The QUEEN research team participated in the 2024 European Geographies of Sexualities Conference (EGSC), held from September 2nd to September 3rd at the University of Brighton’s Moulsecoomb campus. Themed “Uncomfortable Spaces,” the conference delved into the emotional and spatial dimensions of comfort and discomfort in relation to sexuality. Academics from around the globe convened to discuss how marginalization and discomfort intersect with the geographies of sexualities, with discussions ranging from queer migration to identity and the politics of inclusion and exclusion.

Guðbjörg, Linda, Árdís and Maja contributed to the conference with their panel titled Queer Refugees in “Queer Utopias”: Inclusion & Exclusion in Northern Europe. The panel explored the paradox of Northern European countries like Iceland, often portrayed as “queer utopias,” yet struggling to provide genuine inclusion for queer refugees.

Linda Sólveigar- og Guðmunds discussed how Iceland’s image as a “gay paradise” complicates the inclusion of SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression) refugees, pointing out that factors like whiteness and socioeconomic status determine who truly feels included. Árdís K. Ingvars examined the impact of the Dublin III Regulation on queer refugees, highlighting how many feel forced to hide their sexual identity during asylum processes, resulting in exclusion and criminalization. Guðbjörg Ottósdóttir shared insights from professionals working with SOGIE refugees in Iceland, revealing that social support often frames these individuals as “queer subjects in the making” who are expected to become “out and proud” once resettled. Finally, Maja Hertoghs explored how sexuality is treated as a fixed identity in LGBTQIA+ asylum applications. She argued that asylum seekers must perform their sexual identity convincingly, relying on narrative coherence and bodily comportment, turning the process into a “truth game.”