KNES 344 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Caster Semenya, Sex Verification In Sports, Bryant Gumbel

• School: University of Calgary
• Department: Kinesiology
• Course: KNES 344
• Professor: William Bridel

Document Summary

Set of ideas that challenge the notion of fixed identities; it is a radical way of looking at/thinking critically about identity categories. Queer theory seeks to deconstruct hegemonic notions of sexuality and gender (rigid binary categorization) Queer theory is used to argue that traditional ideas about gender and sexuality are discursively constructed. Queer theory challenges gay & lesbian studies, which were argued to be too liberal. Gay and lesbian studies were considered too liberal; it wasn"t about trying to change ideology, or big notions of social norms and values, it was about working within a system that already exists. From queer theory / activism, we start to have more conversations, people, identifying and living in a way that steps outside of our typical way of gender, sex, and sexuality. A person whose chromosomal, hormonal, anatomical sex characteristics fall outside the conventional classifications of male or female. Often a stigmatized identity, although work by activists, advocates, and allies is challenging this.