ABSTRACT
The relationship between phenomenology and queer theory includes a history of tension. Phenomenology has often been understood to seek essences: i.e., static, identical meanings that are both universal and necessary. Because of this, early queer theorists eschewed this method, focusing instead on their goals to undermine restrictive and ‘essential’ definitions traditionally applied to sex, gender, gender identity, sexuality, etc. Nevertheless, some early theorists did notice the rich methodological resources that phenomenology could offer. They argued that the meaningful, perceptual, and intersubjective structures that enable our experiences of gender and sexuality can be brought to the fore and analyzed within a phenomenological framework. In this way, phenomenology can work alongside queer theoretical approaches, which provide the political, social, and institutional insights necessary to shed light on these experiences at the individual level. This chapter traverses the history of these tensions and alignments, pointing to the productive potential for a collaboration between them.
