Trans German Studies Workshop: Contours, Critiques, and Emerging Conversations (Hybrid)

This two-day hybrid workshop brings together scholars at various stages of their careers to explore the emerging field of trans German studies.

Trans German Studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines German-language cultures, histories, and societies through a trans studies perspective, focusing on how gender diversity, embodiment, and identity are represented, lived, and regulated in German-speaking contexts. As a field it not only expands how we understand German culture and history, but also shows how questions of gender, citizenship, medicine, and rights are deeply interconnected, helping scholars and students think more critically about power, belonging, and social justice—both in Germany and beyond.

Engaging with literature, visual culture, archives, and histories from German-speaking Europe and its diasporas, participants will critically reflect on the complex legacies of transness in German contexts—from early sexological frameworks and Weimar-era organizing to the German literary canon and film. The workshop seeks to advance interdisciplinary research, build international networks, and foster both scholarly and creative collaborations in a historically underrepresented area of inquiry.

This workshop is co-organized by Dr. Jonah I. Garde (The University of British Columbia) and Dr. Cedar Lensing-Sharp (University of California, Los Angeles), and hosted in collaboration with Dr. Laurie Marhoefer (University of Washington) and PhD Candidate John O’Hara (University of British Columbia).

How to Attend

This event will be held on May 21, 2026 from 9:00 am – 6:30 pm PT, and May 22, 2026 from 9:30 am – 5:00 pm PT. Attendees can join in-person in Buchanan Tower 997 or online via Zoom. If attending online, please register here.

Thank you to our co-sponsors: the German Academic Exchange Service, the UBC Centre for European Studies, the Centre for Queer and Trans Cultural Praxis (UBC Research Excellence Cluster), the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice, and the UBC Robert Quartermain Centre for SOGI-Inclusive Excellence in Education.