Gender-queer Identity and Resistance to Gender Binary in Andrea Gibson's Poetry

Abstract: The question of gender, specifically gender identity, is prominent in today’s society. It is highly debated and through the development of queer theory it is gaining more academic recognition. However, there is a gap regarding representation of the gender-queer identity of one contemporary poet, Andrea Gibson. Gibson provides a much needed perspective and voice in society and scholarly debates. This is why this essay uses queer theory along with Kate Bornstein and Judith Butler to examine three poems by Gibson, “Swing-Set, “The Jewelry Store” and “A Genderful Pep-Talk for my Younger Self”. The essay analyses the ways Gibson, through poetry, formulates a gender-queer identity and thus questions the generic gender binary system.