Who Is Queer Enough for Queer Research?: The Issue of Absence Within Queer Research

Abstract

Although the inclusion of queer people in research—as well as the application of queer research methods and methodologies that some call queer research—has been on the rise, too often, certain voices are not heard. Not all groups of people who fall under the umbrella term of “queer” are included in queer research. By looking at the examples of asexuality and queer Muslims in this paper, we offer some insights on how people in these groups are often absent in queer research and how cis-heteronormativity alongside compulsory sexuality, allonormativity, homonationalism and homocapitalism operates within queer communities and queer research, with exclusion often being the result. Through the utilization of intersectional feminism, transnational feminism, and queer of color critique as our methodological approach, we show how these experiences stand exemplary for the absence of some queer communities from queer research. Furthermore, such a methodological approach can assist us to understand the role of cis-heteronormativity in queer research and what we can do to become more inclusive when undertaking queer research projects.