Dr Sebastian Cordoba is senior lecturer in psychology at the School of Social Sciences and Professions.
Dr Sebastian Cordoba is a social and LGBTQ+ psychologist. He holds a BA in human development from California State University, Long Beach; an MA in general psychology from The City College of New York; and a PhD in psychology from De Montfort University. He has held teaching posts at various universities, including The City College of New York, University of Suffolk, and De Montfort University.
Dr Cordoba's areas of research expertise are broadly related to the psychologies of language, gender, sexuality, and health. Specifically, he is interested in researching how gender and sexual minorities (i.e., LGBTQ+ people) experience and enact their identities in the social world. His research is interdisciplinary and multimodal, drawing from psychology, sociology, linguistics, and sociolinguistics to examine identity, language, and health among gender and sexual minority populations. He is the author of 'Non-binary Gender Identities: The Language of Becoming', a pioneering book in the study of gender diversity in psychology.
He co-founded and co-leads the Gender and Sexual Diversity Research Group at London Metropolitan University, a hub for intersectional, inclusive research and knowledge exchange. He also co-chairs the UK Regional Network of the International Partnership for Queer Youth Resilience (INQYR). Additionally, I am London Met’s LGBTQ+ Staff Network co-chair.
Research projects:
- LGBTQ+ Latin American Migrants in London
- Arsenal gaygooners Oral History Project
- Queering the Curriculum in Higher Education
Research funding:
- [January 2025] Arsenal for Everyone – Innovation Challenge. Research England. Arsenal gaygooners Oral History Project. (£8,828.60)
- [October 2023] Rescaling Fund. London Metropolitan University. LGBTQ+ Latin American Migrants Project. (£3,180)
- [January 2022] Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. University of Suffolk. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at University of Suffolk. (£5,000)
ORCID: 0000-0003-1996-1058
Peer-reviewed articles:
-Strunel, A.M., & Cordoba, S. (2025). Insider/outsider dynamics: a reflexive thematic analysis of reflexivity/positionality in the ‘qualitative research in psychology’ journal. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2025.2505460
Cordoba, S., Ojeda Caro, S., & Fiorini, G. (2025). Trans and non-binary Latin American migrants in London: An intersectional analysis of migration and psychological well-being. Journal of Homosexuality, 1–25. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00918369.2025.2485149
Apopei, D., Coe, J., & Cordoba, S. (2024). Examining the role of family, media, and peers in young Caucasian men’s understandings of body dissatisfaction: a thematic analysis using the tripartite influential model and social comparison theory. Gender Issues, 41(4), 20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-024-09339-3
Dodgers, S., Cordoba, S., & Coe, J. (2023). Examining the role of childhood experiences in gender identity and expression: An interpretative phenomenological analysis using social learning theory. Gender Issues. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-023-09314-4
Davy, Z. & Cordoba, S. (2019). School and gender variant children: Parents’ and guardians’ perspectives. Journal of LGBT Family Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/1550428X.2019.1647810
Books:
Cordoba, S. (2023). Non-binary gender identities: The language of becoming. London: Routledge.
Book chapters:
Voi, S., Twist, J., Nolte, L., & Cordoba, S. (2025). Trans and non-binary people’s experience of their sexualities and relationships alongside their gender. In Banbury, S. & Lusher, J. (Eds.), Advancements in Sexology. Nova Science Publishers.
Cordoba, S. (2020). Non-binary sexualities: The language of desire, practice, and embodiment. In Z. Davy, A. Santos, C. Bertone, R. Thoreson & S. Wieringa (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of global sexualities (Vol. 1 & 2, pp. 877-896). London: SAGE.
Recent presentations:
[May 2025] INQYR Symposium: Advancing LGBTQ+ Health, Well-Being, & Resilience. University of Birmingham, UK. Trans and non-binary Latin American migrants in London: An intersectional analysis of migration and psychological well-being.
[Jan 2024] Gender and Sexual Diversity Research Group Seminar. London Metropolitan University, UK. Latin American LGBTQ+ migrants in London, an invisibilised population.
