Queer Theory Essay

By definition, queer represents any behavior or anything that is at odds with the dominant, normal or legitimate. Queer theory is considered to be one of the contemporary theories explaining gender variation with a focus on gay and lesbians. It is a part of the post-structuralist critical theory established in the early 1990s from the fields of women studies and queer studies. The theory was greatly influenced by authors such as Gloria Anzaldua, Jose Estaben, Kosofski Sedgwick, Judith Butler, Munoz and Lauren Berlant. It build upon the challenges of feminism to the idea that gender is a component of essential self depending on gay/lesbian studies. Moreover, it analyzes the socially onstructed nature of sexual identities and acts.
Whereas lesbian/gay studies are centered on unnatural and natural behaviors regarding homosexual behaviors, queer theory extends its focus to include any type of sexual identity or activity falling into deviant and normative categories. The theory emphasizes on mismatches between gender sex and desire. Besides being associated with subjects such lesbian, bisexual and gay, its analytic framework also includes subjects such as intersexuality, cross-dressing, gender corrective surgery and gender ambiguity.
As noted by Annamarie Jagose (1997), the term queer was initially used abusively for homophobic and also as slang for homosexuals. However, she deposits that the term has recently gained immense recognition especially for lesbian/gay studies as well as for cultural-sexual identification. Queer theory is also referred to as a product of specific theoretical and cultural pressure which has increasingly structured debates concerning the identity of lesbians and