Feminist scholar Teresa de Lauretis introduced the term "queer theory" at a conference at the University of California Santa Cruz. This term described a critical approach that challenges fixed categories of gender and sexuality. The concept soon expanded to question how societal norms shape identity and exclusion. According to Introduction to LGBTQ+ Studies: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach, "The conference proceedings were later collected in a 1991 special issue of Differences: A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies" (Miller, 2022, Ch 1)^[1] . The same book states, “From its earliest iterations, queer theory challenged norms that reproduced inequalities and, at its best, sought to understand how sexuality intersected with gender, race, class, and other social identities to maintain social hierarchies” (Miller, 2022, Ch 1)^[1] . Both of these direct quotes show how the idea of queer theory had lasting impacts, beyond just in the moment.

1. Amory, D. P., Massey, S. G., Miller, J., & Brown, A. P. (2022). Introduction to LGBTQ+ studies: A cross-disciplinary approach (2nd ed.). Kendall Hunt Publishing.