Pride, Politics and Inclusion: The Transfeminist Agenda Reshaping International Relations

Dr Alexander Stoffel, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of Politics and International Relations, is working to reshape the discipline of International Relations (IR) by introducing a vital and long-overlooked perspective: trans theory.

Together with Dr Ida Roland Birkvad (LSE), Alexander has led the development of “Trans Theory in International Relations,” an interdisciplinary research agenda that draws on insights from trans studies to challenge and reframe foundational assumptions in IR. Their work responds to a striking absence within the field. While feminist and queer theories have made inroads, trans perspectives have largely been left out.

“Alongside Ida, I set out to build a new, interdisciplinary agenda that could address this gap,” says Alexander. “Our aim was not simply to add trans voices to IR, but to fundamentally rethink some of the field’s core assumptions using insights from trans studies.”

The project has been recognised with a Queen Mary Research and Innovation Award for Interdisciplinary Team of the Year and continues to have wide-reaching impact through academic and public channels. The pair’s influential article in the European Journal of International Relations outlines a transfeminist methodology that is both critical and generative. But their work also goes beyond traditional publishing. Through blogs, podcasts and live events featuring scholars such as Emma Heaney, Durba Mitra and Asli Zengin, Alexander and Ida are creating a politically committed, collaborative research culture that engages students, academics and activists alike.

Students, in particular, have helped shape and energise the work. Their calls for more inclusive and critical teaching in global politics directly inspired much of the project’s public engagement and led to the creation of a new undergraduate module, Gender, Sexuality, and Capitalism, convened by Alexander at Queen Mary. “We’ve had students tell us that our work has reshaped how they think about global politics. That’s perhaps the most rewarding feedback of all.”

For Alexander, the project also connects deeply with the spirit of Pride Month, both as a moment of celebration and a call to action. “Pride is a celebration, but also a reminder of the ongoing struggles queer and trans communities face,” he explains. His recently published book, Eros and Empire: The Transnational Struggle for Sexual Freedom in the United States (SUP, 2025), examines these dynamics through a transnational lens. “Our work seeks to open new space within global politics for thinking about gender, freedom and solidarity. Pride, for me, is both celebration and commitment, a time to honour our histories while recommitting to the work of justice.”

Looking ahead, Alexander is turning his focus to the global backlash against trans people. He is developing a new framework that interprets this backlash not simply as a cultural flashpoint, but as a symptom of deeper crises in global capitalism. He is also keen to build further collaborations, particularly with scholars in the Global South, where questions of gender and sexuality are shaped by histories of imperialism and resistance.

Reflecting on what drives his work, Alexander shares a principle that underpins both his research and teaching: “Theory should help us live. It should illuminate the conditions of our lives and give us tools to resist and rebuild.”