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Queer/Fear: Disability, Sexuality, and The Other

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Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between disability and “queerness.” I argue that the hostility frequently expressed against both disabled and queer individuals is a function of fear of the undecidability of the body. I draw on feminist, queer, and disability theory to help us understand this phenomenon and suggest that these different kinds of theories have a complementary relationship. That is, feminist and queer theory help us see how this fear works, disability theory helps us see why it exists.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Nancy J. Hirschmann

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  1. Nancy J. Hirschmann
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Correspondence to Nancy J. Hirschmann.

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Hirschmann, N.J. Queer/Fear: Disability, Sexuality, and The Other. J Med Humanit 34, 139–147 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10912-013-9208-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10912-013-9208-x

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