Emergence and Influence of Queer Politics
The term queer has been used over time to refer to a team of scholars with a deep interest in both social and cultural criticism. Ostensibly, queer politics came into existence in the early 1990s as a means to deal with inequity and injustice in the United States (Cohen 438).
This paper presents a discussion about queer politics and how the concept has been used to address different social challenges. Also, it looks at how queer politics fits into the framework of rights and justice.
Queer Politics and how it fits into the Rights and Justice Framework
Drawing from the study by Cohen (439), queer theory is generally opposed to the unfair treatment of individuals who exhibit sexual characteristics regarded as queer by many. To an extent, queer politics also looks at the disparities that arise as a result of sexual differences. As earlier stated, the idea of queer politics came about to confront injustice and to ensure that the rights of the minority groups in the society are respected.
The idea of queer politics fits into the rights versus justice framework mainly because it seeks to challenge the activities of those who are out to frustrate others based on their sexuality. It has, however, been faulted for failing to integrate gender-related issues successfully. By and large, the goal of those who advocate for queer politics is to eliminate any form of bigotry against others based on sex. According to some scholars, queer politics is regarded as a political idea of a young generation determined to fight the dominance of the older generation. As pointed out by Cohen (439), those who are pro-queer politics are eager to see the term queer used in other areas besides being looked at as an abbreviation for individuals who exhibit queer sexual behaviors such as lesbianism and bisexuality.
Queer politics recognizes the liberty of individuals to belong to any sexual category without being subjected to any form of victimization. Based on the queer theory, an individual’s sexual orientation may change from time to time. Other than pointing out the problems caused by sexual categorization, queer activists have a desire to challenge other vices in the society that are not necessarily associated with the sexual classification.
According to the rights and justice framework, every human rights movement has a responsibility to ensure that minority groups in the society are treated fairly. As has been argued by some scholars, it is necessary to look beyond inequity if society has to address the persistent problem of unfairness effectively.
Conclusion
Although it is presumed that a more radical approach is needed to deal with injustice in the society, activists of queer politics are convinced that the queer theory has an important part to play in creating a level playground for every person without paying attention to issues of gender and sexuality. As earlier explained, however, some scholars think that queer politics has failed to intersect sexuality and gender.
As has been pointed out in this paper, there is a very tight connection between the claims made by advocates of queer politics and the framework for rights and justice. Similar to the framework for rights and justice, the queer concept focuses on making sure that minority groups in the society are not overlooked. More importantly, it ensures that the rights of such individuals are not abused and that justice prevails at all times.
Work Cited
Cohen, Cathy. “Punks, Bulldaggers, and Welfare Queens: The Radical Potential of Queer Politics.” GLQ 3 (1997): 437 – 465. Print.