Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Berlin Institute for Empirical Integration and Migration Research (BIM)


Dr Tunay Altay

tunay.altay@hu-berlin.de

   

  

  • Co-Head of the department Gender, Sexuality and Migration

  

contact: tunay.altay@hu-berlin.de
  

Profile

  
Dr. Tunay Altay is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Social Sciences at Humboldt University in Berlin and co-director of the Gender, Sexuality, and Migration Division at the Berlin Institute for Empirical Integration and Migration Research (BIM).
  

Academic Career

 

Altay received his Ph.D. from Humboldt University of Berlin in 2024 with the distinction of summa cum laude. In his comprehensive dissertation, he examined queer migration from Turkey, the experiences of trans migrant sex workers, and migrant drag performances in Berlin. He is currently working on a monograph about migrant drag performance, representation, and belonging.


For his research, he received the Best Article Award from the European Journal of Politics and Gender (2025) and, together with his co-authors, the Best Article Prize from the Gender and Sexuality Research Network at the Council for European Studies (2020).

Since 2025, Altay has served as co-chair of the Gender and Sexuality Research Network at the Council for European Studies. In addition to his academic work, he writes cultural commentary on politics, popular culture, and activism in Germany and Turkey, and is actively involved in community work with migrant and LGBTQ groups in Berlin.

Research and Teaching Focuses


Tunay Altay’s research examines how migration is shaped by racism, gender relations, and sexuality, and how these dynamics influence citizenship, political trust, and a sense of belonging. His regional focus is on Germany, Turkey, Europe, and the Middle East. Methodologically, he draws primarily on ethnographic approaches, qualitative interviews, and archival and visual analyses, with a focus on:
 

  • Migration, Citizenship, and Political Affiliation
  • Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectionality
  • Political Trust and Participation in a Post-Migrant Society
  • Queer Performance, Cultural Representation, and Political Aesthetics
  • Anti-Gender Mobilizations and Right-Wing Politics

  

Publications

 
Altay is co-editor of the anthologies Queer and Trans Life: Anthropological Futures (2025) and Resisting Far-Right Politics in the Middle East and Europe: Queer Feminist Critiques (2024). His work has appeared in the following academic journals, among others:
  

  • Sexualities
  • Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
  • Ethnic and Racial Studies
  • European Journal of Politics and Gender
  • Comparative Migration Studies
  • German Politics

  

 

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