Are We Post-Queer? A Roundtable on the Present and Future of Queer Theory in Medieval Studies
Sponsoring Organization(s)
Society for the Study of Homosexuality in the Middle Ages (SSHMA)
Organizer Name
Graham N. Drake
Organizer Affiliation
SUNY-Geneseo
Presider Name
Michelle M. Sauer
Presider Affiliation
Univ. of North Dakota
Paper Title 1
Discussant
Presenter 1 Name
Jennifer N. Brown
Presenter 1 Affiliation
Marymount Manhattan College
Paper Title 2
Discussant
Presenter 2 Name
Zan Kocher
Presenter 2 Affiliation
Univ. of Louisiana-Lafayette
Paper Title 3
Discussant
Presenter 3 Name
Tison Pugh
Presenter 3 Affiliation
Univ. of Central Florida
Paper Title 4
Discussant
Presenter 4 Name
Felipe E. Rojas
Presenter 4 Affiliation
Univ. of Chicago
Paper Title 5
Discussant
Presenter 5 Name
Lisa Weston
Presenter 5 Affiliation
California State Univ.-Fresno
Start Date
10-5-2013 10:00 AM
Session Location
Valley II 205
Description
The application of queer theory to the disciplines, including medieval studies, has been facing destabilizing critiques. Some scholars argue that the inability to identify an identity in Queer Theory makes the discipline itself unstable and unsuitable. Some argue that Queer Theory is not political enough, and ignores its deconstructionist roots. Some argue that the term “Queer Thoery” is too limiting—and Teresa deLaurentis herself has argued that the term has been co-opted by the very institutions it strove against. Finally, a number of academics are currently questioning Queer Theory as being inadequate in its response to real-life issues of the LGBTQ community.
With these critiques in mind, this roundtable will address the overarching question: Are we post-Queer? Should we be? What does it mean to say one is a “gender theorist” instead of a “queer theorist”? How does the re-marginalization of queer theory particularly affect medieval studies, itself an increasingly marginalized field? This roundtable will bring together practitioners in several disciplines to consider these questions.
Michelle Sauer
University of North Dakota
Are We Post-Queer? A Roundtable on the Present and Future of Queer Theory in Medieval Studies
Valley II 205
The application of queer theory to the disciplines, including medieval studies, has been facing destabilizing critiques. Some scholars argue that the inability to identify an identity in Queer Theory makes the discipline itself unstable and unsuitable. Some argue that Queer Theory is not political enough, and ignores its deconstructionist roots. Some argue that the term “Queer Thoery” is too limiting—and Teresa deLaurentis herself has argued that the term has been co-opted by the very institutions it strove against. Finally, a number of academics are currently questioning Queer Theory as being inadequate in its response to real-life issues of the LGBTQ community.
With these critiques in mind, this roundtable will address the overarching question: Are we post-Queer? Should we be? What does it mean to say one is a “gender theorist” instead of a “queer theorist”? How does the re-marginalization of queer theory particularly affect medieval studies, itself an increasingly marginalized field? This roundtable will bring together practitioners in several disciplines to consider these questions.
Michelle Sauer
University of North Dakota