Queer theory and Examples.
Name - Himanshi Parmar
Semester - 3 (Three)
Roll Number - 8
Email. Id. - himanshiparmar3004@gmail.com
Enrollment number - 4069206420210025
Paper number - 204
Paper name - Contemporary Western Theories and Film Studies.
Subject Code - 22409
Meaning and Definition of Queer Theory.
According to Jay Stewart,
"Queer theory and politics necessarily celebrate transgression in the form of visible difference from norms. These 'Norms' are then exposed to be norms, not natures or inevitabilities. Gender and sexual identities are seen, in much of this work, to be demonstrably defiant definitions and configurations."
In another words Queer Theory subverts traditional institutions of society that are based on the heteronormative model of human sexuality, and acknowledges the broad spectrum of sexuality, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Ten years ago 'queer' was a term of abuse; now it is routinely, although controversially, used as self-description. Queer Theory traces the intriguing history of same-sex sex over the last century through the mid-century homophile movements, gay liberation, the women's movement and lesbian feminism to the new concept of queer. Queer can Function as a noun, or an adjective or verb. Though every time it is considered against normal or normalizing. Queer theory is not a singular or systematic conceptual or methodological framework, but a collection of intellectual engagements with the relations between sex, gender and sexual desire.
According to Merriam Webster dictionary,
"Queer criticism is An approach to literary and cultural study that rejects traditional categories of gender and sexuality."
Annamarie Jagose investigates the arguments of the supporters and opponents of queer theory, finding that its strength lies in its potential to question the very idea of sexual identities. By blending insights from contemporary intellectual theories like post-structuralism. Theorists like Judith Butler, Jagose argues that queer theory’s challenge is to create new ways of thinking about not just heterosexuality and homosexuality but also such seemingly given fixed notions as ‘sexuality’ and ‘gender’, even ‘man’ and ‘woman’. Queer Theory demonstrates a radical, exciting new way of analysing human identity itself.
Queer theory is considered as field of critical theory emerged in the early 1990s. The field includes queer studies for example gay and lesbian studies, and women's studies. The term queer has various meanings but majorly it is used for the study and theorisation of gender and sexual practices that exist outside of heterosexuality, and which challenge the notion that heterosexual desire is ‘normal’.
The term was originated by Gloria Anzaldúa and other scholars in the 1990s. They all were influenced by the work of French post structuralist philosopher Michel Foucault. Michel Foucault considered sexuality as a socially constructed and rejected identity politics. First queer theory conference was organized by Teresa de Lauretis in 1990. But his usage of word queer taken as a controversial. David Halperin an early queer theorist also writes in his article "The Normalization of Queer Theory."
LGBTQ in Literature
1 - Vedic literature.
Throughout the vedic literature, the gender of all human beings are divided into three separate parts.according to prakriti or nature. These are: pums-prakriti or male, stri-prakriti or female, and tritiya-prakriti or the third sex.Generally the word “sex” refers to biological sex and “gender” to psychological behavior and identity.
People of the third sex are analyzed in the Kama Sutra and broken down into several categories that are still visible today and generally referred to as gay males and lesbians. While gay males and lesbians are the most prominent members of this category, it also includes other types of people such as transgender and the intersexes. The third sex in Kama sutra is described as a natural mixing or combination of the male and female natures to the point in which they can no longer be categorized as male or female in the traditional sense of the word.
The example of mixing black and white paint can be used, wherein the resulting color, gray, in all its many shades, can no longer be considered either black or white although it is simply a combination of both. Third-gender citizens were neither persecuted nor denied basic rights. Gay men could either blend into society as ordinary males or they could dress and behave as females, living as transvestites.. Citizens of the third sex represented only a very small portion of the overall population, which most estimates place at approximately 5 percent. In ancient vedic literature we find many third gender characters such as Brihannala and Shikhandi from Mahabharata, and 'Ardhanarishvara'.
2 - Nineteenth Century
Nineteenth century was the most prominent period for Queer literature. It was less dialect and more subversive. Many writers of the Nineteenth century like Arthur Rimbaud, Walt Whitman, Oscar Wilde, Marcel Proust, Emily Dickinson, and Virginia Woolf etc were known for creating characters with LGBTQ identity in their work. They by their works started spreading awareness for it.
3 - Twentieth Century
In the twentieth century we have many writers who wrote about LGBTQ, such as James Baldwin, Truman Capote, E.M. Forster, Allen Ginsberg, Audre Lorde, Diane di Prima, Adrienne Rich, Thomas Mann, and many more. They brought the third gender into the light. The works of these writers get critical and commercial success.
Examples
1] Orlando - Virginia Woolf
Orlando is a well known novel by Virginia Woolf. The novel revolves around Orlando, a Man in the beginning, who later turns into a woman.Orlando is a wealthy nobleman who is adventurous and artistic. Based on Woolf's real-life love interest Vita Sackville-West, Orlando (like West) has values deeply rooted in his home and in his long and noble ancestry. By changing genders halfway through the novel (from male to female) Orlando is able to reflect upon the differing positions and experiences of each gender.
In the novel he comes as a LGBTQ. The character of Orlando is saying how men and women are assigned different roles in society. What difference in gender made.
2] Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. Oscar Wilde was considered as first modern Homosexual figure.
Wilde kept his homosexuality a secret. He married and had two sons. But in 1891, Wilde began an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, a young British poet and aristocrat 16 years his junior.Douglas’ father, the Marquess of Queensberry, was outraged by the relationship and sought to expose Wilde. This caused a public relations nightmare for Wilde. Homosexual acts were a criminal offense in England at the time and remained illegal there until the 1960s.Friends who knew of Wilde’s sexual orientation urged him to flee to France until the storm subsided.On May 25, 1895, Oscar Wilde was taken to prison. He spent the first several months at London’s Pentonville Prison.
