Data, perilous and powerful, is both a worldmaking and a dismantling force. The collection of data about queer lives and bodies, the consequences of data analysis for queer subjects, and considerations of privacy and consent often present ethical dilemmas even as queer data expands our understanding of who and what counts. The need for queer analyses and perspectives has taken on a new sense of urgency in light of hostile antiqueer policies by major technology companies, the security theater of airports, the disproportionate rates of policing queer people and people of color, digital surveillance in border security, and the proliferation of digital health records. Gathering wide-ranging interdisciplinary conversations into one rich volume, Queer Data Studies challenges readers to rethink how the extraction, circulation, modeling, governance, and use of data affects queer subjects and, at the same time, to consider how the power of data might be harnessed in the service of queer ethics. Contributors take a capacious approach to data, drawing from a range of sources, including stories, sounds, medical data, police data, maps, and algorithmic modeling. This anthology engages intersectional, decolonial, feminist, queer, and trans research, advancing ongoing dialogues about data across the social sciences, humanities, and applied sciences.
Patrick Keilty is associate professor in the Faculty of Information and the Cinema Studies Institute at the University of Toronto. He is coeditor of Feminist and Queer Information Studies Reader. Contributors: Ryan Conrad, Mathew Gagne, Gary Kafer, Harris Kornstein, Shaka McGlotten, Stephen Molldrem, Susanna Paasonen, Nikita Shepard, Jenny Sunden, Suisui Wang, and Lina Zigelyte
Acknowledgments Introduction Patrick Keilty 1 Black Data Shaka McGlotten 2 "To Fight for an End to Intrusions into the Sex Lives of Americans" Gay and Lesbian Resistance to Sexual Surveillance and Data Gathering, 1945-1972 Nikita Shepard 3 Machine Learning and the Queer Technics of Opacity Queer Data Studies 4 Objectionable Nipples Puritan Data Politics and Sexual Agency in Social Media Queer Data Studies 5 HIV Data as Queer Data Biomedical Sexualities, Treatmentas-Prevention, and the New Sex Hierarchy for People Living with HIV Stephen Molldrem 6 Generating Vulnerability Male Sex Workers, Third-Party Platforms, and Data Security Ryan Conrad 7 Not Enough Meaningful Data? Lessons from Eastern Europe Lina Z?igelyte? 8 Reciprocating Sexy Information Reflections on Studying the Data of Gay Sex in Beirut Mathew Gagne 9 Homobiles Queering Data through Ephemerality and Intimacy Harris Kornstein 10 Situated Indications Queer STS Experiments on Global Datafication Suisui Wang List of Contributors Index
Untangles how data shapes and is shaped by queer worlds
"Queer Data Studies critically analyzes current modes of collecting and analysing queer data through a capacious approach rather than simplifying data to numerical values. . . . Whether newcomers or seasoned researchers, readers will discover alternative insights and fresh perspectives, fostering a more profound comprehension of queer issues and methodological debates in critical data studies." (Journal of Gender Studies) "Deftly edited . . . In a moment where questions of queer visibility are once again at risk, Queer Data Studies might well serve as more than a theoretical addition; it could well become a guide for survival." (International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion) "Pushing readers to think beyond fixed forms, Keilty challenges researchers to think outside the box of traditional forms of research collection and consider the "other" in their approaches to analyzing queer data. This is a valuable manual for any individual desiring to research queer studies. It values the integrity of both the academic and queer communities and offers excellent strategies for collecting data on queer subjects." (Choice) "[P]rovides a sprawling, multidisciplinary vision of what queer data studies could encompass-from data that directly addresses queerness to data about or adjacent to queer lives to the absolute refusal of data." (H-Net Reviews)
