Christopher Outlaw

I studied for a BA in Modern Languages (Spanish, Russian, Czech) at the University of Sheffield before living and working as an English teacher in Colombia, the Czech Republic, Japan, and elsewhere in the UK. I then returned to Sheffield to pursue my postgraduate studies - an MA in Intercultural Communication & International Development. Directly before beginning this PhD, I completed a second MA in Social Research here as part of the same ESRC-funded White Rose DTP scholarship. I have also worked in professional services at UK universities and in an admin support role at an LGBTQ+ youth charity.

Socio-spatial dynamics of queerness and migration in Colombian cities

This project derives from my experience as a queer migrant in Bogotá and other cities alongside a curiosity about queerness and urban space which arose during my first MA. 

My PhD investigates the complex interplay between urban space, queer identities, and diverse articulations of forced and voluntary migration in the Colombian cities of Bogotá and Cali. I explore how these factors shape each other, focusing on experiences of urban space while aiming to understand how multilocal queermigrants from Colombia and abroad engage in placemaking practices and negotiate their sense of belonging and community in the city. 

I draw theoretically on the work of scholars from Latin America and around the world, including urban, intercultural, and migration theories such as right to the city, ch’ixi, and multilocality. I am conducting a qualitative methodology including semi-structured interviews, participatory mapping, reflexive thematic analysis, and ethnographic observation. 

Through this approach and the knowledge generated about and alongside intersectionally diverse multilocal queer migrants, my research aims to advance theoretical debates and present empirical findings with the potential to inform socially just and culturally appropriate institutional and popular responses to this population’s socio-spatial needs.

Supervisors: Dr Philipp Horn, Dr Melanie Lombard, Dr Jane Woodin