Queer Theory

What is Queer Theory?

Literary criticism that applies queer theory is concerned with the ways in which cultural texts challenge or reinforce the economic, political, social and psychological oppression of a people who do not follow traditional ideas of gender and sexuality. It studies texts with a consideration of the ways that the text construct and represent sexuality and gender.

At the heart of this mode of interpretation is the consideration of the following core conflict:

LGBTQ+ IDENTITIES and HETEREONORMATIVITY

Queer Theory In A Nutshell

These slides contain a broad overview of what Queer theory aims to investigate. They are good for students who want to remind themselves of some of this theory's key aspects. For a deeper understanding of what a queer critic does, explore the resources below.

The Hays Code

The Hays Code was a set of rules that governed the content of American films from the 1930s to the 1960s. The code included strict rules about depictions of sexuality and gender, which limited the representation of queer identities on screen and reinforced heteronormative values. Read the slides to learn more about this production code and its impacts.

Questions to Consider:

1. How does the text challenge or reinforce gender and sexual norms?

2. Are queer people represented in the text? If so, are they represented fairy, stereotypically or as “Other”?

3. What are the power dynamics of the text between groups of different sexual orientations?

4. To what extent does the text reinforce or challenge heteronormativity?

5. Does the text depict instances of internalised, interpersonal, institutional or structural homophobia?

6. How might the text have been influenced by the historical and cultural context in which it was produced? Does it challenge or reinforce the prevailing attitudes towards sexuality of the time?

Through The Lens - Queer Theory Criticisms

COMING SOON

A Queer Criticism in Action