Sex, Political Economy, Citizenship: The Formation of Queer Theory in the U.S.

Abstract

This research paper is an introduction to the field of scholarship currently known as “queer theory.” It traces the history and development of the field, specifically in the United States, and surveys its significance in contemporary cultural studies generally. Queer theory was developed out of gay and lesbian scholarship in connection with the feminist request for full participation in the political realm and after the AIDS epidemic. This paper begins with the substantial influence of the AIDS epidemic on the formation of contemporary queer theory and its steady development into one of the most vibrant political movements today. The second half of the essay studies the transformation of queer theory from its political upsurge to the larger context of public sphere queer. The ultimate goals of queer theory have become (1) to create a public discussion of intimacy and sexuality that has been prohibited and punished by the heterosexual normative; (2) to disrupt pre-existing sexual discourses, binaries, and identities; and, (3) to create new practices and discourses of sexual desire, for example as a representation of the nation. Important queer theorists, such as Jeffrey Weeks, Lee Edelman, Michael Warner, Lauren Berlant, and Dennis Altman, are included to examine their collaborative attempt to work toward their ultimate goals and gain such recognition.