coffee break
17.00–18.30 PANEL 2: Queer Muslim community building – transnational perspectives
19.00– Optional dinner (where participants cover their own expenses)
The second day is an academic workshop for researchers working on - or interested in working on - the intersection between queerness and religion. Together, we will discuss how lived experiences of queer religious communities are represented in academic work, what gaps remain in current scholarship, and how we might imagine future collaborative research. Very short presentations from participants will be followed by group discussions and opportunities for planning joint projects or publications. Attendance on the first day is optional but strongly recommended, as it provides essential grounding for the workshop.
Preliminary schedule for the second day:
09:00–10.30 Introduction to the day and of the participating researchers
10:30–10:45 Coffee break
10:45–12:00 Workshop on questions such as: How are we, as researchers, informed by the lived experiences shared on day 1? What is lacking in contemporary research on queerness & religion? How do we imagine future research?
12:00–12:15 Short break
12:15–12:45 Closing reflections on how we want to move forward beyond the symposium
13:00– Optional lunch (where participants cover their own expenses)
More information about the symposium will be published at www.levbarhet.se/symposium
To participate in the research workshop, please submit a short description of yourself as a researcher and how your work relates to the study of queerness and religion (max 100 words) in this form by 8 March 2026. We will confirm participation by 13 March 2026. Once your participation is confirmed, you will receive venue information along with suggestions for accommodation and travel. Please note that we are not able to cover travel or accommodation expenses.
We look forward to seeing you in Malmö!
The organisation team
Zeynep Kuyumcu, Gothenburg University
Anna Holmqvist, Uppsala University
Elin Lundell, Lund University
Onur Kılıç, Umeå University
The symposium is organised as part of Liveability at the Crossroads of Religion, Gender and Sexuality, a research project at the Division of Gender Studies at Lund University funded by Forte, with additional support from the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul.