💋Intro to Feminist Philosophy Unit 6 – Gender, Sexuality & Queer Theory in Feminism

Key Concepts and Terminology

• Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, expressions and identities of men, women, and gender diverse people
• Sex is the classification of a person as male, female or intersex based on biological characteristics such as chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy
• Sexuality encompasses sexual orientation, practices, and identity and involves emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to others
• Heteronormativity assumes heterosexuality as the default, normal, or preferred sexual orientation and that gender follows from biological sex assigned at birth
• Cisnormativity is the assumption that all individuals identify with the gender they were assigned at birth and that this is the norm
• Transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth
  • Cisgender individuals identify with the gender assigned to them at birth
• Queer is a term reclaimed by LGBTQIA+ people to refer to sexual and gender identities that are not heterosexual or cisgender, often used to express fluidity

Historical Context of Gender and Sexuality Studies

• Early sexologists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, such as Richard von Krafft-Ebing and Havelock Ellis, began studying human sexuality from a scientific perspective
• The women's liberation movement of the 1960s and 1970s drew attention to gender inequality and the social construction of gender roles
• Gay liberation movements emerged in the wake of the Stonewall riots in 1969, challenging societal discrimination against homosexuality
• Feminist scholars in the 1970s, such as Ann Oakley and Gayle Rubin, distinguished between biological sex and socially constructed gender
• In 1990, Judith Butler published Gender Trouble, arguing that gender is performative rather than an essential identity
  • This work was foundational for queer theory and challenged the sex/gender distinction
• The intersex rights movement gained momentum in the 1990s, advocating against non-consensual medical interventions on intersex children
• Transgender activism and visibility has increased since the 1990s, challenging binary notions of gender and fighting for legal rights and social acceptance

Feminist Perspectives on Gender

• Liberal feminism focuses on achieving gender equality through legal and political reform, emphasizing equal rights and opportunities
• Radical feminism views patriarchy and male domination as the root cause of women's oppression, advocating for a fundamental restructuring of society
• Socialist feminism analyzes gender inequality as a function of capitalism and class oppression, arguing that women's liberation requires overthrowing capitalist systems
• Black feminism and intersectionality examine how race, class, and other forms of oppression intersect with gender, shaping the experiences of women of color
  • Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term intersectionality to describe this framework
• Postmodern feminism, influenced by poststructuralism, challenges the notion of a universal female experience and essentialist ideas about gender
• Ecofeminism draws connections between the exploitation of women and the domination of nature, advocating for environmental sustainability and gender equality
• Transfeminism extends feminist analysis to transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, challenging cisnormative assumptions within feminism itself

Queer Theory: Origins and Core Ideas

• Emerged in the early 1990s, drawing on poststructuralist theories to challenge essentialist notions of gender and sexuality
• Judith Butler's Gender Trouble (1990) argued that gender is performative, not an essential identity, and that the gender binary is socially constructed
• Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick's Epistemology of the Closet (1990) examined how the homo/heterosexual binary structures Western thought and culture
• Queer theory rejects stable categories of gender and sexuality, emphasizing fluidity, non-normativity, and anti-identitarianism
  • Challenges heteronormativity and cisnormativity, which assume and privilege heterosexuality and cisgender identities as natural and normal
• Examines how power operates through the regulation of gender and sexuality, and how norms are resisted and subverted
• Critiques the assimilationist politics of mainstream LGBT movements, which seek inclusion within existing social institutions rather than challenging their foundations
• Intersects with other fields like critical race theory, postcolonial studies, and disability studies to analyze the co-constitution of multiple forms of oppression

Intersectionality in Gender and Sexuality

• Developed by Kimberlé Crenshaw to describe how race, class, gender, and other forms of oppression intersect and shape lived experiences
• Recognizes that individuals hold multiple, intersecting identities that produce unique experiences of privilege and marginalization
  • For example, the experiences of Black women cannot be understood solely through the lens of gender or race alone
• Challenges single-axis frameworks that treat gender, race, class, and sexuality as separate and additive, rather than mutually constituting
• Examines how power structures and systems of oppression are interconnected and reinforce each other
• Calls for an integrated analysis of social inequalities and a recognition of within-group differences
  • Rejects essentialist notions of shared identity based on a single characteristic like gender
• Informs intersectional feminist activism that addresses multiple, interlocking systems of oppression simultaneously
• Has been expanded to consider other intersecting identities such as disability, age, religion, and citizenship status

Challenging Binary Thinking

• Binary thinking assumes that there are only two, mutually exclusive categories, such as male/female, heterosexual/homosexual, or nature/culture
• Gender binary classifies individuals as either male or female based on biological sex characteristics, ignoring the existence of intersex people and gender diversity
• Heterosexual/homosexual binary erases bisexuality, pansexuality, and other non-monosexual orientations, as well as asexuality
• Sex/gender binary assumes that gender identity always aligns with assigned sex, failing to account for transgender and non-binary identities
• Queer theory challenges these binaries as social constructs that regulate and restrict human diversity
  • Argues that categories of gender and sexuality exist on a spectrum or continuum rather than as binary opposites
• Deconstruction, a method of critical analysis central to queer theory, involves examining how binaries are constructed and maintained through language and discourse
• Non-binary and genderqueer identities reject the gender binary and express a fluid or ambiguous gender identity
• Bisexual and pansexual activism has challenged binary notions of sexual orientation and erasure within both straight and gay/lesbian communities

Contemporary Debates and Issues

• Transgender rights and access to healthcare, legal recognition, and public accommodations
  • Debates over transgender participation in sports and the use of puberty blockers for transgender youth
• Intersex rights and ending non-consensual medical interventions on intersex children
• Recognition of non-binary gender identities on legal documents and in social institutions
• Inclusion of queer and trans people of color within LGBTQIA+ movements and addressing racial inequalities
• Asexual visibility and inclusion within queer spaces and challenging compulsory sexuality
• Homonationalism, or the co-optation of LGBTQIA+ rights discourses by nationalist and imperialist agendas
• The impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQIA+ communities, particularly in terms of economic precarity, domestic violence, and access to healthcare
• Debates over the meaning and inclusivity of terms like "queer" and "LGBTQIA+" and the politics of identity labels

Practical Applications and Activism

• Incorporating gender-neutral language and pronouns in everyday speech and institutional policies
• Advocating for comprehensive, LGBTQIA+-inclusive sex education in schools
• Pushing for legal protections against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations
• Supporting transgender and non-binary individuals in social transition and accessing gender-affirming healthcare
• Challenging media representations that perpetuate stereotypes and prejudices about LGBTQIA+ people
  • Increasing positive, diverse representation of queer and transgender characters and stories
• Practicing intersectional, coalitional activism that addresses the interconnected nature of social inequalities
• Creating inclusive, affirming spaces for LGBTQIA+ people within schools, workplaces, religious institutions, and social services
• Providing resources and support for LGBTQIA+ youth, who face higher risks of bullying, homelessness, and mental health issues
• Celebrating LGBTQIA+ pride and visibility through events, marches, and public demonstrations of solidarity and resistance