Feminist Perspectives, in collaboration with the Gender Studies Network, is excited to announce a one-day conference on the contemporary politics of sex.

Sex is a crucial terrain of struggles over power, identity, and freedom in the digital age. New technologies are reshaping sexual practices from AI companions and VR simulated intimacy, to sexual deepfakes and algorithmic moderation of sexual content online. The sex work industry has been altered by the rise of digital platform labour, whilst age-old debates over (de)criminalisation rage strong. Across the globe, religio-conservative interest groups are mobilising to fight against comprehensive sex education, as well as LGBTQIA+ inclusive curricula, at a time when digital access to sexual (health) information is also increasing. Similarly, the fight for reproductive justice has intensified as sexual and reproductive rights have been rolled back in many countries, and reproductive governance remains informed by racialised injustices across the globe. This conference attends to the interlocking and conflicting facets of contemporary sexual politics.

The conference will include panels on sex education, sex work, sex in art and culture, masculinities, digitally mediated desire, sexual violence, pushing the boundaries of desire, and constituting sexual subjects. We'll finish the day with an unmissable keynote by Feminist Perspectives’ own Dr Chloe Locatelli on sextech and the future of sex.

Attendance is free and the conference will be hybrid. The conference will take place at King’s College, Strand Campus. Tickets can be obtained from Eventbrite.

Code of Conduct: Sex! Conference is committed to being a feminist, trans-inclusive, and anti-racist space. We expect attendees to join us in this commitment.

For any queries, please contact the conference organisers Dr Lea Happ and Dr Saskia Zielińska on femperspectivesconference26@gmail.com.