Sapphic desire in the margins: Queer diaspora in Contemporary Irish Literature

• Grant number: 24/00074-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2024
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Literature - Modern Foreign Languages
• Principal Investigator: Laura Patricia Zuntini de Izarra
• Grantee: Esther Gazzola Borges
• Supervisor: Anne Marie Mulhall
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: University College Dublin, Ireland
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/04123-9 - Sapphic desire in the margins: queer diaspora in Irish contemporary literature, BP.DR

Abstract

The present proposal is part of the research project titled 'Queer Diaspora in Contemporary Irish Literature,' which intersects literature with diaspora studies, sexuality, and race. The dissertation uses the novels The Henna Wars and Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by author Adiba Jaigirdar as objects of study, employing the theoretical perspective of Queer Diaspora as presented by Anne Marie Fortier, defining it as the "the condition of exile and estrangement experienced by queer subjects, which locates them outside the confines of 'home': the heterosexual family, the nation, the homeland.". Throughout the research development, the analysis revealed that the marginalizations of the characters are formulated through the intersection of their sexuality, religion, and racialization. This leads them to face hostility not solely due to their belonging to certain identity groups but particularly because they belong to identity groups seen as opposites, resulting in the development of the term 'Multiple Identitary DisPlacements' (MIDP).This project aims to develop the second part of the doctoral thesis, focusing on presenting the theoretical aspect, comprising three chapters: 2.1 : Theoretical Context (Queer theoretical base focusing on non-white women and their representation in media, diaspora studies, constructions of migration and racialization, and the development of the terms Queer Diaspora and MIDP), 2.2: Historical Context (Irish-Immigrant relations, particularly post-Celtic Tiger era, and issues of sexuality in Bangladesh and the Muslim community), and 2.3: Literary Context (overview and analysis of other contemporary authors addressing Queer diaspora issues, both in the same genre as the author and others). Following the theoretical frameworks of Anne Marie Fortier (2001, 2002, 2003), Avtar Brah (1996), Shamira Meghani (2015, 2019), Anne Mullhall (2016, 2020, 2024), Jasbir Puar (2017), Moynah Sullivan (2007, 2009, 2017) Gayatri Gopinath (2005), Pilar Villar-Argáiz (2013), the research period at University College Dublin will focus on understanding the Irish context post-Celtic Tiger concerning the reception of immigrants, especially racialized immigrants, and the overlay of immigration/racialization issues with sexuality in a theoretical and historical context.