Scholarship at UWindsor

Recognizing the Queer: The Challenges and Opportunities Facing Queer Subjectivity

The deliberate rejection of heteronormative values presents both a challenge and an opportunity to enrich ethical life. Drawing heavily from the critique of Hegel present in Butler's Giving an Account of Oneself, this paper examines the impact of the queer subject in the scene of address. What are some complications of establishing a “queer” ethic? My paper explores this by asking what is a queer attitude and how does one complicate reciprocal recognition? From there, the paper examines Maria Lugones on coalitionism to examine how different vested interests can become mutually enriching instead of destructive. This is complicated by a consideration of Michael Foucault as well as Didier Eribon’s discussion of Foucault and the damage of the homophobic insult on the formation of the gay "self." This consideration of the "queer" subject is used to examine the rampant misogyny that is alive and well today, as described by Phillip Kimmel in Guyland. In summary, antagonistic normative values complicate the scene of address between the "queer" and the "normal" and, negative beliefs about identities like queer make coalitions and community difficult as homophobia instills an unwillingness to associate with what we identify with.