Queer Theory Research Articles

United Nations, the Struggle for Gender Equity, and Queering Global Science.

UN Women is the United Nations "entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women". UN Women is an example of the institutions of global governance that followed the gender turn in women's rights over the past 2 decades. This opinion commentary unpacks a brief history of UN Women, and the ongoing disparities in gender diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in science, engineering, and medicine, not to mention in science communication, with the aim to shed light on the adverse impacts of gender essentialism and gender binary. First, I argue that another world and liberatory structural change are indeed possible by resisting and refusing empty platitudes for band-aid solutions, disingenuous pleasantries and cultures of scheming for professional ladder-climbing that cloak the systemic causes-of-causes and sustain DEI inequities. Second, I argue for systems thinking and reflexive change in research cultures through queering global science, and rethinking everyday hegemonic assumptions and the prevailing blind spots in sex, gender, science, and society. Third, queer theory is not limited to studies of gender and sexuality. When used as a verb, "queering," its meaning broadens so as to mean critical examination of the unchecked assumptions and norms in a given field of scholarly inquiry. The DEI inequities in science, engineering, and medicine are real, harmful to individuals and communities in the present historical moment, and undermine intergenerational justice, not to mention hinder science and innovation. Going forward in the current decade amid uncertainty and polycrisis in world affairs and global democracy, the systemic gaps in gender equity in everyday laboratory life and on the streets ought to be remedied for global science and planetary health to be just, responsible, democratic, and innovative.

Queering Militarism in Israeli Photography

This article, Queering Militarism in Israeli Photography, examines Adi Nes’s Soldiers series, a body of work that interrogates the intersections of queerness, militarism, and nationalism within Israeli society. By employing a distinctive “military circus” aesthetic, Nes challenges the rigid heteronormative and hyper-masculine archetypes embedded in Israeli military identity. His staged photographs depict soldiers in circus-inspired performative poses, blending military discipline with elements of the carnivalesque to subvert conventional representations of military masculinity. This approach creates spaces where queerness, vulnerability, and fluid identity defy the rigid confines of nationalist narratives. Using queer studies frameworks, performance theory, and postcolonial critique, this article analyzes Nes’s depiction of soldiers as both military subjects and circus performers, examining how these representations disrupt the “naturalness” of gender, power, and identity within the Israeli national ethos. Through a close reading of key images—such as the fire-breathing soldier, the acrobat on a tightrope, and the strongman figure—this article argues that Nes critiques homonationalism and exposes the co-optation of LGBTQ+ identities into militaristic frameworks. His images juxtapose exaggerated masculinity with homoerotic and introspective vulnerability, positioning the queer body as both a participant in and a subverter of the national narrative. Drawing on contemporary queer theory—including José Esteban Muñoz’s concept of “disidentification”, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick’s theories of queer shame and performativity, and perspectives on temporality, failure, and counterpublics following Elizabeth Freeman, Jack Halberstam, Michael Warner, and Sara Ahmed—this article frames queerness as an active site of resistance and creative transformation within the Israeli military complex. The analysis reveals how Nes’s work disrupts Zionist masculinities and traditional militaristic structures through a hybrid aesthetic of military and circus life. By reimagining Israeli identity as an inclusive, multi-dimensional construct, Nes expands queer possibilities beyond heteronormative confines and homonationalist alignments. This merging of critical queer perspectives—from the destabilizing of discipline and shame to the public visibility of non-normative bodies—posits that queer identities can permeate and reshape state power itself, challenging not only the norms of militaristic nationalism but also the boundaries of Israeli selfhood.

Intimacies of Guerillas: Palestinian Liberation and the Cold War Revolutionary Image

This article explores the intricate social and revolutionary dynamics within the Palestinian liberation movement through the lens of queer and decolonial feminist theory. By examining the visual and relational aspects of Cold War-era images of Palestinian fida’iyin, the article argues that these images are imbued with radical libidinal social relations that source the possibilities for revolutionary change and liberation. The analysis introduces how these images resist dominant, heteronormative and masculinist narratives imposed by imperialist and patriarchal forces, instead revealing deep intimacies and affective bonds among revolutionaries. The article also engages with broader discussions on the role of gender, sexuality, and the erotic in shaping revolutionary consciousness, asserting that these elements are crucial to understanding the historical and ongoing struggles for Palestinian liberation. Through this lens, the article challenges conventional readings of revolutionary imagery, offering a new interpretation that connects.

#Rebel Selves: queer selfies as practices of care

This visual essay presents an exploration of the gendered nature of visibleness and possibilities for queer entanglements through self-portraiture, performance, and installation. It culminates with #Rebel Selves, a practice-based research project comprising installations, self-portraits, contemporary dance performances, participatory workshops, and a smart phone app. #Rebel Selves draws on queer and posthumanist theories to develop experimental approaches to producing queer selfies. Research on selfies finds that negative feedback in comments and the currency of likes reinforce and police dominant gender ideals. However, research on queer selfies has highlighted their role in enhancing queer visibility, challenging stereotypes, creating supportive communities, and improving self-esteem. In this respect, selfie taking and sharing can be practices of care. In this essay I argue that #Rebel selfies do not escape the risks attached to being visible in the public sphere. However, they offer opportunities to be present without being subjected to disciplining gazes, and to participate in caring communities.

Startled into frankness: style, difficulty, and self-disclosure in the classroom with Gertrude Stein

ABSTRACT This essay narrates the experience of teaching Gertrude Stein to undergraduate students using creative writing prompts. It draws on media aesthetics, affect theory, and queer and feminist theory and pedagogy to theorize students’ confrontation with “Miss Furr and Miss Skeene,” a text that moves them from shock to playfulness to a sense of reciprocity between text and reader. The essay argues that Stein’s use of repetition with variation co-opts the reader’s attention and uses their preoccupations against them, but in doing so draws them into an attitude of self-disclosure. Once students get over the initial shock of Stein’s very distinct style – which induces what Sianne Ngai has called “stuplimity” in the reader – they quickly discover moments of connection. Using Stein as an example, the essay demonstrates that encouraging students to grapple with difficult texts improves their writing and reading, and that modernist literature resonates with students for its playfulness and its commitment to language and process, rather than mastery and outcome.

MONETIZING QUEERBAITING: BOYFRIEND DAILY CHECK-INS AS A STRATEGY TO ENGAGE QUEER FANDOM

This study aims to investigate the increasingly prominent phenomenon of queerbaiting in Chinese social media, which is to bait and lure the queer audience in for an existing media text, through queer representations including erotica. With the development of streaming media and its innovative application in e-commerce especially during the COVID-19, social media platforms such as Douyin have become a rich site for economic and cultural analyses. This project is significant that since the Chinese government and platforms regulate queer content in a seemingly strict way, for example, those who express ‘abnormal’ sexual orientation will be banned. However, queerbaiting as a genre of media production still finds its way through short videos and gets away with tightened regulatory regimes. At the same time, Douyin’s huge monetization potential with e-commerce in various formats (e-gift-giving, sponsorship, advertorials) makes queerbaiting as a marketing strategy an indispensable part of Chinese social media that attracts scholarly and market attention. Furthermore, most queer content creators would self-present on the Douyin as straight especially when they engage with queerbaiting strategies, making both their media production sustainable in a tight regulatory regime and data accessible for my research. The study emphasizes a departure from fan-centred queerbaiting research and instead examines from the producer's perspective, dissecting the actions and goals of influencers to attract followers, monetize and profit by manipulating audience interpretations and queer imaginations as their strategies, at the same time, to navigate and protect themselves from homophobic regulatory and social environments.

Once Upon a Lesbian Theory

ABSTRACT“Once Upon a Lesbian Theory” analyzes how stories told about the origins of queer theory can distort and exclude, extending Kent Brintnall's “Once Upon a Queer Theory” in a lesbian key. I first consider the fate of lesbian theory as it emerges within one dominant mode of queer storytelling: the progress narrative. I trace the racial and temporal politics of this story across queer theory, religious studies, and theology. Next, I turn to two literary critics, Barbara Christian and Barbara Johnson, to glean two approaches to lesbian theory. In the concluding section, I go looking for lesbian theory, considering sites, sources, and archives for lesbian theorizing within religious studies and theology. “Once Upon a Lesbian Theory” is ultimately a fabled story that invites us to think about the complicities, contradictions, and desires that shape the stories we tell about lesbian, trans, and queer theory.

Obfuscation of Multidimensionality: Analyzing the Emphasis on Suffering and Victimhood in the Portrayal of Trans Women in Ram ℅ Anandhi

This study critiques Ram c/o Anandhi for its one-dimensional portrayal of trans women, particularly the character Malli, who is cast primarily in the mould of suffering and victimhood. Drawing insights from queer theory, the study highlights how literature often reinforces stereotypes rather than offer nuanced representations. The novel presents trans women as figures of violence, social rejection or tragedy, limiting their agency and humanity. The protagonist’s interactions with Malli suggest that trans individuals require validation or protection from cisgender, heterosexual figures to find meaning, reinforcing problematic power dynamics. The narrative’s emphasis on transgender individuals’ suffering without challenging societal structures inadvertently upholds mainstream biases. The study argues that literature must move beyond victim narratives and offer empowering portrayals of trans lives, challenge heteronormative structures rather than reinforce them.

