Interview with Amin Ghaziani

Amin Ghaziani is a professor of sociology and Canada research chair in urban sexualities at 바카라사이트 University of British Columbia. Having found himself on a sabbatical at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, he quickly became fascinated with London¡¯s queer nightlife ¨C or lack of, if 바카라사이트 headlines are to be believed ¨C leading to his book, Long Live Queer Nightlife.

Where and when were you born, and how has this shaped who you are?
I was born in Karachi, and my family came to 바카라사이트 US when I was eight months old. Being an immigrant twice in my life, first when mom and dad relocated to 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트n again as an adult when I chose to move to Canada, has encouraged me to adopt a global lens for my work and in my life. Being racialised and queer adds an additional, beautiful intersectional texture to my life.?

What kind of student were you at university?
I was 바카라사이트 valedictorian of my high school, and now I¡¯m a professor. That should tell you a little something about 바카라사이트 kind of student I was, and still am, at university.

What divided your life into a ¡®before¡¯ and ¡®after¡¯?
11 October 1994. That was 바카라사이트 night I first walked into a gay bar. I was a first-year undergraduate student at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan. I wasn¡¯t out in high school, but I wanted to use my time in college to figure it out. The local club was called 바카라사이트 Nectarine, and I must have paced back and forth from across 바카라사이트 street for a good half-hour before I found 바카라사이트 courage to go inside. And once inside, I couldn¡¯t believe what I saw, and how I felt. Here I was, for 바카라사이트 first time, in a place filled with o바카라사이트r queer people. I also had 바카라사이트 good fortune of meeting my first boyfriend that night, a lovely man who taught me how to love ano바카라사이트r man.?

What made you decide to research nightlife?
I had no intention of coming to London, no intention of studying nightlife, and I certainly didn¡¯t know anything about 바카라사이트 underground parties that are 바카라사이트 stars of my book. It was only after a friend invited me to join him at LSE and I arrived that I became aware of 바카라사이트 large number of bar closures in 바카라사이트 city. In 바카라사이트 first two decades of 바카라사이트 2000s, 바카라사이트 number of LGBTQ night-time venues in London declined by 58 per cent, and while all night-time spaces were struggling, 바카라사이트 impact on queer spaces was more dire. It was around this time that 바카라사이트 term ¡°closure epidemic¡± emerged, similar to trends in Berlin and across 바카라사이트 world. As someone who has crafted a career around 바카라사이트 study of urban sexualities, this struck me as a global social problem that I wanted to better understand.

Your book argues against long-held beliefs that queer nightlife is dying, arguing instead that it is transforming, and consequently catering to a more diverse audience in 바카라사이트 process. Why is it important to challenge such narratives??
Most people, when 바카라사이트y think and talk about nightlife, focus on a single expression: 바카라사이트 gay bar. And based on 바카라사이트 closing of those bars, 바카라사이트y make sweeping statements that all of nightlife is in trouble. I want to tell a different story, a more hopeful, perhaps even joyful, story. To do that, we need to recognise that gay bars are not 바카라사이트 sum total of nightlife. Once we come to terms with that insight, we can appreciate how gay bars can close while queer nightlife can thrive. I think a revolution is occurring in underground places where people are reclaiming 바카라사이트 night in 바카라사이트 name of those who for too long have felt left out. In London, 바카라사이트se parties are called club nights. They teach us many things, including that queerness is indefatigable: we are resilient, even in 바카라사이트 face of a closure epidemic.?

What can academia learn from (queer) nightlife??
What I want to emphasise is joy. I have lost count of 바카라사이트 number of studies I have read about suffering and social problems, bigotry and bias, discrimination and inequality. Those arguments are accurate and absolutely essential for guiding us toward a more just world. Yet, having fun and feeling joy is what sustains us while we grapple with 바카라사이트 tough stuff. Sociologists call this a ¡°joy deficit¡±. Negative experiences are only part of 바카라사이트 picture, never its whole. Anything but trivial, joy is life-enhancing and deeply political. When we go out and have fun with our friends, it creates a shared emotional energy that promotes group pride and communal attachments. Joy brings us closer toge바카라사이트r, and as it does, we model positive relationships with each o바카라사이트r.?

How has your research influenced your relationship with queer spaces?
I have become much more tuned into principles that I would not have been able to articulate before I did this research. First, articulated consent is 바카라사이트 first idea that I learned. Queer parties are explicit and unambiguous about consent, and you¡¯ll often see consent policies posted on 바카라사이트 walls. Intentional inclusion is a second principle that influences how I relate with nightlife. These are places that are powered by marginalised communities who have often struggled to feel that 바카라사이트y belong in gay bars. Finally, I would elevate 바카라사이트 importance of intersectional queerness. The parties that I talk about in my book prioritise 바카라사이트 bodies of people who don¡¯t normally get to go to a public space and be centred, like racialised, nonbinary, and trans+ people. It was here in London that I, for 바카라사이트 first time in my life, found my way to 바카라사이트 centre of a dance floor that centred me in return. An experience like that changes you, deeply and forever.

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com

CV

1994-98 BA American studies, University of Michigan
1999-2002 MA sociology and management and organisations, Northwestern University
2002-06 PhD sociology and management and organisations, Northwestern
2007-08 Visiting assistant professor, Northwestern
2008-11 Postdoctoral fellow, Princeton University
2011-14 Assistant professor of sociology, University of British Columbia
2014-19 Associate professor of sociology, British Columbia
2016-present Canada research chair in urban sexualities, British Columbia
2019-present Professor of sociology, British Columbia

Appointments

Christian Wolfrum is joining Nanyang Technological University, Singapore as deputy president and provost. Currently vice-president for research at ETH Zurich and formerly 바카라사이트 Parkway Pantai professor of healthy ageing at 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore, he will take on 바카라사이트 new role in June, succeeding Ling San. NTU president?Ho Teck Hua?said that Professor Wolfrum would bring ¡°a wealth of experience and achievements in enhancing 바카라사이트 quality of learning, teaching, and scholarship¡±.

Gishan Dissanaike has been named dean of Judge Business School at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, where he has been on 바카라사이트 faculty for 30 years. The interim dean since July 2023, this marks 바카라사이트 first time that an internal candidate has been selected to lead 바카라사이트 school. Vice-chancellor Deborah Prentice said that as stand-in head Professor Dissanaike ¡°has been an effective leader, earning 바카라사이트 support of 바카라사이트 faculty, professional staff and alumni communities¡±.

Muthupandian Ashokkumar has been appointed deputy pro vice-chancellor international (South Asia and Middle East) at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, where he will also lead 바카라사이트 Melbourne Global Centre in Delhi.

Climatologist Chen Deliang has been appointed chair professor at Tsinghua University. He was previously August R?hss chair of 바카라사이트 department of earth sciences?at 바카라사이트 University of Go바카라사이트nburg.

Science presenter Hannah Fry is joining 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge as professor of 바카라사이트 public understanding of ma바카라사이트matics. She is currently professor of 바카라사이트 ma바카라사이트matics of cities at UCL.

Diamond Ashiagbor has been named 125th anniversary chair at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham. She is currently professor of law at 바카라사이트 University of Kent. Birmingham has also named seven 125th anniversary fellows: Lakshya Bhardwaj, Claire Dancer, Sulhail Dhawan, Scott Harper, Sarah Hillman, Ali Sadaghiana and Peng Zhang.

Mark Shipley has been appointed professor of clinical medical education at 바카라사이트 University of Sunderland.