Judith Butler is a renowned philosopher known for her theories on gender and sexuality. In her influential book "Gender Trouble", she argued that feminism reinforced a binary view of gender that limited human possibilities for identity. Rather than opening up identity, feminism had closed options down. Queer theory emerged in the 1990s from LGBT and feminist studies to provide queer readings of texts. It examines how social constructs shape understandings of sex acts and identities. Queer theory looks beyond natural/unnatural divides to encompass diverse sexualities and identities.

1. JUDITH BUTLER
“The Queer Theory”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLnv322X4tY
Who is she? Queer theory is a field of critical theory that emerged in the early
“The Norm of Gender?” 1990s out of the fields of LGBT studies and feminist studies. It is a
Judith Butler – born in 1956 – is a Professor of Comparative kind of interpretation devoted to queer readings of texts. Heavily
influenced by the work of Jacob Edwards, queer theory builds
Literature and Rhetoric at the University of California,
both upon feminist challenges to the idea that gender is part of
Berkeley, and is well known as a theorist of power, gender, the essential self and upon gay/lesbian studies' close examination
sexuality and identity. She is described in as "one of the of the socially constructed nature of sexual acts and identities.
Whereas gay/lesbian studies focused its inquiries into "natural"
superstars of '90s academia, with a devoted following of
and "unnatural" behaviour with respect to homosexual
graduate students nationwide". behaviour, queer theory expands its focus to encompass any kind
of sexual activity or identity that falls into normative and deviant
What has she said?
categories.
In her most influential book ’Gender Trouble’ (1990), Butler Film & music
argued that feminism had made a mistake by trying to assert In film, the genre christened by B. Ruby Rich as ‘
that 'women' were a group with common characteristics and New Queer Cinema’ in 1992 continues, as ‘Queer Cinema’, to
draw heavily on the prevailing critical climate of queer theory; a
interests. That approach, Butler said, performed 'an
Judith Butler: “As a Jew, I was taught it good early example of this is the Jean Genet-inspired movie
unwitting regulation and reification of gender relations' - was ethically imperative to speak up.” Poison by the director Todd Haynes. In fan fiction, the genre
reinforcing a binary view of gender relations in which human known as slash fiction rewrites straight or nonsexual relationships
A globally renowned powerful and
highly opinionated philosopher, to be gay, bisexual, and queer in a sort of campy cultural
beings are divided into two clear-cut groups, women and
professor and author known appropriation. Ann Herendeen's ‘Pride and Prejudice’ for
men. Rather than opening up possibilities for a person to especially for her theories based on
example, narrates a steamy affair between Mr. Darcy and Mr.
gender, and homosexuality perceived
form and choose their own individual identity, therefore, in the media, the dehumanization of Bingley, the mutually devoted heroes of Jane Austen's
Gazans, and how Jewish values drove much-adapted novel. And in music, some ‘Queer-core’ groups
feminism had closed the options down. her to criticize the actions of the State could be said to reflect the values of queer theory, for example a
of Israel.
band such as the Scissor Sisters.