Qeer Theory

Queer Theory

Prepared by: Dhaval Diyora

Roll No: 05

Paper – 8: The Cultural Studies

M.A (English):  Sem -2

Enrollment No: 2069108420190013

 Batch:  2018-20

 Email: d.d.diyora@gmail.com

 Submitted to: Smt .S. B Gardi, Department of English,

MK Bhavnagar University.

Topic: Queer Theory

 

 

 

           Queer theory developed from the ideas of French philosopher Michel Foucault. He claimed that sexuality and sexual categories are not determined by genetics and biology. Rather, they are socially constructed, they are products contingent on history and culture. For example, in Ancient Greece, though young men were encouraged to take an older lover a man who could act as a kind of mentor to the youth they did not call those relations “homosexual” or “gay.” It would be an anachronism to apply those concepts to these kinds of relationships when that is not how the ancients thought about them.

            In Medieval times, some people were described as “sodomites”  but that had nothing to do with which gender they preferred to have sex with. That label was not thought of as a sexual identity at all. It did not express something deep and important about who you were. You were a sodomite only if you committed the act of sodomy, in the same way, you were a thief only if you stole other people’s property. Once you stopped engaging in those acts, the label no longer applied. This is quite different from how we understand homosexuality today.

            These examples illustrate the various ways in which sexual identities are a function of culture and society. They’re not natural kinds, dictated by biological facts. So, queer theory is concerned with examining the various ways in which we construct gender and sexual identity.

            That’s one way the term “queer” is used. It also seems to be used as a kind of umbrella term, a shorthand for LGBT. But it’s also a contested term. There are gay men and lesbians who dislike the term “queer” and would not use it to self-identify, and there are also some who prefer “queer” and dislike the “gay” and “lesbian” labels. Often, the difference is generational, with younger, urban types preferring to call themselves “queer.” Given that fact, “queer” cannot simply be an umbrella term that includes all other categories.

The choice to identify as “queer” as opposed to “gay or “lesbian” or “bi” is often a political choice. Consider the defiant chant queer activists like ACT UP began using in New York in the 90’s “We’re here! We’re queer! Get used to it!” It’s a refusal to fit into the neat, binary categories that mainstream society tries to enforce on us, it’s a refusal to hide, to become “normal” or “respectable” or otherwise change. It is a society that must change to accommodate queerness.

 

Different types of Gender

 

            The ‘LGBT’ acronym stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.

 

A lesbian is a woman attracted to another woman.

 

Gay is used to denoting men who are attracted to other men.

 

Bisexual means that a person is attracted to more than one gender.

 

A transgender person is someone whose gender identity differs from the one they were assigned at birth.

 

1 Male

I am male and I am accepting all the things related to male and my opposite attraction towards female.

I am presenting myself as a male.

2 Female

I am female and I am accepting all the things related to female and my opposite attraction towards male.

I am presenting myself as a female.

3

I am male but I am not accepting myself as a male

I am not interested in anyone.

4

I am female but I am not accepting myself as a female

I am not interested in anyone.

5

I am a male but I should be female because

I am interested in male.

6

I am female but I should be male because

I am interested in female.

7

I am a male but I should be female because

I am interested in female.

8

I am a female but I should be male because

I am interested in male.

9

I am male but, I wear clothes of female

I am interested in male.

10

I am female but I wear clothes of male

I am interested in female.

11

I am male but I wear clothes of female

I am interested in female.

12

I am female but I wear clothes of male

I am interested in male.

13

I am male, I wear clothes of male

I am interested in  both male and female.

14

I am female and I wear clothes of female

I am interested in  both female and male.

15

I am male, I wear clothes of male

I am only interested in male.

16

I am female and I wear clothes of female

I am only interested in female.

17

I am male, I have wear clothes of male

I am interested in female.

18

I am female and I wear clothes of female

I am interested in male.

19

I am a male and I am only interested in one female

20

I am a female and I am only interested in one male

21

I am male and I am interested in only in an one male

22

I am female and I am interested in only in an one female

            Is queerness something that all lesbian, gay, bi and trans people have in common? Is it a sexual identity, a political identity, both, or something else entirely?

          No doubt we are all familiar with the term, but coming up with a definition for “queerness” presents quite a challenge. Sometimes “queer” is used as a slur, yet there are many people who proudly self-identify as queer. There is a huge History of Queer Identities in our Mythology also, but still today we hesitate to accept those identities.

            It’s not so unusual for slur words to get re-appropriated by the group targeted by the slur, but “queer” stands out in a certain way. Not only has the term been reclaimed as an identity, but since the 90s, we’ve also had Queer Studies departments in universities, devoted to the study of queer theory. Other slur words, like “bitch” or “slut”, have been reclaimed, but it would be quite remarkable to find a program called Bitch Studies in any university. Similarly, I’ve never heard of anyone making “slut art,” though we do have queer art and literature.

            If you reading or doing research on Queer theory than look at mentally and psychological things not just physical things because they have also the heart and their own feelings and attitude. 

Reference:

Devdutt Pattanaik's Book

https://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/harris/Eng101_QueerDef.pdf