3] Virginia Woolf
Adeline Virginia Woolf was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Virginia Woolf's work is much loved and studied, but her intimate relationship with fellow author Vita Sackville-West is rarely more than an overlooked footnote. Yet this relationship was absolutely formative for both women.
“I am reduced to a thing that wants Virginia…It is incredible how essential to me you have become,”
~ Vita Sackville
A popular writer herself, Sackville-West was proclaiming her love for Woolf during the most intense years of their romantic relationship in the 1920s. Although both were married to men, the two women penned hundreds of poetic letters to each other, and their relationship would inspire one of Woolf’s most celebrated works, the 1928 novel Orlando. According to smith,
“Their relationship was very passionate and very sexual, even though initially their sexual relationship was downplayed and even ignored.”
while the two women were open about their relationship, it was also during a time when British society was more socially conservative. While male homosexuality in the U.K. was still a criminal offense at the time, there was no equivalent legislation that targeted gay women. However, in 1921, some lawmakers voted to criminalize “sexual acts of gross indecency” between women, although the law was never passed because politicians feared it would encourage women to explore homosexuality. Smith also said that,
“Virginia deeply loved Vita, and she was so happy to recognize in Vita that Vita loved and celebrated women.”
Vita and Virginia both are the best example of queer theory. They both are lesbian. Vita had relations with not only Virginia but also with many other men and women.
Present Relevance
Queer subject in Cinema
Cinema is a representation of society. It is considered as a liberal field among all others. Most of the time every change is very firstly accepted by cinema. And that's why LGBTQ as a subject used in many films.Films have subtle influence on society’s way of thinking. Cinema has undoubtedly contributed a lot to the queer movement in India.Over the years the representation of LGBT community in Hindi cinema has found itself under the scanner. Hindi cinema has witnessed a steady display of LGBT characters, some for comic effect and some, however, stayed true to reality and made an effort to treat the subject in a very sensitive and realistic light.
In old films we find the third gender portrayed to make fun or to create comedy or humour. But in the new era of the 20 and 21 century, third gender or problems of LGBTQ were taken so seriously in film and filmmakers made films that made people aware and positively influenced people. Here are the names of some films that make people aware about LGBTQ's problems.
1- Fire (1996)
2- My Brother Nikhil(2005)
3- Aligarh (2015)
4-Shubh Mangal Jyada Savdhan (2020)
LGBTQ as a social media Influencer
Nowadays social Media became most important part of our daily routine and day to day life. It opens up the world in front of us. Social media has changed the way of communicating and interaction. Social media allows people to create their own profile for the sake to open up themselves and their talent in front of the world. One can easily make a big fan group or influence the group of people by showing what special they have, or their creativity in various fields.
Social media is also helpful to aware people because people are nowadays more addicted to social media so it would affect them strongly. LGBTQ often use social media to inform people about their problems and try to normalize their community. Also they are raising as social Influencers. Here India's first, trending transgender Model. Who influenced thousands of people.
The name of this model is Shekh Khushi, who influenced many and created a place for their community. She Set an example that LGBTQ are also doing all the work and participating in all the fields that are normally considered for men and women. It is completely normal.
Conclusion
Thus to conclude we are able to say that time and again the views have changed about LGBTQ. And somehow positive changes have been found. Cinema and social media play a vital role in spreading awareness. Also Third gender people started taking stands for themselves and raising their voice through various platforms that caused the Reformation.
References
Chaudhary, Harshita S. “Representation of Homosexuals (LGBT) in Indian Literature, Media and Cinema.” Representation of Homosexuals (LGBT) in Indian Literature, Media and Cinema, 24 August 2012. manupatra ARTICLES, https://articles.manupatra.com/article-details/Representation-of-Homosexuals-LGBT-in-Indian-Literature-Media-and-Cinema.
Chugh, Mehak. “A study on the portrayal of different sexualities in Indian cinema and its acceptance in Indian society with special reference to Delhi NCR.” vol. 10, no. 3, 3 March 2022. IJCRT2203379.pdf, https://ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT2203379.pdf.
Kaur, Pushpinder. “Gender, Sexuality and (Be) longing: The Representation of Queer (LGBT) in Hindi Cinema.” Amity Journal of Media & Communication Studies, vol. 7, 2017.
Lindsay, Jack. “Queer(y)ing Brexit: Sexuality and the Shifting Nature of Remainer and Leaver Worldviews.” E-International Relations, 1 April 2021, https://www.e-ir.info/2021/04/01/queerying-brexit-sexuality-and-the-shifting-nature-of-remainer-and-leaver-worldviews/.
Lipton, Shawna. “QUEER LITERARY CRITICISM AND THE BIOGRAPHICAL FALLACY.” May 2016, https://dc.uwm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2176&context=etd.
“Queer Theory, Annamarie Jagose — Melbourne University Publishing.” Melbourne University Press, 31 May 2013, https://www.mup.com.au/books/queer-theory-electronic-book-text.
Roy, Lachmi Deb. “Pride Month| Queer representation in Indian cinema; how far have we gone-Entertainment News.” Firstpost, 27 June 2022, https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/pride-month-queer-representation-in-indian-cinema-how-far-have-we-gone-10840181.html.
Sabala, Stephanie. “The Perception of LGBTQ Influencers on Social Media.” LGBTQ INFLUENCERS, 8 May 2020.
No comments:
Post a Comment