QUEER THEORY

I read the book "Queer: A Graphic Guide" by Meg-John Barker and Jules Scheele, and have made notes on some queer theories I was interested in. 

Queer: Originally referring to strangeness or difference, and became an abusive term that is now being reclaimed. It operates as an umbrella term for people outside of the heterosexual norm. 

Michael Warner, "The Trouble with Normal" (1999) “We queer things we resist “regimes of the normal”: the normative ideals of aspiring to be normal in identity, behaviour, appearance, relationships, etc”

Post-Structruralism: the rejection of the idea that any single, universal, absolute “truth”. The critique of systems of thought that make claims to uncover truths, such as science and religion, as well as grand narratives such as Freudian theory and Marxism. Knowledge cannot be neutral or objective, it’s contingent on systems of power, and it shapes the power relations between people. Post-structuralists also offer, multiple, contradictory, readings of texts, as there can be no single true meaning. 

Queer (De Laurentis) Conference in University of California in 1990, then published in “Queer Theory: Lesbian and Gay Sexualities”, with early focus on sexuality. Refusing heteronormativity, sexuality is shaped intersectionally, post-structuralism theories examine power relations within sex, sexuality, and gender, destabilising the normative understanding, and exposing the construction and performance of sexual and gender identity. 

Queering (Queer Reading): A technique to challenge heteronormativity by analysing texts, in order to assess gender, sexuality, oppression, and identity politics. E.g. re-examining Shakespeare texts for homosexual behaviour. 

Micheal Foucault: The panopticon surveillance metaphor, a self-monitoring society, neo-liberal consumer capitalism, Bio-Power, bodies and normality, discourses and technologies of the self, power relations.

Judith Butler: Known for creating queer theory, identity politics assumption, the heterosexual matrix, gender performativity. 

Heteronormativity: Micheal Warner, the normal or natural form of attraction in relationships is culturally deemed to be that of a man towards a woman who naturally embody conventional gender roles and norms. Other forms of sexuality and gender are viewed as abnormal and everyone is assumed heterosexual until proven otherwise. 

Homonormativity: Susan Stryker, captures the way in which gay and lesbian became the primary identities associated with the LGBT movements of the 80s and 90s. We see homonormativity as the safe depictions of gay best friend/parents in TV and film.