De-centering queer theory offers a radical reorientation of the field, challenging the central concept of gender and introducing an alternative vision of the body derived from Soviet and avant-garde theorists.
Gender, defined as the social construction of the body, is a key element of North American queer studies. But its origins in an anti-communist, Cold War social science program have yet to be properly historicized. In tracing the history of the concept of gender through decisive moments in the 1920s, 1950s and 1990s, this book decenters queer studies while illuminating the emergence of contemporary sexual categories. At the same time, it excavates a rival communist sexuality, originating in Eastern European Marxism, that focuses on the productive body - a body better equipped to feel and live than its capitalist counterpart. Drawing on materials from socialist theory, queer studies and communist films, this ground-breaking book introduces a historical-materialist approach to queer theory. Beyond analysing competitive models of Cold War sexuality, it offers a sensuous materiality that transforms queer epistemology and provides new tools for interrogating queer liberalism.