“I Don’t Think I’ve Done Justice to the Inclusion of Queer Students in Phys. Ed.”: Creating Physical Education Learning Environments for 2SLGBTQ+ Preservice Teachers

Purpose: Traditionally, physical education (PE) has been a subject that reproduces heteronormativity and hegemonic masculinity. Particularly for Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, or Questioning (2SLGBTQ+) students, PE can be an unsafe and uncomfortable space. Unfortunately, research has also demonstrated that Physical Education Teacher Education programs can perpetuate the same negative and harmful discourse. Individuals who embark on a career in education will spend years in a postsecondary institution learning how to become teachers. Regardless of being in a generalist or a PE specialist degree program, the potential exists for preservice teachers (PSTs) to encounter this subject once again in their postsecondary education. The purpose of this research was to explore how three teacher educators created their PE learning environments for 2SLGBTQ+ PSTs. Method: As part of a larger explanatory sequential research project about 2SLGBTQ+ PSTs’ experiences in PE, teacher educators engaged in semistructured interviews for a qualitative study framed by queer theory. Results: Three themes were generated through Reflexive Thematic Analysis: (a) Problematic PE with Positive Potential illustrates how aspects of the subject can have negative impacts on students, but that teacher educators are working to showcase the subject’s merit; (b) Wicked (Gender) Games showcases that dominant binary norms and gender stereotypes are still prominent despite teacher educator push back; and (c) Last, Good for One, Good for All? details how teacher educators’ primary focus was general inclusion rather than an intentional focus to support 2SLGBTQ+ PSTs. Discussion/Conclusion: To truly become a more inclusive space, teacher educators need to critically reflect on and unpack heteronormative practices and discourses, gender stereotypes, and how they are intentionally supporting their 2SLGBTQ+ PSTs through PE learning environments and beyond.

The Phenomenon of LGBTQ Battle Fatigue: A Conceptual Analysis for the Organization

LGBTQ individuals often face unique challenges in the workplace, including systemic discrimination, microaggressions, and a lack of inclusive workplace cultures. These factors can lead to a chronic state of stress and exhaustion known as LGBTQ Battle Fatigue, a term coined by author Stacey Morin. This research examines the psychological, social, and organizational factors contributing to this phenomenon. Through a comprehensive literature review and analysis, the impact of LGBTQ Battle Fatigue on individual well-being and organizational culture is considered. Stereotyping and discrimination emerged from the research. The relevance of this research lies in the critical role inclusion plays in addressing systemic inequalities and ensuring fair treatment, access, and opportunities for all individuals. The main purpose of this study is to analyze how LGBTQ Battle Fatigue may affect the effectiveness of diversity and inclusion efforts, potentially leading to superficial diversity measures, employee disillusionment, and reputational risks for organizations. The author’s contribution to solving the scientific problem under study involves a theoretical framework application using Organizational Justice Theory and Queer Theory which allows for a nuanced examination of how systemic inequalities might persist or worsen when not addressed. This application demonstrates the importance of a theoretical basis for analyzing such complex issues. This approach allows for a comprehensive understanding of LGBTQ Battle Fatigue and provides insights into the necessity of maintaining a focus on inclusion to promote genuine inclusivity and fairness in the workplace.

THE POWER OF EPHEMERAL GESTURES: THEORIES OF GENDER AND PERFORMANCE

Abstract Questions of what defines gender have long been central to theorists, activists, and artists who place gender and sexuality at the center of their work. This presentation provides an overview of feminist and queer theories that can deepen the thinking of those who engage with drag performers. We begin by providing a definition of cultural hegemony informed by the work of Antonio Gramsci and James Lull. Theorizing of power and ideology – including ageism, sexism, and homophobia – Gramsci and Lull argue that dominant ideologies result from intergroup interactions like those exemplified in the anti-drag legislation that dominates the United States. From there, we shift to feminist and queer theories of performativity and identity formation. We start with the foundational work of Judith Butler, whose “Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity” in 1990 and “Who’s Afraid of Gender?” in 2024 ask how much of “gender” comes not from an essential, internal core but from repeated, unconscious actions enforced by external socio-political forces. That leads to the value of performance and gesture in the creation of a lasting queer legacy. José Esteban Muñoz theorized a queer ephemera that includes drag in his 2009 publication of Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity, highlighting how gestures in drag aid in the creation of a culturally forbidden queer history, a history that becomes richer and more complex as these drag artists – along with theories about gender and sexual minorities in general – age.

