Gender Trouble describes the concept that sex, sexuality, and gender are performative acts, in part, due to the socially constructed nature of biology and gender. These authors argue that it is necessary to deconstruct heteronormativity and normative gender roles, among other hegemonic power structures, because they are institutions that privilege heterosexuality and discriminate against those not in positions of power. In the context of gender, this means that the subordination of women, trans people, and gender nonconforming people is a consequence of rigid constructions of gender and gender roles. In creating a rigid system of categorization, we create the possibility of hierarchies, thus leading to the subordination of certain groups. The construction of gender roles are a social control mechanism used to delineate people into subgroups based on physical characteristics. Contrary to this belief, Queer theory stipulates that a close examination of the socially constructed nature of sex and gender is required to challenge the idea that gender is a part of one’s essential identity. Essentialist theories claim that gender and sex have a biological set of characteristics that differentiate femininity and masculinity. Focuses on anti-essentialist sentimentsĮve Sedgewick, author of Epistomology of the Closet.Įve Sedgwick’s Epistemology of the Closet (1991) and Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble (1990) are central texts, where in both of these foundational works critique the essentialist nature of hierarchical categorizations.
Queer Theory creates visibility by encouraging nonconformity.Identities are stable only due to the repetition of normalized acts.For the purposes of this page, we’re focusing on the following aspects of Queer Theory described in Taylor (2013). Because queer theory itself resists definition, there has been much discourse over the decades about what the critical themes of queer theory are. Harding accurately summarizes the difficulty of describing Queer Theory as the following: “ Definition is impossible, but can be summarised as exploring the oppressive power of dominant norms, particularly those relating to sexuality, and the immiseration they cause to those who cannot, or do not wish to, live according to those norms” ( 2011). Once labelled as “queer”, not only were the patrons, but also The Stonewall Inn itself, subject to discrimination based upon deviance from the appropriate gender identity expressions. Looking at this example in a broader context, these actions were a response to continued injustice and maltreatment. Unlike previous raids, the people began to throw bottles and fight back against police harassment. In June of 1969, police raided a gay bar called The Stonewall Inn and began to arrest patrons. An example of this is the confrontations of the Stonewall Riots. On the other hand, queerness has been an influencing factor in uniting marginalized groups to fight back and resist oppression. Protester being apprehended at the Stonewall Riots Commodification, Diffusion, and Defusion.Mapping the Landscape of Sexual Deviance.Toggle navigation Subcultures and Sociology Grinnell College