Queer Theory - Books

A ruthless dissection of the trans-cis divide, reimagining the nuclear family through the wreckage of gender.

Explores how pleasure and joy can become central to social justice work, advocating for liberation politics based on body wisdom and collective delight.

Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha frames disability justice as practical knowledge from sick and disabled queer, trans, Black, and brown communities, centering collective access, care webs, and liberation where no one is left behind.

This work demonstrates how feminist theory emerges from everyday life, exploring the revolutionary potential of the 'feminist killjoy' figure. Ahmed combines affect theory, queer phenomenology, and intersectional feminism to analyze how feminists become estranged from worlds by naming problems, and create survival strategies to cope with the walls of racism and sexism.

Contemporary queen of memoir-theory fusion Maggie Nelson turns her lens on identity, desire, and family. This instant classic recounts Nelson's relationship with her partner, artist Harry Dodge. Through intimate documentation of family life and pregnancy, Nelson presents a complex portrait of modern queer motherhood with blurred boundaries.

Alison Kafer links disability, queer, and feminist theory to challenge the ableist idea of a normal future and to imagine crip futures grounded in coalition, care, and justice.

A graphic memoir that delves into the author's relationship with her mother through the lens of psychoanalysis, exploring themes of artistic struggle, queer identity, and the elusive nature of maternal connection.

Edited by Kim Q. Hall, Feminist Disability Studies systematically links feminist theory and disability studies, examining embodiment, ability norms, public policy, representation, sexuality, and public life as co-producers of gendered and disabled inequality.

Halberstam challenges success standards in heteronormative capitalist society, exploring the productive potential of failure as a form of resistance. Through analysis of popular culture and queer theory, the author proposes 'low theory' as a mode of thinking and writing, redefining failure not as deficiency but as a strategy for subverting mainstream values.

A foundational text of the transgender rights movement, exploring the oppressive nature of gender binaries and advocating for the liberation of all gender expressions.

A groundbreaking work in transgender theory that challenges the binary gender system, explores gender fluidity and performativity, and provides theoretical foundations for non-binary gender identity.

A cult classic of Taiwanese queer literature, depicting the life of a group of lesbians in 1990s Taipei through a surreal and intense narrative. Written by Qiu Miaojin shortly before her tragic suicide, it captures the raw energy of post-martial law Taiwan.

This groundbreaking work fundamentally redefined feminist theory's understanding of gender by introducing the theory of gender performativity. Butler challenges the notion that gender is a biological fact or fixed identity, arguing that gender is produced through repetitive performative acts—a theoretical framework that radically transformed feminist theory, queer theory, and gender studies.

This groundbreaking semi-autobiographical work explores Mexican-American women's border identity through a blend of poetry and prose. Anzaldúa introduces the concept of 'new mestiza consciousness,' challenging traditional binary thinking and understanding borders as psychological, social, and cultural hybrid zones.

A foundational work of intersectional feminist theory. Through fifteen essays and speeches, Lorde explores the intersectional oppression of race, gender, class, and sexuality, creating a revolutionary theoretical framework for understanding multiple identities.

An experimental literary masterpiece by French radical feminist Monique Wittig. In this book, Wittig attempts to create a purely lesbian erotic space that completely excludes men through the violent reconstruction of language. She deconstructs traditional descriptions of the body, reshaping female subjectivity with anatomical precision and poetic frenzy.