5 Questions to Soledad Cutuli
Soledad Cutuli is an Argentine anthropologist and queer feminist scholar whose work is grounded in political anthropology and critical studies of gender and sexualities. She is currently a “César Nombela” / Talento CAM researcher in the Department of Social Anthropology and Social Psychology at the Complutense University of Madrid. Her research examines the politicisation of trans people, associative practices, and the construction of labour-related demands, with a particular focus on how gender and sexual dissidence intersect with state policies, activism, and contemporary forms of political contestation.
Copyright by Soledad Cutuli
1. What topics excite you the most in your current research & why?
I am energised by the potential for resistance to fascist and neoliberal governments that queer feminist activisms are developing across different contexts. There is a powerful potential in the idea of community and resistance that we have built from the trench of refuge against cisheteropatriarchy, which, I believe, makes us stronger and more resilient in the face of new assaults. I also closely follow cooperative initiatives in employment and housing, as I believe that insisting on these collective ways of organising will help protect us in an increasingly hostile world.
2. What does queer methodology mean for you? Perhaps you would like to elaborate on this in relation to an object or concept that you (currently) work with?
Lately, I have been reflecting on the potential of parody, a concept that queer anthropology has been engaging with since Esther Newton, though no longer to think primarily about gender identities but rather other kinds of identities, such as that of the “worker”, which emerges recurrently in my fieldwork. For me, queer methodology repeatedly invites us to unsettle and denaturalise all categories, especially in unexpected fields, pushing us to move beyond the ghetto.
3. Which book, film, or show has made an impression on you lately?
Las hijas del fuego (2018), a film by Albertina Carri, is an Argentine feature film that explores lesbian desire through an explicit, political, and disobedient lens. Conceived as a porno-feminist road movie, it breaks with normative sexual narratives. The film received awards at QueerCineMad and BAFICI, establishing itself as a radical and disruptive work within contemporary cinema. It also features the participation of two dear colleagues from my activist group, Antroposex, who perform in the film.
https://www.filmin.es/pelicula/las-hijas-del-fuego
4. Can you think of a lesson that you have learned in academia or during fieldwork and that you would like to share with young scholars in the field of queer/feminist ethnography?
Both my fieldwork with queer activists in Buenos Aires and my experience of resisting austerity measures in science and higher education in Argentina have taught me the value of friendship and cooperation in the face of hostile, neoliberal, and meritocratic contexts. No one survives alone.
5. What do you desire for the future of queer/feminist ethnography?
I hope we never lose desire, the pleasure of the collective, or the drive to transform everything.
The interview was conducted by Ursula Probst and edited by Moxi Ochsenbauer
OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Claudia Liebelt (May 11, 2026). 5 Questions to Soledad Cutuli. AnthroDesires. Retrieved July 14, 2026 from https://doi.org/10.58079/167fy
