98 Annual South Atlantic Modern Language Association Conference ~ Atlanta, Georgia ~ November 5-7, 2026 

This panel invites papers that examine how literary and cultural texts represent and imagine the dynamics of hospitality, with particular attention to questions of inclusion, belonging, and access for LGBT individuals, as well as in real-world institutions and spaces. Acts of welcome in homes, nations, classrooms, or communities often involve negotiating boundaries: who is invited in, how that welcome is extended, and what it means to belong. How do literary and cultural works depict LGBT figures moving within, across, or outside these spaces?

How do plays, novels, poems, films, graphic novels, video games, and other cultural media represent the conditions under which queer and LGBT subjects are welcomed, recognized, or met with inclusive forms of hospitality? In what ways do literary and cultural spaces shape experiences of inclusion, community, and identity?

We also invite papers that consider spaces explicitly designed by and for queer communities, as well as those that present themselves as queer-friendly. How do such spaces, whether represented in literature and film or encountered in real-world environments, envision or promote hospitality and belonging?

We welcome examinations of texts from range of literary periods and approaches, including early modern literature, contemporary fiction, and film regardless of the language in which it was produced.

Please email an abstract between 200 and 300 words in length along with a brief academic bio to hsierra@bowiestate.edu by July 1, 2026. Please include the abstract and bio in the body of your email.

The conference will be in person. Remote presentations are not allowed. Membership and conference registration are required before being listed in the program.