III. INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ANGLOAMERICAN CULTURAL AND LITERARY STUDIES
FEMINISM AND QUEER THEORY: FROM MAINSTREAM TO MARGINALITY
Feminism is an interdisciplinary study that emerged in the 1960s. Its origin dates back to ancient times. It follows a woman-oriented thought system. In a male-dominated world, the journey that began with advocating for equal status and rights between women and men has evolved into efforts for gender equality. Feminism has expanded to include efforts to achieve comprehensive gender equality, remove patriarchal systems that perpetuate discrimination, and address systemic oppression. Queer theory, which emerged after and out of feminism, is a resistant thought system against heteronormative structures. Feminism advocates women's rights against gender inequality while queer theory takes gender orientations into consideration and asks for the floor in the basis of gender equality. It makes an effort to change the societal impact of gender perception and sexual orientations that develop afterward. Similar points between feminism and Queer theory emerge by aiming at social changes. The main purpose of this study is to explain in detail the relationship between the two theories. Thus, an attempt is made to express the interaction between the two theories. In addition, this study attempts to explain the gendered structures and heteronormative situations of societies before the emergence of theories, as well as their contributions to societal changes following the theories.
