Research & Expertise

I research how gender, sexual and racial inequalities affect democratic societies.

To create real-world impact, I collaborate with feminist and LGBTIQ+ civil society organizations through projects and events. I also equip practitioners and policymakers with critical perspectives on the challenges they navigate.

Rethinking Democracy through Feminist and Queer Lenses

I am interested in the complicated relationship between democracy and feminist and queer struggles. While democracy often promises justice, it can also reinforce existing power structures. I currently work on new and intersectional ways of imagining democracy.

Resisting Antifeminism and Anti-LGBTIQ+ Politics in Europe

I am part of the Horizon Europe project RESIST which explores how feminist and queer communities across Europe respond to growing anti-gender movements. Leading the German case study, I examine how reactionary politics affect feminist and queer civil society Germany. I am particularly interested in how communities can build sustainable resistances and care for their members.

Empowering LGBTQ+ Families in Rural Switzerland

I co-led a community-based participatory action research project with rainbow families in the Alpine Canton of Valais. Capacity Building for Rainbow Families in Switzerland and Beyond sought to better understand the families’ everyday challenges and needs. Beyond generating knowledge about the unique situation of the local families, the project aimed to create political change and ensure that rainbow families become regionally heard and respected.

Making Space for Lesbians in Policy and Politics

Commissioned by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, I authored the study Advancing Liveable Lives for Lesbians in Europe, which highlights the diverse realities and challenges faced by lesbians across Europe. The report, aimed at practitioners, offers concrete policy recommendations and features in-depth case studies on Germany, Poland, Greece, Sweden, and EU law, contributed by leading experts.

Unpacking Europe’s “Post-Racial” Illusion

In my monograph Race in Post-Racial Europe, I traced how race and racism continue to shape cultural and political life in Europe, even when they’re denied. I particularly looked at how racism affects debates about European gender norms. In this theoretical book, I demonstrated how women of colour are targeted by racist and sexist stereotypes in media and policy.

Gender, Sexuality and Dance Cultures

I wrote my PhD about gender norms and heteronormativity in salsa dancing communities. Through interviews in Switzerland and the UK, I examined how ideas about gender, sexuality and race shape how dancers feel when they are in salsa spaces. Through the experiences of queer salsa dancers, I showed that exclusion is a reality in leisure spaces.