Fear Of Being Queer By Karen L. Cox And The Paradox Of...

Fear of Being Queer Queer is a term that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) people use to describe the entire LGBT community. It has made them feel like they have their own community where heterosexist people won’t judge them. â€Å"The term is used positively to say it is okay to be different and it serves as an inclusive category that encompasses the shared political and social experiences of the group (classnotes, 2016). Basing on this assertion, Queer Theory through the theme of lesbian isolation in a heterosexist world is seen in â€Å"Don’t Explain† by the ways the protagonist Letty recognizes her sexual orientation but denies it, demonstrates internalized homophobia, and the way Letty interacts with Delia and Terry. In addition, the articles â€Å"We’re Here, We’re Queer, Y’all† by Karen L. Cox and â€Å"The Paradox of coming out† by Steven Petrow further proofs how queer theory is evident in â€Å"Don’t Explain.† It is clear that stereotyping basing on sexual orientation has led to negative perceptions of different LGBT community members (McDonald, 2013). In most cases, lesbians have been painted as men haters or over-feminized just as gays have been portrayed as haters of women. These stereotypes do not apply to all lesbians but creates undue pressure on characters like Letty forcing then to live in fear because of being different. The fact that fictional lesbian visual representation has being distorted by heterosexuals males has caused Letty and her lot to conceal their true