Joz Motmans

Equal opportunities for bisexuals, intersexed and transgender/gendervariant people

My argument is that the whole equal opportunities EO discours is structured in dual axes of gender, race, sexuality... with no attention for "in between" categories (which are reduced to "in between", or translated into: "on their way to 'realness'"). My claim is that even feminist intersectional thinking (combining of f.i. gender with race and sex to mark specific discriminating practices/experiences) is still a bridge too short, since the axes of inclusion remain defined in dual terms, thus excluding those not living in these dichotome boxes.
My research has three parts, the first one being an analysis of language and discours of EO policy making in Flanders for the axes gender/sexual orientation since 1995 (who are they aiming at (EO for whom?), what do they see as the existing problems, and how to want deal with them).
The second part consists of in-depth interviews with key figures of the LGB movement, women's movement and EO policymakers on topics as (gender)mainstreaming, diversity, networking, strategies of policy making, role of Europe for EO,..... This part is finished end of august. The third part will start in this autumn, in which I'll interview bisexual, intersexed and transgendered people on topics as 'which cultural and structural problems do they encounter that prevent them from having equal opportunities' ?