Academic Game Changers:
Queer Theorists
Refresher:
What is Queer Theory?
A “queer” is anyone who feels outside of the societal norms
in regards to gender, sexuality, ect.
Queer theory examines the socially constructed nature of
sexual acts and it challenges the idea that sexuality can be
defined as an identity. It includes any sexual activities or
identities that fall into normative and/or deviant categories.
Queer theory focuses on mismatches between sex, gender,
and desire, including topics such as cross-dressing,
intersexism, gender ambiguity, and gender corrective surgery.
Judith Butler
Judith Butler
Date of Birth: February 24th, 1956
Nationality: American
Childhood:
Judith was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and her parents were
Russian and Hungarian.
Judith Butler
Post-Secondary Education:
Judith got her BA at Bennington College.
She also went to Yale University and got her PhD in Philosophy
in 1984.
Adult Life:
Since 1993, she has been working at the University of
California in the Department of Comparative Literature & the
Program of Critical Theory.
Judith Butler
Most Prominent Works and Publications:
Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity
(1990)
Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex (1993)
Undergoing Gender (2004)
Frames of War: When Life is Grievable (1990)
An Interesting Fact:
Judith has her own tagline: “Slowly step away from the Barbie
doll and out your hands in the air”
Judith Butler
Theories/Ideas:
Third-Wave Feminism – began in the 90’s and dealt with issues
such as race, class, stereotypes, and gender role expectations.
Women readopted “feminine traits” such as wearing lipstick and
high heels, and proudly showing cleavage, which was not done
during the first two waves of feminism = “Pinkfloor”.
Pinkfloor – “It is possible to have a push-up bra and a brain at the
same time”
Critical Theory – Applying knowledge from the social sciences
to assess and critique society.
Post Modernism
Post Structuralism
Judith Butler
How They Changed Things:
Judith changed understandings and perspectives for academia
and laypersons by teaching such subjects at Universities.
Judith also published books and other articles for those who are
not experts on this particular field of study.
Michel Foucault
Michel Foucault
Date of Birth: October 15th, 1926, in Poitiers, France.
Died: in 1984 from an AIDS-related illness
Nationality: French
Childhood
He was the second of three children, he has an older sister and
younger brother.
He came from a middle-class family.
His fathers and grandfathers were all surgeons/doctors, and
Michel was encouraged to enter a profession in medicine.
Michel Foucault
Post-Secondary Education:
Michel graduated from Saint-Stanisias School where he studied
philosophy.
He also attended Lycée Henri-IV
Michel was ranked the 4th highest in his class and had a very
impressive academic record.
In 1946, he attended the École Normale Supérièure d’Ulm,
which was the most impressive French-humanities school.
Michel received his doctorate d’état in 1959.
Michel Foucault
Adult Life:
Michel was openly homosexual and was in an intimate
relationship with his partner, Daniel Defert, for 25 years.
In the 1950’s, he worked in a psychiatric hospital.
He taught French at the Universities of Uppsala, Warsaw and
Hamburg
In the 1960s’, he was the head of the philosophy department at
the University of Clermont-Ferrand
Michel Foucault
Most Prominent Works/Publications:
“The History of Sexuality”
“Discipline and Punish”
“The Birth of the Clinic”
“The Order of Things”
An Interesting Fact:
Foucault was one of the most influential yet controversial post
WW2-era scholars.
Michel Foucault
Theory:
“The History of Sexuality” – An intro into gender studies that
explained how sex is a fundamental part of religious, scientific
and political conversations.
Sexuality comes from the influence of institutions and
discourses.
Foucault’s theory explained how we should focus on what
sexuality produces rather than what produces sexuality.
Scientia Sexualis – Breaks sexual discourse up into three
categories: psychoanalytic, political and scientific.
Homosexuality is produced through dialectical exchange, it is
not discovered.
Sexuality is tied to truth.
Michel Foucault
How They Changed Things:
Foucault was a major influence on the study of gender and
queer theory.