PRINCIPLES OF QUEER GERONTOLOGY

Abstract This symposium will present principles for queer gerontology – or gerontological scholarship aimed at promoting social justice for all, but especially for LGBTQ+ people as they age – and potential applications of this approach within existing and future scholarly projects. Building upon recent applications of queer theory and perspectives to aging studies and gerontology, we propose five principles of queer gerontology—1) Deeping Visibility and Awareness; 2) Developing and Applying Critical Perspectives; 3) Challenging Oppression and Injustice; 4) Engaging Multiple Epistemologies and Modes of Inquiry; and 5) Fostering Transdisciplinary Advancement—and present evidence and themes from existing empirical and conceptual scholarship that exemplify these principles. The first presentation will describe the need for queer gerontology, the iterative process through which these principles were developed, and present the principles. The second presentation will apply a critical secondary qualitative data analysis to illustrate the principles of queer gerontology in action. The third presentation will explore the theme of being a scholar-activist in the practice of queer gerontology. The symposium will offer a chance for attendees to reflect critically on their own scholarship and devise directions for future work with respect to these principles.

PRINCIPLES OF QUEER GERONTOLOGY

Abstract Gerontology has advanced greatly in recent decades in its attention to the lives of LGBTQ+ people. To this end, an increasing number of scholars have argued for a queering of gerontologists’ understanding of the human life course, as well as a queering of the field of gerontology itself. Yet, to date there exists no clear articulation, in practical terms, of what queer gerontology is and how it could be applied to scholarship and activism. Coming from a first-person, reflexive position, we argue that a clear vision of queer gerontology should be based on scholars’ historical use of queer theory to challenge normative ideas about the self and social life. In this presentation we will briefly present the historical landscape of LGBTQ+ aging studies, with an emphasis on recent conceptual and methodological advances, followed by a description of the iterative process through which we (as both early and mid-career scholars) developed the following five principles of queer gerontology: 1) Deeping Visibility and Awareness, whereby the identities and lives of LGBTQ+ and all oppressed peoples are elevated and illuminated; 2) Developing and Applying Critical Perspectives, whereby concepts and theories that challenge the status quo are engaged; 3) Challenging Oppression and Injustice, whereby critical theories are explicitly used to guide social change efforts; 4) Engaging Multiple Epistemologies and Modes of Inquiry, whereby scholars actively promote and use various approaches to scientific and social inquiry; and 5) Fostering Transdisciplinary Advancement, whereby scholars seek out and develop relationships that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries.

Response 4: Refractions: Moving with Queer Theory into Queer Poethics

Response 4: <i>Refractions:</i> Moving with Queer Theory into Queer Poethics

Reconfiguring Rhythms

As a queer student, my decision to create a graphic work exploring the intersections of jazz and queer theory was inspired by Salim Washington’s assertion that jazz is an inherently avant-garde and perpetually evolving medium, as well as class discussions on the genre’s origins in challenging dominant ideologies. These ideas align closely with my understanding of queer theory, particularly the ways in which certain cultural elements, due to their inherent resistance to normative structures, can be strongly associated with queer symbolism without explicit connections to the LGBTQ+ community. Recognizing that jazz has been historically male- dominated, I sought to explore how other communities might have employed the genre and the social practice of jazz as a tool of subversion. I felt that using a combination of original artwork and text would most effectively convey the intricacies of queer artistic expression, given that artists like Sun Ra utilized visuals, theatricality, and camp alongside their music to convey their message, and that queer culture often emphasizes aesthetics that defy convention.

Cuba-Argentina-Mexico literary stops: from queer-cuir to the unclassifiable

Introduction: The article explored the meaning of sexogenic dissidence and its relationship to queer theories, questioning the boundaries of identity and classification. It highlighted how language and labels have attempted to name diverse identities and practices, although without managing to encompass all the existing diversity. The importance of visibility and problematization of the systems that organize and control gender identity and sexuality was also mentioned.Development: It was analyzed how the State and the market have intervened in the classification of identities, either to exercise control or to generate consumption niches within capitalism. Through the examples of Blanco, Sosa and Portela, it was shown how literature has questioned binarisms and power structures that exclude those who do not fit into them. In addition, the need to reimagine spaces of oppression from a Latin American perspective, moving away from an exclusively U.S. interpretation of queer, was highlighted.Conclusion: The article concluded that the visibilization of sex-gender dissidence was not enough if it continued to be absorbed by neoliberal logic. It emphasized the importance of articulating these struggles with other forms of oppression, seeking to deconstruct a dichotomous, modern, colonial and capitalist system. Finally, an approach was proposed that would allow solidarity with other social demands, transcending simple inclusion in the market.

