Queer Theory, Gender Theory: An Instant Primer

Originally published in 2004, Queer Theory, Gender Theory: An Instant Primeris a classic of LGBTQ+ literature and is taught in most gender studies programs throughout the United States. It was the first book to offer a one-stop, no-nonsense introduction to the core of postmodern theory, particularly its impact on queer and gender studies and is still powerfully relevant today.Nationally-known gender activist Riki Wilchins combines straightforward prose with concrete examples from LGBTQ+and feminist politics, as well as her own life, to guide the reader through the foundational ideas of Derrida, Foucault, and Judith Butler that have forever altered our understanding of bodies, sex and desire. This is that rare postmodern theory book thatcombines accessibility, passion, personal experience and applied politics, noting at every turn why these ideas matter and how they can affect your daily life.Riki Wilchins is Executive Director of TrueChild, an action-tank that promotes "gender transformative"approaches to philanthropy and policy that challenge rigid gender norms and inequities in order to improve life outcomes for at-risk youth. Her work has been profiled in The New York Timesand TIMEmagazine selected her one of "100 Civic Innovators for the 21st Century."