Wagadu

Book excerpt: Traditionally, transnational feminists have examined the fields of gender, sexuality and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) studies by critically addressing issues of colonialism, white supremacy, globalization, capitalism, and heterosexism. Like most fields within higher education, gender and sexuality studies, womens studies, and LGBTQ studies are still dominated by white scholars; moreover these are predominately scholars from colonial 'western' cultures. Many universities and activist groups are arguing for a global queer community and movement for rights, protection, and freedoms for LGBTQ communities. From the academy to the streets, members of the LGBTQ community and their allies are challenging global heterosexism. This special issue of Wagadu is dedicated to an interdisciplinary, intersectional, multi-movement, and multi-dimensional critique of heterosexism, from a global social justice queer perspective. Regardless of the topic or whether from a practical or theoretical perspective, all authors challenge the current paradigm of heteronormality that exists locally, nationally and/or globally in this special issue of WagaduA Transnational Journal of Womens and Gender Studies.