[Kyosei Environment Promotion Week 2026] Let's Talk About Queer Romance Together!

"Koi-bana" (talking about romance) is something that often happens casually in our daily lives. However, while cisgender and heterosexual people can engage in these conversations without a second thought, queer romance talk often requires various conditions to ensure psychological safety.

In this event, we want to put a spotlight on such "queer romance talk" and have a variety of conversations together. We intend to cover a wide range of topics under the umbrella of "romance talk," from deeply personal stories to social systems related to romance.

Above all, since "the personal is political," we are sure to make new social discoveries even while discussing stories of romance that may seem personal.

As for the specific flow of the event, the first half will feature a cross-talk session among three speakers regarding "queer romance." In the second half, we plan to hold a workshop where participants can also join in to share and listen to "queer romance talk."

We want to create a space where people can feel safe talking about things they usually find difficult to discuss. Of course, participating just to listen is also welcome. Please come and join us!

Date and Time: Friday, November 6, 2026, 18:00–19:30

Location: Keio University Mita Campus, Information Plaza 2nd Floor

Kyosei Station arcoíris

https://www.community.keio.ac.jp/cplaza/index.html

Capacity: 20 people

Target Audience: Keio students, faculty, and staff

Admission: Free

Registration: Please apply using the form below. Deadline: Thursday, November 5, 17:00

https://forms.gle/K3SEHqsvLQAXExNW6

[Speaker Profiles]

Kasumi Nakamura (Facilitator)

Born in 1991. Part-time Lecturer at the Graduate School of Human Relations, Keio University. Ph.D. in Sociology [Ph.D. (Sociology)]. In addition to researching Japanese popular culture, such as maid cafes, from the perspective of gender and sexuality, she also works on messaging regarding "romance-supremacy" as a lesbian and quoiromantic individual. Co-edited works include "Thinking About Idols While Struggling with Them" (Seikyusha) and "Introduction to Yuri Studies" (Ohta Publishing).

Aya Mizukami

Born in 1992. A writer who produces literary criticism and essays. Author of "Alone in a Room of My Own" and "A Queer's Travelogue of Canada," and co-author of "Introduction to Yuri Studies" and "Anti-Trans Discrimination Booklet." Featured editor for "Etcetera" vol. 13, "Special Feature: Queer, Women, Community."

Ginga Kondo

Born in 1992. Artist and art historian. Pansexual. Wheelchair user. While primarily researching Western art that appears lesbian from a contemporary perspective, they also release works themed around sexuality using game engines and CG. Co-author of "Introduction to Yuri Studies" (Ohta Publishing, 2026) and author of "Feminists Are Playing Games" (Shobunsha, 2024).

[Inquiries]

Kasumi Nakamura (Part-time Lecturer, Graduate School of Human Relations, Keio University) rero70@gmail.com

[Organizer] Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion