Judith Butler, the groundbreaking thinker whose iconic book Gender Trouble redefined how we think about gender and sexuality, confronts the attacks on “gender” that have become central to right-wing movements today. Global networks have formed “anti-gender ideology movements” that are dedicated to circulating a fantasy that gender is a dangerous, perhaps diabolical, threat to families, local cultures, civilization—and even “man” himself. Inflamed by the rhetoric of public figures, this movement has sought to nullify reproductive justice, undermine protections against sexual and gender violence, and strip trans and queer people of their rights to pursue a life without fear of violence.
The aim of Who’s Afraid of Gender? is not to offer a new theory of gender but to examine how “gender” has become a phantasm for emerging authoritarian regimes, fascist formations, and transexclusionary feminists. In their vital, courageous new audiobook, Butler illuminates the concrete ways that this phantasm of “gender” …
Judith Butler, the groundbreaking thinker whose iconic book Gender Trouble redefined how we think about gender and sexuality, confronts the attacks on “gender” that have become central to right-wing movements today. Global networks have formed “anti-gender ideology movements” that are dedicated to circulating a fantasy that gender is a dangerous, perhaps diabolical, threat to families, local cultures, civilization—and even “man” himself. Inflamed by the rhetoric of public figures, this movement has sought to nullify reproductive justice, undermine protections against sexual and gender violence, and strip trans and queer people of their rights to pursue a life without fear of violence.
The aim of Who’s Afraid of Gender? is not to offer a new theory of gender but to examine how “gender” has become a phantasm for emerging authoritarian regimes, fascist formations, and transexclusionary feminists. In their vital, courageous new audiobook, Butler illuminates the concrete ways that this phantasm of “gender” collects and displaces anxieties and fears of destruction. Operating in tandem with deceptive accounts of “critical race theory” and xenophobic panics about migration, the anti-gender movement demonizes struggles for equality, fuels aggressive nationalism, and leaves millions of people vulnerable to subjugation.
An essential intervention into one of the most fraught issues of our moment, Who’s Afraid of Gender? is a bold call to refuse the alliance with authoritarian movements and to make a broad coalition with all those whose struggle for equality is linked with fighting injustice. Imagining new possibilities for both freedom and solidarity, Butler offers us a hopeful work of social and political analysis that is both timely and timeless—an audiobook whose verve and rigor only they could deliver.
A response to authoritarian anti-gender movements, the first half rails a bit more than I need to relive current politics, the second half updates Butler's approach to co-constructed gender in society as anti-colonial anti-racist, and emphasizes the right's lie of gender ideology being a destructive force in society, distracting from dealing with real dangers of climate, economic precarity, and war.
I really enjoyed the points introduced in this book and the overall vibe, but maybe it was because I was listening to the audiobook, but it seemed really rambly? The same things were repeated over and over again, yet somehow I often wondered how we gotten there. The overall structure(?) just felt confusing somehow. Really great ideas, but probably better to read with your eyeballs instead of your ears. It might be easier to follow then.
An Incredible, Urgent Examination of the Anti-Gender Movement
5 stars
This is probably the best critical studies/philosophy book I've ever read. In witty, devastating prose Butler systematically examines the anti-gender movement to get to the heart of how its proponents understand the world and why political counters, not education, is the appropriate step forward. To be sure, there are some of the standard trappings of critical studies books (copious use of terms like "imaginaries," random insertions/misuse of the word capitalism, etc.), but far less than in nearly every other book in this category that I've read. One comes away with a much better understanding of the dangerous, illogical, hateful current moment, as well as the hard work that has to be done to build a fairer, freer world. Highly recommend
I’m just so deeply relieved that they haven’t become a TERF. An academic - but still VERY interesting - review of how “gender” has become a battleground, which ultimately leads to the far-right undermining all rights. Butler navigates this with the perfectly rational style which led to their previous works being held as the cornerstone of modern gender studies.
Hay algo que no me había puesto a pensar con tanta profundidad, y es como es que los Estados han estado buscando un nuevo enemigo común para invisibilizar la verdadera causa de las crisis que actualmente vivimos. Ese nuevo enemigo es lo que ellos llaman "la ideología de género".
Butler siempre ha sido muy buene escribiendo. La ventaja de este libro es que creo que está dirigido a un público más amplio. Sus anteriores libros suelen ser filosóficamente densos y este es mucho más accesible.
Me parece un libro necesario porque las preocupaciones que reflejan el libro deben ser parte del debate público. Sobre todo, en tiempos en que el horizonte huele a fascismos de variados tipos.
Otro aspecto positivo: Butler busca dialogar con autores del "Sur Global" y no se centra exclusivamente en autores europexs o gringxs.
