Queer Theory

Applying Communication Theories

 What is Queer Theory?
» Queer Theory originates with Italian author & professor Teresa de
Lauretis in 1990, and the theory’s intention is to disarray meanings &
identities attributed to gender & sexuality
» The word queer in context to the theory means to “strange, frustrate,
or counteract” and is also thought of as a verb alongside a noun
» The theory is primarily connected to studies pertaining to the
LGBTQ+ community, however, has recently been applied to other
marginalized groups
 Major Tenets of Queer Theory
» Queer Theory is continually changing & growing as communication
scholars broaden its usage - its main tenets of the theory are:
⋄ Challenging & delegitimizing commonly held heteronormative
ideas, meanings, categories, and identities that pertain
specifically to gender & sexuality
⋄ Additionally, the theory is applied in a broader sense to any
marginalized group that intends on disrupting a dominant culture
and shake up the norms & practices that are pertinent
 How Is Queer Theory Used In Real Life?
» Fortunately in today’s world, we are seeing examples of Queer
Theory very frequently, as more groups are creating more
opportunities for themselves
» Examples of this range from sports, to video games, to politics!
⋄ Specifically, my examples highlight members of the LGBTQ+
community and women in male-dominated industries
⋄ These individuals are trailblazers in their respective
vocations/crafts, and disrupt the culture’s heteronormative
ideas and identities that belong primarily to males or
cisgender individuals
 Examples in Politics!
» Kamala Harris, elected earlier this year as the first woman (and
POC) to become Vice-President of the United States, disrupting a
cultural norm of 45 preceding caucasian-male Vice-Presidents

» Delaware Democrat Sarah McBride recently

became the United States’ first openly
transgender state senator, challenging the
mainstream identies of members in the U.S.
political circuit, while also opening the door
for others within the LGBTQ+ community
 Examples in Sports!
» Sarah Thomas has recently become the first woman in the
National Football League to become a referee, disrupting a
male dominated vocation & sport

» Kim Pegula recently became one of

the NFL’s first female organizational
owners, as well as one of the first
organization’s presidents upon the
Pegula’s acquisition of the Buffalo
Bills in 2014
 Examples in Video Games!
» Pokimane is one of the top 10 most followed female Twitch
streamers on the platform with 6.4 M followers, disrupting
what is usually regarded as a male dominated medium

» LilyPichu is another female content creator

in the video game industry, & is one of the
most popular League of Legends players on
the Twitch platform, disarraying the culture
of League being primarily male dominated
in both the esports and casual fields
 Contribution to Research & Practice
» Queer Theory is used in practice to further understand communication within
marginalized groups such as those in the LGBTQ+ communities, and has been
used to analyze events such as court cases (i.e. Lawrence v Texas)
⋄ The potential benefits of practical application of Queer Theory can result in
changing of different laws which benefit said marginalized groups
» In research, Queer Theory has been utilized to inform public speaking
and share information to other communication articles
⋄ Ex: Queering Public Address by Charles Morris
 References
» About | U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California. (n.d.). Kamala D. Harris Website. https://www.harris.senate.gov/about

» Littlejohn, S. W., Foss, K. A., & Oetzel, J. G. (2016). Theories of Human Communication, Eleventh Edition (11th ed.).

Waveland Press, Inc.

» NFL official Sarah Thomas reflects on being first woman to officiate playoff game. (2019, January 16). NFL.Com.

https://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-official-sarah-thomas-reflects-on-being-first-woman-to-officiate-play-396004

» Pegula, K. W. J. K. (2020, August 14). Bills, Sabres co-owner Kim Pegula -- Impact of diversity felt throughout organizations.

ESPN.Com.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29645691/bills-sabres-co-owner-kim-pegula-impact-diversity-felt-organization

» Stracqualursi, V. C. (2020, November 4). Sarah McBride to become nation’s first-ever transgender state senator -

CNNPolitics. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/04/politics/sarah-mcbride-delaware-state-senate/index.html