“A capacious hermeneutics” of The World That Belongs to Us: Akhil Katyal and Aditi Angiras in conversation

ABSTRACT In this interview, poet practitioners and scholars Akhil Katyal and Aditi Angiras, traverse the intersections of queer identities, poetry/literature, digital spaces, and activism. Katyal and Angiras revisit/rethink the complexities of queer progress, emphasising a ‘capacious hermeneutics’ and deconstructing monolithic narratives that centres on same-sex marriage or assimilation into heteronormative structures. They reflect on the fluidity of queer identities, highlighting the evolving relationship individuals have with the names/labels they choose for themselves. The interview further explores the disparity in queer representation within academic versus popular culture, with a focus on the underrepresentation of queer women and trans men in media/television/popular culture, in contrast to their prominence in academia. Katyal and Angiras accentuate the transformative potential of digital platforms, examining how they both amplify queer voices and expose individuals to heightened vulnerability, ‘accelerated versions of reality’, and trolling. The poets emphasise the need to embrace heterotopias, diverse, coexisting spaces of queer expressions and activism, while acknowledging the ongoing struggles for trans/queer safety, homelessness, and marginalised communities within the larger queer movement. As well, the conversation informs the ongoing evolution of queer narratives both in literature, poetry, and broader cultural spaces, advocating for inclusivity, intersectionality, and a departure from monolithic understandings of queer progress.

Motherhood as Research and Creative Territory

Motherhood transforms us, hybridizes us, connects us, refocuses us, and scatters us. Sometimes excluded from the social world, the mother is nevertheless at its center or its interstices. The mother is both hybrid and multiple. The experience of maternity is a journey that links us to the universal, to the night of times that weaves the thread of all the ancient and future wombs as much as it is a deeply intimate experience that shakes us at every moment. As we go through this extreme and fascinating physical experience, how does it change our experience of the world? What new somatic knowledge does it generate? This is a creative reflection on motherhood, on our maternity as researchers and creators. It is a space where we need to experience art and creation intersected by motherhood; motherhood as a political and reflective territory. This multifaceted research-creation is an intimate quest as it is a thorough investigation. Presenting an exploration of feminist writings put into perspective of queer theory, feeding off testimonies on maternity, the reflection unfolds alongside our creative investigations in the hope to open a new space of thinking, creating, and sharing

Reanimating data: Working with archives to revitalise young sexualities, past and present

Purpose: In this paper, we outline a method for working with the long past materials of social research to forge a method for engaging and co-producing knowledge with new audiences in the present. Findings: Situated in a conceptual landscape of queer theory and feminist archive activism, through this paper we share what happened when a 30-year-old landmark feminist research project (the Women, Risk &amp; AIDS Project) was saved, archived and shared with new generations of young women and youth workers. We outline four key methods that characterise the approach taken: collaging, re-asking, re-voicing and re-collecting. The method is offered as both a research method for co-producing knowledge about sexuality, sexual health and perceptions of social change as well as a pedagogical practice that can be taken up by and with young people in their own projects of enquiry. Conclusions: We encourage a new set of research and educational practices that start with, and creatively animate, qualitative research data.

The Rise and Assimilation of Western Queer Cinema: Resistance and Dilemma in the Mainstream

Queer cinema has risen to prominence in recent years, frequently featured at major international film festivals and gaining a foothold in the global market. As an extension of queer theory, which highlights the fluidity of gender and sexuality, queer cinema initially aimed to challenge traditional gender norms and heteronormativity through radical narrative structures and visual expressions. Early queer films often subverted mainstream narratives, offering an alternative, politically charged lens to explore marginalized identities. However, as queer cinema has increasingly entered the mainstream market, it has been subjected to assimilation and commodification pressures. This has led to a dilution of its radical and subversive elements, as the narratives are increasingly shaped to fit within heteronormative frameworks. Queer characters, once at the centre of challenging societal norms, are now often marginalized or simplified to meet the expectations of broader, more mainstream audiences. This paper examines how capitalism and patriarchy have contributed to the assimilation and marginalization of queer cinema, limiting its political expression and cultural impact. While Russo highlights how Hollywood perpetuates lazy stereotypes of queer characters, White suggests that cinema, as a tool of capitalist and patriarchal power, helps maintain normative gender and sexual roles. Despite these challenges, queer cinema remains an important cultural tool for breaking down stereotypes and resisting the dominance of heteronormativity. To maintain its relevance and continue its political and cultural resistance, queer cinema must resist commodification and strive for more diverse, authentic representations of queer identities.