"Queer Theory An Introduction"

Queer: 1: questionable, suspicious2 a: differing in some odd way from what is usual or normal b (1): eccentric, unconventional (2): mildly insane: touched c: absorbed or interested to an extreme or unreasonable degree: obsessed d (1) often disparaging: homosexual (2) sometimes offensive: gay 4b3: not quite well -Websters Online Dictionary

I found “Queer Theory An Introduction” to be a great crash course lesson in queer history with many insightful looks into how the queer identity came to be and how gay has changed alongside our capitalist society over time.

“One of the ways in which the gay liberation movement of a decade ago differed from most of its predecessors was in its insistence that only radical change to society could bring about genuine acceptance of homosexuality. The thrust of the gay movement over the past decade has been away from this perception toward the idea that all that is involved is the granting of civil rights to a new minority.” –Altman.

As a queer person reading this I got to look at where this identity I chose for myself started and what were the steps leading up to its emergence from the gay and lesbian identity. I could reflect upon my own experience in Jan Clausen’s quote: “I do not want to become an identity junkie, hooked on the rush that comes with pinning down the essential characteristic that for that moment, seems to offer the ultimate definition of the self, the quintessence of oppression, the locust of personal value—only to be superseded by the next revelation.” I have often felt when reading Queer theory or talking with fellow queers about identity that it can become an obsession to see who is the most oppressed, the most original, the most “out there.”

I read this book in combination of watching “Before Stonewall.” The two together gave me a real sense of the foundations of identity politics in western culture. It was fun to read about the start of the Mattachine society and then watch the founders in a documentary. Annamarie Jagose lays out a clear path to understanding the steps to the making of this complex identity and in the process shares all angles on the debate beneath this controversial word “queer.”

“Instead of assuming that collective identities simply reflect differences among persons that exist prior to mobilization, ‘ writes Stein, ‘we need to look closely at the process by which movements remake identities.” I liked this perspective on how an identity is made by a group coming together. A lot of my reading in this book was referencing the community I belong to.

In the Production of Travel Queeries a few of our interviewees cited Queer theory when talking about what this word means to them. I believe this subject has given people a vocabulary to use when discussing their personal identity. At the same time it seems this “language” has alienated many people who live their lives in a queer way without labeling it as such. I have gained more perspective on this identity and on my own community.