Trump, anti-gender politics and academic freedom
This panel conversation is open to everyone and is part of "Sex and politics in a global perspective", a combined seminar series, PhD and master course organised by SKOK, LawTransform and SkeivForsk.
Main content
In spring 2025, SKOK, LawTransform and Skeivforsk organize a cross-disciplinary combined seminar series, PhD and master course about the dynamics between sex and politics in a global perspective. Read more about the course here.
On 6 May, we'll have a panel conversation about Trump, anti-gender politics and academic freedom with Haley McEwen (University of Gothenburg), Jon Braddy (Florida Gulf Coast University) and Kari Jegerstedt (UiB). Randi Gressgård will moderate the discussion.
Under the current Trump administration, federal agencies have been instructed to remove terms like 'gender', 'sexuality' and 'diversity' from official documents and websites as part of a comprehensive anti-gender strategy.
This censorship has sparked debates about the erosion of academic freedom and the broader implications for research and education.
The panel
- Haley McEwen is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Political Science at University of Gothenburg. She has published extensively on anti-gender politics, including a SAIH report on the global anti-gender movement and its attacks on academic freedom, titled Un/knowing & Un/doing Sexuality & Gender Diversity.
- Jon Braddy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and Philosophy at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). Until recently, he co-ran an international course on queer theory with UiB as one of the partner universities. His institution has now cancelled the course until further notice, leaving his teaching position, students and partners in limbo – testifying to the repercussions of Trump’s politics and the influence of the global anti-gender movement on academic freedom. Braddy will talk about his personal experiences but will not talk on behalf of FGCU.
- Kari Jegerstedt is head of Centre for Women’s and Gender Research (SKOK) and has been co-teaching with Jon Braddy.
The lecture takes place at Bergen Global.
Everyone is welcome!
Overview of spring 2025 lectures
The following lectures are open for both course participants and the public. All lectures are held at Bergen Global from 14:15-16:00 on the following dates (changes may occur):
18 February: Siri Gloppen (UiB): The glocalization of (anti-)queer politics and queer lawfare in an African context
27 February (NB: 14.00-15.30): Neil Datta and Yndira Coelho Soares: Transnational anti-gender movements and the impact on human rights and democracy
4 March: Randi Gressgård (UiB): Instrumentalisation of LGBT politics across European East/West divides
18 March: Matthew Gichohi (CMI): The political promise of sexual modernity and state violence
1 April: Lívia Buzolin (Getúlio Vargas Foundation): The anti-gender politics and new autocrats: Attacks and resistances in Latin America
22 April: Kari Jegerstedt (UiB): Trans misogyny
6 May: Panel conversation on Trump, anti-gender politics and academic freedom