He sparked interest on the construct of sexuality, power, culture
and society.
He created a theoretical platform for future queer
theory students.
Gloria Anzaldúa
Gloria Anzaldúa
Date of Birth: September 26th, 1942
Died: May 15th, 2004
Nationality: American
Childhood:
Gloria was born in South Texas Rio Grande Valley but moved to
Hargill, Texas at age 11
She worked on the fields from her childhood until she was in
college and her father died when she was 14 years old.
Gloria did very well in school, she graduated from Edenburg High
School in 1962, and was the only Chicana in advanced classes,
however she was mocked and punished by her teachers because she
only knew how to speak Spanish.
After high school, Gloria wanted to become a writer.
Gloria Anzaldúa
Post Secondary Education:
Gloria attended Pan American University where she received
her bachelors degree in English and Art in 1969.
Gloria also received her masters degree in English from the
University of Texas.
Adult Life:
Gloria worked as a preschool and special education teacher.
She moved to California in 1977 to teach creative writing,
feminism and Chicana studies in Universities.
Gloria won many awards throughout her life.
She was completing her PhD in Literature while dying from
diabetes but it was awarded to her in 2005.
Gloria Anzaldúa
Most Prominent Works and Publications:
Co-edited “The Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical
Women of Colour” (1981)
One of the most cited books in feminism history
Her autobiographical narrative, “Borderlands: The New
Mestiza” (1987)
The narrative explores her identity as a Chicana lesbian feminist.
It was listed under the 100 best books of the century.
Gloria Anzaldúa
Interesting Facts:
Gloria was a Chicana dyke/lesbian feminist, poet, writer, and
cultural theorist.
She began menstruating at age 3 – a symptom of endocrine
condition that caused her to stop growing at age 12.
When reflecting on her illness, she announced “I was born a
queer.”
Gloria felt an intense sexual attraction towards her own father,
animals, and trees when she was growing up.
She later ended up being attracted to both men and women,
Gloria Anzaldúa
Theories:
Gloria was the first author to combine feminist, queer, and
Chicana theories in poetry, narrative, and autobiographical
works
Wrote a speech called “Speaking in Tongues: A Letter to Third
World Women Writers”
Focused on the shift towards an equal and just gender
representation in literature.
Introduced “mestizaje” to U.S. audiences.
“A state being beyond binary”
“New mestiza” – challenged binary thinking in the Western world.
Gloria Anzaldúa
How They Changed Things:
While race normally divided people, Gloria called for people of
different races to confront their fears and move forward to a less
hateful world.
Her work challenged the status quo and made real change in the
world.
Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick
Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick
Date of Birth: May 2nd, 1950
Died: April 12th, 2009
Nationality: American
Childhood:
Born in Dayton, Ohio where she was
raised in a Jewish family, with an older sister
and younger brother.
She was very interested in queer theory.
Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick
Post-Secondary Education:
Eve went to Cornell University from 1967 to 1971, where she
received her undergraduate degree.
She also attended Yale University from 1971 to 1975 where she
received her PhD.
Adult Life:
Eve was a poet, artist, literary critic and teacher, who was
always wanted to find or create environments filled with the
freedom and support that she needed.
Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick
Adult Life Continued:
Eve was a Professor at The City University of New York Graduate
Center where she taught English graduate courses.
In 1969, she married her spouse Hal Sedgwick.
On April 12th, 2009, Eve passed away after a battle with cancer at the
age of 58.
Most Prominent Works and Publications:
How to Bring Your Kids Up Gay
Queer Performativity
Henry Jame’s The Art of the Novel
Jane Austen
An Interesting Fact:
Eve was known as “the queen of queer theory”
Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick
Theories/Ideas:
Queer theory studies build upon feminist challenges to the idea
that gender is part of the essential self and upon gay/lesbian
studies.
Queer theory focuses on “mismatches” between sex, gender,
and desire.
How They Changes Things:
Eve influenced people to change their views on gays/lesbians
for the better.
People began to believe that everyone was the same and equal.