A Brief History
Queer Theory emerged in the 1990s out of the fields oflesbian, gay, and gender studies. There are many interpretations, applications and uses of queer theory, but broadly, it can be taken as the study of gender practices/identities and sexualities that exist outside of cisgender and heterosexual “norms.” Queer theorists and thinkers are critical of essentialist views onsexuality and gender and view these concepts as constructed social and cultural phenomena.
Informal use of the term “queer theory” began in the 1990s with scholars, such asGloria Anzaldúa, who were inspired by Michel Foucault's 1976 workThe History of Sexuality which positedthat identity is not innate and that sexuality is a social construct. In 1984, Gayle Rubin published the influential essay “Thinking Sex: Notes for a Radical Theory of the Politics of Sexuality” which interrogated the value system that societies attribute to sexuality and sexual practices. In 1990, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick published the seminal work,Epistemology of the Closet, and Judith Butler published Gender Trouble, developing the theory of gender performance. That same year, Teresa de Laurentis organized the first queer theory conference. At the time, her use of the word “queer” stirred controversy.
Photographs(from left to right):Gloria E. Anzaldúa,Michel Foucault, Gayle Rubin, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Judith Butler, Teresa de Laurentis. Images sourced from Wikipedia.
Queer Theory is an interdisciplinary field that encourages one to look at the world through new avenues. It is a way of thinking that dismantles traditional assumptions about gender and sexual identities, challenges traditional academic approaches, and fights against social inequality. For many academics, queer theory provides a lens through which they can “queer” ideas and works in their own disciplines. In this way, “queering” is not always about imposing queerness on an area but about utilizing the lenses of queer theory to imagine new, previously unidentified possibilities.
The Word "Queer"
Historically, the word queer was—and still can be—used as a pejorative term against members of the LGBT community. However, beginning in the 1960s, in the wake of the LGBT rights movement, people in the community sought to reclaim the word queer as an umbrella term for all non-heterosexual, non-cisgender identities. That's what the Q stands for in the acronym LGBTQ! Despite today's wide acceptance of the word queer, it is still important to recognize that not all members of the LGBTQ community identify as queer, and may still find the term offensive.
For more information about the history of the word "queer," check out theYouTube video below.
FAQs
Images sourced from Wikipedia. Queer Theory is an interdisciplinary field that encourages one to look at the world through new avenues. It is a way of thinking that dismantles traditional assumptions about gender and sexual identities, challenges traditional academic approaches, and fights against social inequality.
What are the main points of queer theory? ›
Queer theory emphasises the fluid and humanly performed nature of sexuality – or better, sexualities. It questions socially established norms and dualistic categories with a special focus on challenging sexual (heterosexual/hom*osexual), gender (male/female), class (rich/poor), racial (white/non-white) classifications.
What is Judith Butler's queer theory? ›
Queer theory scholars have developed theories which suggest that gender is fluid, flexible and subject to change. Judith Butler's work is key to this understanding. She argues that gender is performative – meaning that the performance of gender is what makes gender exist (Butler, 2002).
What is one of the basic concepts of queer theory? ›
Queer theory perceives sexuality and gender as social constructs that shape the way sexual orientation and gender identity are displayed in public – and thereby often reduced to black-and-white issues that can be manipulated or distorted.
Is queer theory an epistemology? ›
While many of these epistemologies use queer theory as a starting point, some expand on it (e.g., with intersectionality, postcolonial theory, crip theory) or depart from it (e.g., some trans* epistemologies). These expansions and departures illustrate the multiplicity of what constitutes queer epistemologies.
Who is the founder of queer theory? ›
Some of the core theorists in the development of queer theory include Michael Foucault, Gayle Rubin, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, and Judith Butler.
What does queer theory argue? ›
Queer theory says that sexuality is not binary (straight/gay) because various sexual orientations can exist. Additionally, QT sees sexuality as fluid and performative: It is not something you have, yet is something you do overtime. How Queer Theory incorporates to Rhetoric.
What is the difference between queer and queer theory? ›
The word "queer", as it appears in the dictionary, has a primary meaning of "odd," "peculiar," "out of the ordinary." Queer theory concerns itself with any and all forms of sexuality that are "queer" in this sense--and then, by extension, with the normative behaviors and identities which define what is "queer" (by ...
What statement best describes queer theory? ›
Final answer: The statement that aligns with queer theory is that sexual orientation categories lead to limited views of sexuality, promoting a fluid and flexible understanding of sexual orientations and gender identities.
What is the perspective of queer? ›
In general, queer perspectives question the legitimacy of hegemonic assumptions about bodies and sexualities, opting instead for more fluid and porous discourses and norms.
