Queer Theory: The Conversation Between Gender And Sexuality

As Tamsin Wilton explains in her piece, “Which One’s the Man? The Heterosexualisation of Lesbian Sex,” society has fronted

Heterosexism, according to Warren J. Blumenfeld, is the system of advantages given to heterosexuals based on the social construct of gender roles and heterosexual norms, while marginalizing and oppressing homosexuals and others who do not fit into the heterosexual culture (373). The enforcement of this system is known as heteronormality. This is seen in the binary system, which is a social construct that divides people into different strictly bordered categories organized by “social roles, values, stereotypes, and behavioral and attitudinal imperatives, expressions, and expectations” (Blumenfeld 373). Those who stick to the binary system, maintain power and privilege. People who may live in the binary system, but also intentionally

This approach to queer subtext has been has always been a part of Western media as we as we explored in the film “The Celluloid Closet” (1995). Queer representation for many years was an continuous uncategorized personification that was vaguely acknowledged but to those who understood the subtext, it became an undercurrent of complex coded information that eventually paved the way for the integration of queer identification within the hetero film storylines. Doty speaks about this and also mentions that at some point in time representation of queer culture and sexuality

The word “gay” has gone through drastic changes. Traditionally, it was a positive term that meant to be “happily excited” or “jolly” (Merriam Webster, “Gay”). It was used regularly to express one’s feelings about life. Today, it has a far different meaning. Now people use the word gay to label homosexuals, those with feminine qualities, or those who do something thought to be outside of the norm for their gender. “Being gay” went from expressing someone’s happiness to describing his sexual preference. The definition of gay has changed so much that its original meaning has become archaic and lost to the times.

“Sex was something mysterious which happened to married couples and Homosexuality was never mentioned; my mother told me my father did not believe it existed at all ‘until he joined the army’. As a child, I was warned about talking to ‘strange men’, without any real idea what this meant. I was left to find out for myself what it was all about.” Mike Newman, who was a child during the 1950s America recalls how homosexuality was perceived during the post-World War II era (F). This sexual oppression was not only in Newman’s household, but in almost everyone’s. While the civil rights movement began in the mid-1950s and ended late 1960s, the LGBT community started to come out of the closet slowly. The gay rights movement stemmed from the civil rights movement

Because language is relative/arbitrary, queer has various meanings, depending on evolution and history and also personal attributions. Queer has been used as an adjective to mean strange, questionable, or to not feel right, a pejorative against queer individuals, an identity relating to a person who does not conform to a normative sexual orientation or gender identity, a sexual orientation, and as a gender identity (such as genderqueer). However, there is an overlooked use of the word: queer is also a verb. What does it mean to queer something? There was a time when that phrase meant “to mess it up,” as in queering a

In several cases, the desire to kill the queer self also occurs when it seems impossible to move forward without fully accepting and presenting oneself as queer. When this idea is seen on television it is presented in both the interpersonal and introspective forms. For example, the characters that attempt suicide, such as the eight queer women characters between 2001 and 2016, are illustrating the introspective act of assassinating the queer self by killing themselves. In contrast the interpersonal aspect derives from the idea of identity as zero-sum and therefore the queer characters who do not cover present a threat to the stability and validity of gay characters on screen. This paper will specifically investigate how the interpersonal side of "assassinating the queer selves" plays out on screen as a way to reinforce the importance of

For queer theorists, identity has been constructed through performativity, which is based on the opinion of Judith Butler. Butler (1990, p.25) believed that “ there is no gender identity behind the expression of gender; that identity is performatively constituted by the very ‘expressions’ that are said to be its results.” In other words, there is not any factor to produce the identity, but identity creates itself through performativity. One should imitate and repeat the gender expression again and again according to norms, then the identity will be constituted, which also shows that identity is fluid and constructed. Moreover, Jenkins (2000,2004) stated that a dynamic social process generates identity, so identity is not static but fluid and dynamic.

。This theory is important because it teaches us not to let society’s opinion define us.

Queer Theory houses the analytical tools used to examine what is “normal” and “abnormal,” primarily through deconstructing issues of sexuality in society. Its value comes from the fact that is more than just researching homosexual lives; it is research/theorizing why/how/when lives are homosexualized, “queered” outside of the norm.2

The overall concept throughout the reading and in the movie Hedwig how queer cinema is perceived by different audiences. The impression of queer cinema is relevant in society because it can render positive or negative connotations about the queer community. Being queer in society is already fulfilling a role of “otherness” . The separation of queer from “normal” societal standards is prevalent in film. There could be a completely opposite reception of queer film between homophobic and unprejudiced audiences. The three types of homophobia discussed in the reading experimental, symbolic and defensive homophobia should be considered when creating queer films. The ignorance most people have about the queer community can bring about curiosity.

In Foucault and Queer Theory Spargo defines queer theory as a nebulous group of cultural criticism and analysis of social power structures relating to sexuality . It is these power structures and aspects of culture that are responsible for the discourse that creates and informs ones understanding of gender, race, and sexuality. However these aspects of identity do not exist separately from one another, but are constructed in tandem throughout history. These layers of identity inform each other in a way that is difficult if not impossible to separate. They do not act independently with an additive effect but intersect constructing their own unique set of experiences and perspectives. In this paper I will be exploring queer theory

In regards to gender, Freud used the term ‘Oedipal Complex’ which hints to the myth of Oedipus who murdered his father and married his mother. This occurs in the phallic stage and refers to one of his more controversial ideas which states a boy’s erotic affection for his mother and conflict with the father as he desires to replace him. To resolve this conflict, the boy must identify with his father and pushes away his mother, and with her, the nurturing, emotional values that she embodies. Vice versa, there is the ‘Electra Complex’ where a girl feels in competition with her mother for her father’s affection, and needs to identify

In the past decades, the word “queer” traversed many definitions, from a pejorative for gay to a self-affirming umbrella term. While the word “queer” is primarily associated with “non-normative” tendencies (Love 172), the word “uncanny…applies to everything that was intended to remain secret, hidden away, and has come into the open” (Freud 132). Upon closer inspection of the words, queer and uncanny, and Andrew Davenport’s popular children’s television show Teletubbies, we see that the Teletubbies are the exemplary, digital manifestations of “queer, uncanny doppelgängers” (Cole).

sexuality often impacts the success of claims made by bi-sexual refugees. The author argues that this dominant understanding jettisons complex subjective positions and disregards varying realities. The refugee determination system misinterprets and misidentifies the lived experiences of bisexual claimants because of this knowledge, further disadvantaging this group of refugees. Rehaag observes that individuals seeking asylum on the basis of oppression for their bisexual tendencies have significantly higher rejection rates compared to other claimants.