LGBT prides and marches are of crucial relevance to the way in which non-heterosexual lives are imagined internationally despite regional and national differences. In Eastern Europe, the annual Pride events have become a litmus test for the strength of the local LGBT communities as well as for the degree of tolerance of the societies in which they take place. Furthermore, local and national politicians have used the alleged danger of public disorder as a reason for banning marches, after themselves having used language likely to encourage extremist opposition from activists of faith-based or ultra right-wing organisations. Within the past couple of years, prides were banned or attacked in a number of places (including, but not limited to Riga, Chisinau, Moscow, Bucharest and Tallinn).

At the same time, the 2010 EuroPride is due to take place in Warsaw, perhaps symbolically marking changes in attitudes and at the same time bringing up questions about ideologies implicated in pride events. In particular, this concerns the discourse of "progress" as well as the inscription of Eastern European LGBT movements into the narrative of victimhood and delayed development when compared to LGBT movements in the Global North. This call for papers invites scholars to critically engage with these ideologies and start answering some of the following questions:

• In what ways is sexuality (de)constructed through public activist events such as prides and marches in Eastern Europe?
•  In what way are notions of Eastern Europe challenged/constructed through LGBT public activist events?

• What is the impact of (mostly Western) activist projects, such as the queer project on public activism in Eastern Europe?

• What is the nature of activist networks (both transnational and local) formed in the context of public activism?

• What about more "virtual" networks and engagement with social networking tools and Web 2.0 technology as related to public activism?

These questions are to be taken as an invitation to reflection, rather than prescriptive statements limiting potential submissions. While we focus on Central and Eastern Europe, we also welcome submissions from other parts of the world. We particularly welcome papers crossing/transgressing disciplinary boundaries. Proposals for the special issue (500 words maximum) should be sent by 30^th June 2010 to Anna Gruszczynska at a.gruszczynska@bham.ac.uk. Deadline for submission of papers is 15 October 2010. We are planning to publish this issue of Sextures in February 2011.

Sextures is a refereed international, independent, transdisciplinary electronic scholarly journal that aims to provide a forum for open intellectual debate across the arts, humanities and social sciences about all aspects affecting the intricate connections between politics, culture and sexuality primarily, but not exclusively, in the Balkans, Eastern and Central Europe. It is published in English once to twice a year. Sextures is dedicated to fast turnaround of submitted papers. More information about the journal can be found on its website: www.sextures.net.