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From Foucault to San Francisco: The enduring roots of queer theory
JEN IZAAKSON explores the post-modern origins of the politics of sexual transgression

TODAY queer theory is taught within the humanities as a matter of consensus, but its historical roots half a century ago tend not to be included on the syllabus. How did queer theory come about? 

Prior to our contemporary juncture where queer theory and queer politics are almost unquestionable, both were in fact contested throughout the 1980s in what became known as the “sex wars.”

Opposing sides consisted mainly of radical and lesbian feminists who believed sexuality should, like any other topic, be subject to ruthless criticism, and on the other side, proponents of “kink.” 

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