Queer Theory

This chapter offers an account of central issues and themes in queer theory, with particular attention to the challenges it has posed to the concepts of normativity, identity, and the category of “woman.” It explores queer theory’s emergence from lesbian and gay studies, and considers its relation to feminist philosophy and trans theory. The chapter outlines the founding contributions of Judith Butler and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, along with several other influential queer theorists, and traces the concept of heteronormativity from its central place in queer theory’s earliest works to more recent reconsiderations.

The linguistic expression of gender identity: Albania’s “sworn virgins”

This article focuses on the linguistic aspects of the construction of masculine identities by the burrneshat (also known as “sworn virgins”) of northern Albania: biological females who have become “social men”. Unlike other “third genders” (Kulick, Don. 1999. Transgender and language: A review of the literature and suggestions for the future. GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies 5(4). 605622.), the burrneshat are motivated not by personal identity or sexual desire, but by the need to fulfill patriarchal roles within a traditional social code. Burrneshat do not marry or engage in sexual relationships, and are thus seen as honorable and self-sacrificing (Young, Antonia. 2000. Women who become men: Albanian sworn virgins. Oxford & New York: Berg.). How do burrneshat construct and express their identity linguistically, and how do others engage with this identity? I examine the effects of social and linguistic factors on variation in the use of grammatical gender in the speech of burrneshat and others in their communities. I find that choices in grammatical gender are linked to the speaker’s relationship to burrneshat, the grammatical context of the token, and whether the token is in oral or written language. An analysis of other gendered practices confirms language’s role in building masculine identities. Situated within a culture that embraces women becoming men, this study sheds light onto the linguistic practices used by speakers in the co-construction of gender.

“So, You Think You Have a History?”: Taking a Q from Lesbian and Gay Studies in Writing Education History

At first I thought he was a baseball fan from Cleveland. As he came closer I saw the cross on his blue and red cap, and I realized I had seen this guy before. I was staffing a GOHI exhibit at the Columbus gay pride parade. GOHI is the Gay Ohio History Initiative, a group of volunteers who formed a partnership with the Ohio Historical Society in 2006 to “preserve, archive, and curate Ohio's LGBT history and culture.” Interestingly, the “preeminent history preservation organization” in Ohio is serving as a model of collaboration for public educational institutions concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) history. This may strike one as curious given that two out of three Ohio voters supported a constitutional ban on marriage equality in 2004 even though the state legislature had already adopted a similar measure. The state also does not prohibit employment or housing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Yet Columbus maintains a national reputation as a “gay-friendly” city, suggesting that the political terrain in Ohio is as mixed as ever. The old saw—“As goes Ohio so goes the nation”—still seems pertinent.