Queer Theory Basics
Queer Theory Basics
The Who, What, Where, When, and Why of Queer Theory
Beginnings
I’m Coming OutSex freaks us out. Why? Sex has been around for a long time, but the way we talk about sex changes with every generation. First of all, there’s the use of the word “sex” to re...
Big Players
All queer roads lead back to Michel Foucault. His History of Sexuality examines not just sex itself, but how sex acts are discussed and categorized. Many of his ideas center around power and the so...
Key Debates
Michel Foucault vs. The Victorians Should sexy talk and sexy acts always be hidden behind closed doors? In The History of Sexuality, Michel Foucault argues that a society’s rules for discussing �...
State of the Theory
Being normal is a lot of work. We’d rather not.Today’s queer theory is all about breaking away from the power of the penis. That dog(gone phallus) has had its day. It’s time to explore the wo...
Talking the Talk
What is literature? Literature never ceases to be complex for the queer theorist, because queer theorists are as interested in what's said as what's not. Language hides more than it reveals, it's d...