ABSTRACT
This chapter concludes the work by returning to directly address the central concern of the book: what is queer about femininity? This chapter draws together the various strands of feminism and queer femme discourse that have been analysed throughout, to offer suggestions on how we might best rethink not only femininity, but what “queer” ought to mean in the context of “queering femininity”, and in terms of the question of effecting political transformation. Here, discussion turns to how to do queer theory without anti-normativity. This concluding chapter takes time to consider how and why femininity – and more broadly gender presentation and embodiment – is so often enrolled as the individual site of political action and resistance. Here, it is suggested that doing queer theory without anti-normativity necessitates rethinking our objects of resistance. This chapter also gestures toward avenues for future consideration on the topic of femininity, to enable gender presentation to be better understood in terms of both enjoyment and survival.