[Jun 2023] Challenging the Binary: Non-Binary, Genderqueer, and Gender-Neutral Language Conference. UCL, London. Non-binary Gender Identities: The Language of Becoming. (Keynote)
[Jun 2023] Learning and Teaching Conference. London Metropolitan University, UK. Queering the Curriculum. With Andrew Moran, Chris Morriss-Roberts, Dale Rees, and Wendy Sloane.
[Jul 2022] Advance HE Teaching and Learning Conference 2022. Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK. Do ask, do tell: Practical strategies for enhancing student success drawn from research into EDI experiences at the University of Suffolk. With Louise Carter, Pallawi Sinha, and Maureen Haaker.
[May 2022] Lavender Languages and Linguistics 28. University of Catania, Italy. ‘I’m such a Tomboy’: a multimodal analysis of the commodification of perceived non-femininity in The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. With Lotte Verheijen.
[Jan 2022] “Critical Conversation” series. Florida Atlantic University, USA. Language, identity, and experience beyond the gender binary.
[Dec 2021] Do Better Research Podcast. Hosted by Dr Suzanne Albary. Queer Paradigms in Research.
[Jun 2021] Queering the Curriculum Seminar Series – Pride 2021. University of Suffolk, UK. Queering the Curriculum. (Organiser)
[Feb 2021] LGBTQ+ History Month 2021. University of Suffolk, UK. LGBTQIA+ Body, Mind, and Spirit: Unconference. (Co-organiser)
[Feb 2021] Ciclo de Psicología Infantil y Juvenil. Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. Barcelona, Spain. AutOnoME: Gender Diversity and Autism: Photo-elicitation Study. With Dr Begonya Enguix Grau and Danielle Roe.
Do ask, do tell: Practical strategies for enhancing student success drawn from research into EDI experiences at the University of Suffolk. Advance HE Teaching and Learning Conference 2022. Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK. (July 2022). With Louise Carter, Pallawi Sinha, and Maureen Haaker.
I’m such a Tomboy’: a multimodal analysis of the commodification of perceived non-femininity in The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Lavender Languages and Linguistics 28. University of Catania, Italy. (May 2022). With Lotte Verheijen.
Language, identity, and experience beyond the gender binary. School of Communication and Multimedia Studies’ “Critical Conversation” series. Florida Atlantic University, USA. (January 2022).
Queer Paradigms in Research. Do Better Research Podcast. Hosted by Dr Suzanne Albary. (December 2021).
Affirming trans and queer identities through language. Continuing professional development and short courses. University of Suffolk, UK. (September 2021).
Queering the Curriculum Seminar Series – Pride 2021. Organiser. University of Suffolk, UK. (June 2021).
AutOnoME: Gender Diversity and Autism: Photo-elicitation Study. La identidad de género en infancia y juventud autista. Ciclo de Psicología Infantil y Juvenil. Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. Barcelona, Spain. (February, 2021).
With Dr Begonya Enguix Grau and Danielle Roe. Non-binary Sexualities: The Desire, Practice, and Embodiment Assemblage. Gender Studies Conference 2020: The Future of Sexuality Studies: Assemblage and Embodiment. Tampere University, Finland. (November 2020).
Non-binary Sexualities: Exploring a Corpus of Non-binary Language. Lavender Languages & Linguistics 26. The University of Gothenburg, Sweden. (May 2019).
Gender Diversity. World Social Work Day 2019: Power in Practice. De Montfort University. Leicester, UK. (March 2019).
Non-binary Genders: Language and Identity – Confronting Linguistic Normativity. Lavender Languages and Linguistics 25. Rhode Island College. Providence, USA. (April 2018).
Articulating and Navigating Non-Binary Identity: Insights from Language. Gender in the Contemporary World: Articulation, Navigation, and Change Conference. Queen Mary University. London, UK. (March 2018).
With Ynda Jas. School and Gender Variant Children: Parents’ and Guardians’ Perspectives. European Sociological Association 13th. PANTEION University of Social and Political Sciences. Athens, Greece. (September 2017).
With Dr Zowie Davy. Non-Binary Genders and Language Use. Lavender Languages & Linguistics 24. Nottingham University. Nottingham, UK. (April 2017).