ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an introductory overview of the origins and central tenets of queer theory, as well as some of the prevailing debates in this area, that have been the subject of much contestation since Michel Foucault first laid its foundations. Foucault's historical analysis of the contingencies in European society that lead to the establishment of a dominant body of knowledge of sexuality illustrated how competing claims to truth were crucial in the formation of our contemporary categories of sexual identity. By providing a queer reading of planning as theory and as praxis, the chapter challenges the normative assumptions about sexuality that have played a central role in the shaping of planning practices. The possible contributions of queer theory to the transformation of planning into a more inclusive discipline and profession are clear. It remains the task of others working in this field to reconcile the identity politics of alphabet soup with the non-essentialist paradox city.
