The Guild of Queer Early Modernists

Welcome to The Guild of Queer Early Modernists (GQEM)! You are invited to tour our pages, check out our upcoming events, and become a member of our community!

The mission of the GQEM is to support queer scholars and scholars of queerness in early modern studies. We support scholars of all genders and from historically under-represented backgrounds in academia, and work to create a field that welcomes all of us as our full selves. 

Join GQEM!

All scholars of early modernity who are interested in promoting the study of queerness, or who are concerned with the position of queer scholars in the field are invited to become members of the GQEM. Membership to GQEM is free, and will be renewed annually. Benefits of Membership:

  • Members-only email list
  • First access to our forthcoming mentorship program.
  • Join us for community events like our reading group and writing support group!
  • Digital community and scholarship support – reading groups, networking and social events, professionalisation and job market sessions, and more!
Become a member

Events Calendar

Writing Exchange, January – March, 2026.

These writing workshops will take place between January and March 2026. Participants will be paired with 1 or 2 other people to exchange writing up to 8000 words long. Participants will then return feedback and have a meeting together to discuss questions, ideas, and comments.

Winter and Spring Reading Group, February – May, 2026

  • February 12th, from 4-5:30 EST, Shapes of Sex, by Leah DeVun
  • March 12th, from 4-5:30 EST, Marvellous Vegetables, by Vin Nardizzi. Vin Nardizzi will join us for this meeting to discuss his new book!
  • April 9th, from 4-5:30 EST, ‘Ce n’est pas ça: Blackness, Sex, and the Set of Illegibles’, Lee Edelman, 
  • May 14th, from 4-5:30 EST, Queering Death in Early Modern England, eds. Lauren Shohet and Christine Varnado 
Register here!

  • Drinks with GQEM – Renaissance Society of America Annual Conference

    If you are an RSA attendee, please join GQEM for drinks at the Tenderloin’s last queer bar – Aunt Charlie’s! From 7:30pm on Friday, February 20th!

    2nd Annual Open Meeting!

    Join us in Denver, Colorado, at the Shakespeare Association of America’s 2026 conference, where our 2nd annual open meeting will take place from 1-2pm on Saturday, April 4th!

Contact GQEM

Thank you for getting in touch with GQEM! For all enquiries, please email us at emqueerguild@gmail.com.

Join GQEM

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