"Queer theory is the perspective that questions the perception that cisgender and heterosexual identities are in any sense 'standard.'"
An interdisciplinary field of study exploring the social and cultural constructions of sexual and gender identities, and the ways in which these constructions are policed and resisted.
Sexuality: The expression of sexual desire, attraction, orientation, and behavior.
Gender: The societal norms and expectations associated with being male, female, or non-binary.
Intersex: Individuals born with ambiguous or atypical genitalia or chromosomes.
Transgender: Individuals who identify with a gender that differs from the sex assigned to them at birth.
Queerness: Non-normative sexuality and gender identity.
Homosexuality: A sexual attraction to the same gender.
Bisexuality: A sexual attraction to both genders.
Heteronormativity: The belief that heterosexuality is the only normal and acceptable form of sexual orientation.
Gender performance: The way individuals express their gender identity through their behavior, actions, and appearance.
Feminism: The advocacy for social, political, and economic equality for all genders.
Intersectionality: The interconnected nature of social identities such as race, gender, sexuality, and class.
Homonormativity: The normalization of only certain expressions of queer identity that conform to heterosexual values.
Queerphobia: The fear or hatred of queer individuals.
LGBTQ+ community: Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and others who identify outside of heteronormativity.
Genderqueer: Individuals who do not conform to a binary gender identity.
Cisgender: Individuals whose gender identity aligns with the sex assigned to them at birth.
Patriarchy: The dominance of men in social, political, and economic structures.
Queer history: The history of queer individuals and movements.
Asexuality: The lack of sexual attraction to any gender.
Non-monogamy: A relationship structure that allows for multiple romantic or sexual partners.
Queer theory: An interdisciplinary field that critiques and disrupts normative models of gender and sexuality.
Essentialism: This type of Queer Theory argues that our gender identities and sexual orientations are inherently biologically determined.
Social Constructionism: This type of Queer Theory argues that gender and sexuality are social constructs that are shaped by cultural and historical factors.
Performative: This type of Queer Theory views gender and sexuality as performative and argues that we construct these identities through our actions and interactions.
Queer of Color Critique: This type of Queer Theory focuses on the intersectional experiences of marginalized queers of color and critiques the limitations of white-centric queer theory.
Psychoanalytic: This type of Queer Theory draws on Freudian and Lacanian theories of sexuality and identity to explore how our unconscious desires and fears shape our gender and sexual identities.
Post-structuralist: This type of Queer Theory emphasizes the contingency and instability of meaning and identity, arguing that these are constantly being constructed and reconstructed through language and discourses.
Queer Crip Theory: This type of Queer Theory examines the intersection of queerness and disability, and challenges ableist assumptions in dominant queer and feminist discourses.
Trans* Theory/Trans-Feminism: This type of Queer Theory explores the experiences and politics of transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, and critiques the cisnormative assumptions of dominant feminist and queer discourses.
Queer Ecology: This type of Queer Theory focuses on the intersection of queerness and the environment, examining how human relationships to nature and non-human animals inform our understandings of gender and sexuality.
Sexual Citizenship: This type of Queer Theory explores the ways in which citizenship and state power shape sexual and gender identities and experiences, and challenges state control over sexual expression and intimacy.
"It revisits such fields as literary analysis, philosophy, and politics with a 'queer' approach."
"Queer theory is a field of post-structuralist critical theory that emerged in the early 1990s."
"It emerged out of queer studies (often, formerly, gay and lesbian studies) and women's studies."
"The term 'queer theory' can have various meanings depending upon its usage."
"It has been broadly associated with the study and theorisation of gender and sexual practices that exist outside of heterosexuality."
"...which challenge the notion that heterosexual desire is 'normal'."
"Queer theorists are often critical of what they consider essentialist views of sexuality and gender."
"They study those concepts as social and cultural phenomena."
"They analyze the categories, binaries, and language in which they are said to be portrayed."
"...questions the perception that cisgender and heterosexual identities are in any sense 'standard'."
"It revisits such fields as literary analysis, philosophy, and politics with a 'queer' approach."
"It emerged out of queer studies (often, formerly, gay and lesbian studies) and women's studies."
"The term 'queer theory' can have various meanings depending upon its usage."
"...which challenge the notion that heterosexual desire is 'normal'."
"Queer theorists are often critical of what they consider essentialist views of sexuality and gender."
"They study those concepts as social and cultural phenomena."
"They analyze the categories, binaries, and language in which they are said to be portrayed."
"It questions the perception that cisgender and heterosexual identities are in any sense 'standard'."
"It revisits such fields as literary analysis, philosophy, and politics with a 'queer' approach."