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There is a vibrant literature on LGBTQ+ urban geographies, as well as established traditions in sociology and political science on collective action, but research infrequently brings these interdisciplinary fields of sexualities, social movements and urban studies together to explore the emplacement of LGBTQ+ urban activisms. In my new article in Urban Studies, I propose two ways to advance the field.

My graduate student Ryan Stillwagon and I won the 2020 Distinguished Article Award (Honorable Mention) from the Sociology of Sexualities section of the American Sociological Association for “Queer Pop-Ups: A Cultural Innovation in Urban Life.”

I’m delighted to receive two “Top Cited Article, 2018-2019” awards from Wiley publishing. My articles, “Performative Progressiveness: Accounting for New Forms of Inequality in the Gayborhood” (co-authored with my graduate student Adriana Brodyn) and “Cultural Archipelagos: New Directions in the Study of Sexuality and Space” were both published in City & Community – making them both among the top cited articles from that journal.

“Performative Progressiveness” looks at the co-occurrence of progressive mindsets and homonegative actions among straight residents of urban gay districts. Adriana and I describe the subtle forms that discrimination takes in a contemporary context of increasing acceptance and integration. “Cultural Archipelagos” is part of a special symposium on queer urbanisms. In the article, I describe the diversity of queer spaces, particularly the forms they take beyond big city gayborhoods.

From 2006 to 2016, the number of LGBTQ bars, pubs, and nightclubs in London declined by 58%, falling from 125 venues to 53. In my new article, I explore the high closure rate of LGBTQ nighttime venues in London, and the city’s recognition of these venues’ intertwined economic and cultural significance. Available now on Metropolitics.

My graduate student Ryan Stillwagon and I have just published our research in the journal City & Community. Our article is entitled “Queer Pop-Ups: A Cultural Innovation in Urban Life.” You can access the piece here.