by Dennis Altman, La Trobe University, Australia

 The claim that LGBT rights are human rights encounters fierce opposition in many parts of the world, as governments and religious leaders have used resistance to LGBT rights to cast themselves as defenders of traditional values against neo-colonial interference and western decadence. The recent book Queer Wars (with J ; Symons) explores the growing international polarization over sexual rights, and the creative responses from social movements and activists, some of whom face murder, imprisonment or rape because of their perceived sexuality or gender expression. This book asks why sexuality and gender identity have become so vexed an issue between and within nations, and how we can best advocate for change. Biography : Dennis Altman, a Professorial Fellow in Human Security at La Trobe University (Australia), is the author of thirteen books, including the groundbreaking Homosexual: Oppression and Liberation (1971) and Global Sex (2001), and a founder of gay and lesbian studies worldwide. The Bulletin listed him as one of the 100 most influential Australians ever, and he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2008. !!! Tuesday 6 June from 6 until 8 pm !!! Institut de Sociologie, Room Henri Janne (15^th floor) Avenue Jeanne 44 – 1050 Brussels