Queer Theory & Cultural Representation

LGBTQ+ Studies - Blog Post Task

This week in class, the topic has been queer theory, focusing on some work by key theorists such as Judith Halberstam’s, Adrienne Rich and Michael Foucault. To begin, I feel it is worth noting that the younger generation of the LGBTQ+ community embraces the term ‘queer’, however the older often hesitates to, due to its baggage. ‘Queer’ used to mean ‘odd’, ‘strange’ or ‘peculiar’ - which is obviously not a nice place to start - but since the late nineteenth century it has become a slur more associated with male same-sex attraction or sex, and/or effeminate men, and understandably may come with a lot of trauma and discomfort for elderly members of the gay community. I mean, for some honest perspective… imagine yourself in fifty years hearing ‘faggot theory’ as a colloquial term;

Regardless, ‘queer’ has been used in a defiant sense since the 1980’s in a self-defining sense for challenging the norms on gender and sexuality, for anyone who is not straight or binary/ cisgender. And thus, like other discriminatory slurs have experienced in recent history, ‘queer’ has been powerfully reclaimed and refined by the LGBTQ+ community. Heather Love explains “When Queer was adopted in the late 1980’s it was chosen because it evoked a long history of insult and abuse, and you could hear the hurt in it.”

IMAGE: Harper's Bazaar (2022)

In the context of media, since I am after all a media student, I would say a large proportion of the media I consume is queer or queer coded. Of course, I’ve watched many classic ‘queer’ films: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Pink Flamingos, Call Me By Your Name, Mrs Doubtfire, Brokeback Mountain, The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant are some which come to mind. My most streamed album of the year - for the second year running - is Beyoncé’s Renaissance: an album described by the songstress and pop culture enthusiasts as a celebration of ‘queer, black culture’.

“A big thank you to my Uncle Jonny. He was my godmother and the first person to expose me to a lot of the music and culture that serve as inspiration for this album,” - Beyonce in Renaissance Album Release Statement

IMAGE: 'CUB SPORT' Album Cover [Source 1] , Courtesy: Spotify

Following the prompt however, the album cover that came to mind was Cub Sport’s self titled 2019 album ‘Cub Sport’. Cub Sport are an Australian Pop/Indie group formed in 2010, and their music is incredibly impassioned - just the way I like it! Three quarters of the group’s makeup publicly identity as queer, this includes Tim Nelson (lead vocalist, producer) and his husband, Sam Netterfield (keyboardist, vocalist), who star on this particular album cover, in a sun-kissed, intimate, caress. The portrait is a snapshot from their "Party Pill" music video, a track on the album in which Tim confesses the story of how he fell in love with his partner. Nelson shared during the cover unveiling that he hoped the album and album cover likewise would serve as inspiration to let love in and live with no limitation.

The image undoubtedly serves as a piece of queer media, and it inherently challenges heteronormativity, “The minute you say ‘queer’ … you are necessarily calling into question exactly what you mean when you say it. Queer includes within it a necessarily expansive impulse that allows us to think about potential differences within that rubric.” Harper, White and Cerullo 1990:30, (cited in Giffney 2009:1). And it calls to a particular notion that is something I love about the queer community, queer art and overall queer existence: a gay, bisexual, pansexual or transgender person (and many others) refuse to perform as expected by religion, heritage, family, or socio-political context, we reject 'compulsory heterosexuality'. Thus, a non-heterosexual disrupts.

IMAGE: Courtesy @Seravph on Tumblr.com

Therefore, Queer theory is a multidisciplinary framework that challenges and deconstructs traditional notions of gender, sexuality, and identity. Rooted in the LGBTQ+ movement, it emerged in the late 20th century, critiquing societal norms and advocating for the acceptance of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. At its core, queer theory questions the fixed categories of male and female, heterosexual and homosexual, highlighting the fluidity and complexity of human experiences. It explores how social, political, and cultural forces shape sexual identities and desires, acknowledging that these identities are not inherent or stable but are socially constructed.

It explores power dynamics, exposing how institutions and societal norms marginalise non-normative sexualities and gender expressions. It seeks to create inclusive spaces where individuals are free to explore their identities without constraints. By challenging established norms, queer theory has played a crucial role in promoting acceptance, understanding, and equality for LGBTQ+ individuals, reshaping both academic discourse and societal attitudes towards diverse sexual and gender identities. After all, I am currently writing this article for a class I am taking at University, 'LGBTQ+ Studies', it goes without saying that this class would not have existed or been acceptable last century, so it's very existence in a University style curriculum is a testament to queer theory.

REFERENCES:

(Hyperlinks not included)

Zeeman, L., Sherriff, N., Browne, K., McGlynn, N., Mirandola, M., Gios, L., Davis, R., Sanchez-Lambert, J., Aujean, S., & Pinto, N. (2019). A review of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) health and healthcare inequalities. European Journal of Public Health, 29(5), 974–980. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cky226

Getsy, D. J. (2012). Queer Art: A Freak Theory. Art Journal, 71(1), 6–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/00043249.2012.10791247 1

Cahan, S. E. (2019). Transgender and Nonbinary Methods for Art and Art History. Art Journal, 78(4), 6–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/00043249.2019.1672328 2

Heinlein, S. (2016). The Transgender Body in Art: Finding Visibility ‘in Difficult Times Like These’. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/nov/18/transgender-art-trans-hirstory-in-99-objects 3