Queer Theory

The aim of queer theory is to destabilize symbolically and materially based notions of normalcy in regards to human relations (sexual and nonsexual) and binaries, such as heterosexual/homosexual, which foster the status quo and deny people the space to fashion their own sexualities. Queer theory is an academic term but has its origins in social movements that took place within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and ally (LGBTA) communities, ones that attempted to remain inclusive by assuming difference as the terms for relationships and also to dissolve the dominate/subjugate hierarchies within sexuality by discomposing the logic that maintains them. Within the U.S. academic scene, queer theory emerged during the mid-1980s as a form of cultural and material criticism and has its intellectual roots in feminist, ...