Hosted in association with Queer@King’s, this event explores how in recent years, the visibility of non-binary individuals has greatly increased on both sides of the Atlantic. While the singular "they" has gained favour with many in English-speaking spaces, non-binary French-speaking people have faced other challenges regarding language and syntax, given the binary nature of French grammar. In the latter half of the last decade, students of French and other bi-gendered languages began asking instructors for guidance on how to navigate and express non-binary gender in those languages.

With an intent to respond in ways that are linguistically coherent and also culturally situated, Vinay Swamy has researched and written on the French context and the import of imbricated relationships between language, gender and nation. In this talk, Swamy will examine the stakes at hand in creating and sustaining inclusive and expansive possibilities within Francophone linguistic, cultural and educational spaces.