Hannah Maitland

PhD Candidate in the Department of Gender, Feminist, and Women’s Studies at York University

Hannah Maitland stands in front of a green door with a green wreath. She has long brown hair, glasses, and it wearing a black sweater

I’m Hannah, and I’m a queer feminist researcher who studies girl activists, their politics, and their relationships with their mothers.

My other research areas include youth activism, sex education controversies, and pregnant Barbie dolls. Beyond my research, I’m involved with the Open Digital Literacy and Access Network (ODLAN), the Critical Femininities Network and other organizations and projects that help foster intergenerational relationships in 2SLGBTQ+ communities. I also serve as the Recording Secretary for the Sexuality Studies (SSA) and Women, Gender, and Social Justice (WGSJ) Associations.

I currently live and work on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Attawandaron. The treaties specific to this land include: the Two Row Wampum Belt Treaty of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy/Silver Covenant Chain; the Beaver Hunting Grounds of the Haudenosaunee NANFAN Treaty of 1701; the McKee Treaty of 1790, the London Township Treaty of 1796, the Huron Tract Treaty of 1827, with the Anishinaabeg. This territory is subject to the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement to peaceably share and care for the Great Lakes region. Indigenous-led action is essential to decolonization and requires Indigenous sovereignty. From Turtle Island to Palestine, occupation is a crime.

Latest Writing

“I am daughterhood, but I’m non-binary.” Mothers and Daughters on Gender, the Family, and their Feminist Futures

This paper draws from my dissertation research and explores themes of trans-inclusivity and more flexible notions of gender that emerged across the mother-daughter interviews. The paper is open-access and available now in (Un)Decided: A Journal of Feminist Voices.

More Writing

I contributed to Girl Museum’s “Why We Need Girls’ Studies” Series! Read more about my work and the field of girls studies and find other blog posts by girls studies scholars!

ODLAN

The Open Digital Literacy and Access Network (ODLAN) is a queer-centred digital literacy non-profit that I cofounded with Dr. Stephanie Jonsson in 2021. My role with ODLAN includes administrative assistant and research duties. The ODLAN website includes a resource database of accessible digital literacy tools and education. You can also find the latest reports on our ongoing research on queerphobic online hate against 2SLGBTQ+ organizations and communities here in so-called Canada.