Connecting Queer Dots in Eastern Europe: A Conversation with Kate Mower

In this episode of Dialogue Out Loud, Dialogue Editor Taylor Petrey speaks with Kate Mower about their article, Rule of Lawyers: Latter-day Saint Entanglement in Eastern European Anti-LGBTQI+ Legislation, featured in the Winter 2024 issue of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought.

Mower explores how Latter-day Saint leaders, lawyers, and organizations have been involved in shaping anti-LGBTQI+ policies in Eastern Europe, drawing connections between post-Cold War power shifts, religious freedom rhetoric, and the global right-wing movement against LGBTQI+ rights. The conversation challenges the U.S.-centric focus of Mormon studies, highlighting the Church’s broader geopolitical influence.

Kate Mower (they/them) is a PhD candidate in Modern European History and History of Science at the University of California, Riverside. They relocated to Constanța, Romania, in 2021 to conduct dissertation research on biological determinism in Romanian archaeology. Mower is the current historian and former board member and vice president of Affirmation LGBTQ+ Mormons, Families, and Friends, and they work with Romanian LGBTQI+ organizations, including ACCEPT and Identity Education.

Join us for a deep dive into the intersections of law, religion, and queer rights in a global context.