Call for Papers

Trans Joy in Latin American Cinema

Joy is a fundamental element of human life, yet its depiction in media and academic discourse— especially in relation to marginalized communities—remains limited. Representations of the trans* community, in particular, often center narratives of exclusion, violence, and trauma. As Shuster and Westbrook (2022) note, this tendency reflects a broader “joy deficit” in the sociological study of marginalized people, overshadowing the transformative power of joy and solidarity.

This collection aims to address this deficit by celebrating cinematic narratives that foreground joy, resilience, and community-building within trans* and queer experiences across Latin America. Since the turn of the millennium, Latin American filmmakers have increasingly challenged essentialist constructions of dissident identities. Scholars such as Kroll (2022), Pérez-Osorio (2024), Wilson and Garavelli (2021), and Neto (2022) have noted this important shift—one that embraces experimental aesthetics and intersectional perspectives to spotlight affection, celebration, and transformative forms of queer resistance.

These films do not erase suffering; rather, they reposition joy as equally central, offering more complex and affirming portrayals of trans* lives. They expand cinematic imaginaries by incorporating perspectives grounded in disability studies, speculative and non-human futures, Afro-Latinx and Indigenous worldviews, and anti-colonial critique.

We invite original contributions for a forthcoming edited volume that explores trans joy in Latin American cinema*, drawing on anticolonial methodologies and intersectional approaches that emphasize race, gender, sexuality, and territory. We especially welcome work grounded in Latin American travesti and trans studies, transfeminism, cuir theory, queer ecology, crip theory, and decolonial frameworks.

Topics may include (but are not limited to):

• Cinematic representations of queer joy in Latin American films
• Celebration of muxe identities in Mexican cinema
• Extravaganza and performance as tools of queer resistance
• Community-building and affection in trans* and queer narratives
• The role of afeto in resisting gender and sexual norms
• The aesthetics and politics of joy in queer cinema
• Black trans* joy and the reclaiming of space and narrative
• Joy as subversion in travesti, muxe, and third-gender depictions
• Representations of joy as resistance to colonial and imperial legacies
• Speculative memory and queer futurities in film
• Crip joy and the intersection of disability and trans* identities
• Environmental trans* studies and queer ecologies
• Indigenous queer identities and decolonial representations in Latin American cinema

Submissions (5,000–8,000 words, MLA style) for this edited scholarly book may include film analysis, theoretical essays, or interdisciplinary approaches. While English is preferred, we also accept work in Spanish or Portuguese; accepted texts will be translated for publication. Please send an abstract (up to 500 words) and CV by July 15, 2025 to Angela Rodriguez Mooney (amooney4@twu.edu), Bethsabe Huaman Andia (bhuamanandia277@stkate.edu), or William Benner (wbenner@twu.edu).  or William Benner (wbenner@twu.edu).

Final manuscripts are due January 15, 2026.

Contact Information

Please send an abstract (up to 500 words) and CV by July 15, 2025 to Angela Rodriguez Mooney (amooney4@twu.edu), Bethsabe Huaman Andia (bhuamanandia277@stkate.edu), or William Benner (wbenner@twu.edu). Final manuscripts are due January 15, 2026.

Contact Emailamooney4@twu.edu