On Thursday 25th, at 9am Sydney time (GMT+11), I will be presenting on my research at Macquarie University’s Early Career Researcher Showcase as one of the three ECR research champions of the Faculty of Arts. As per the text on the website:

For the second year in a row only twelve of our best researchers across four faculties will have the chance to present their ground-breaking, world-changing research to the wide university community. They will have only five minutes to showcase their research to you and an esteemed judging panel. Developed by and for Macquarie’s early career researchers, the Showcase offers an opportunity for the wider community to engage with the work of emerging field-leaders from a diverse mix of Departments and Schools across all Faculties at Macquarie University.

My presentation, titled “Asian Popular Culture Fandom in Australia and its Emancipatory Impacts for LGBTQ+ Youth,” draws on the research I have been doing among queer fans of Japanese and Korean popular culture around the globe and my exploration of the entanglements of Australia and Asia through media fandom. Here is the brief abstract:

Despite significant legal gains surrounding the recognition of same-sex marriage, LGBTQ+ communities continue to face widespread discrimination in Australia. Further, young people from sexual minority communities are more likely than average to experience mental health issues, including higher suicide rates. My research reveals that one surprising space where LGBTQ+ youth have found support and resources to combat their marginalization is within fandoms for Japanese and Korean media. My ongoing ethnographic research into Asian media fandom in Australia uncovers how these media produce new sexual imaginaries and gendered knowledge with emancipatory affects among a broad spectrum of LGBTQ+ youth.

I do hope you would consider joining me for the day as well as to see the excellent work being conducted by Early Career Researchers across the four faculties at Macquarie University!

Registration via this link is essential.