You'll have to pardon me, its been a rough day and I don't have the readings right in front of me, but i find myself wanting to discuss Judith Butler's ideas. Now, she has some great ideas. Some of which, including how the "fixed" notion of male and female tend to box people into pre-concieved ways of thinking which restrict freedom of behavior and expression, we have covered quite a bit in just the two classes we have attended.

I find her notion of a "domain of abjection" to be quite suitable for queerness. An abjection, or casting off, process perfectly describes the nomadic and unfixed nature of being queer. One must she his/her skin  periodically to stay fresh and on top of the situation. I've always thought that this is a pretty good way to live your life to an extent. The risk a queer individual runs is being labeled the party pooper, or the one who always has to rock the boat. This is fine. If you're not upsetting someone then you're probably not getting anything done, and you're certainly not challenging the norms.

Where I find Butler's ideas a bit strange  is where we run into "discourse." She basically asserts that discourse is tainted with the dominate male perspective and does not provide adequate means of expression for women. Now, as far as I can tell, no matter who created discourse, it seems to be one of the most queer tools at our disposal. Language has a way of taking on a life of its own and morphing, fluidly, into unforseen dimensions. The meanings words have been assigned frequently change simply because of society's shifts. Conotations form without the slightest bit of approval from the white male dominate population. Also, I fear that the alternative to discourse is the most oppressive notion I can think of. Language should not be feared, it should be made a friend of and tailored to fit one's needs and self-expression.