‘Just who do I leave my worldly possessions to, darling?’: A Study of Queer Inheritance

Inheritance - the right to bequeath one’s estate to whomever one chooses is at the heart of end-of-life wellbeing and a cornerstone of a ‘good death’. This project examines what inheritance looks like and means for queer people and communities, and asks why inheritance, and indeed disinheritance, are such meaning making sites - beset with traumas, fears and anxieties – and at the same time, foundational to Queer survivance, joy and wellbeing. The key goal of the project is to establish QUEER.UK; a radical space for transformation and societal impact rooted in scholarly explorations of queer health, death and wellbeing that is at its core, intersectional, cross generational, focused on multiplicities of ethnicities, genders, religions and classes. The research network QUEER.UK will focus initially on the question and practices of queer inheritances: what and how queer people pass onto others and how this can contribute towards a sense of queer wellbeing that bridges life and death. QUEER.UK will allow me to create a meaningful scholarly environment through the time, resources and networking opportunities allowed by the Grant and build a portfolio of publications and KEI events, apply for further funding and to build the case for career promotion.