Rainbow Trap: Queer Lives, Classifications and the Dangers of Inclusion

The fight for LGBTQ+ equalities is shaped – and constrained – by the design and control of categories of gender, sex and sexuality.

Join Queer@King's for an evening with researcher and writer Dr Kevin Guyan (University of Edinburgh) to explore ideas from his new book Rainbow Trap: Queer Lives, Classifications and the Dangers of Inclusion. 

In the book, Guyan examines queer encounters with six different systems – stretching from hate crime reporting to dating apps – and highlights how the promise of inclusion requires LGBTQ+ people to locate themselves in an ever-growing list of classifications, categories and labels. This requirement to be classified catches LGBTQ+ communities in a rainbow trap. Because when we look beyond the welcoming veneer of inclusive interventions, we uncover sorting processes that determine what LGBTQ+ lives are valued and what queer futures are possible.

This event will conclude with an audience Q&A, followed by a drinks reception. The evening will be chaired by Dr Zeena Feldman (KCL). 

About the speakers:

Dr Kevin Guyan is a Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and Director of the Gender + Sexuality Data Lab. He is the author of Rainbow Trap: Queer Lives, Classifications and the Dangers of Inclusion (Bloomsbury Academic, 2025) and Queer Data: Using Gender, Sex and Sexuality Data for Action (Bloomsbury Academic, 2022).

Dr Zeena Feldman is Reader in Digital Culture in the Department of Digital Humanities, King's College London, and Director of Queer@King's. 

About Queer@King's:

The Queer@King’s Research Centre was founded at King’s College London in 2003. Our work focuses on advancing interdisciplinary knowledge about minoritised sexualities and genders. We are committed to LGBTQIA+ community engagement. That’s why all our events – from panel discussions, workshops and conferences to artist talks, reading groups and beyond – are free to attend. Please consider making a donation to help sustain the Centre's work: https://www.justgiving.com/page/queeratkings.