Who's Afraid of Gender?

Who's Afraid of Gender?
Cover of the US first edition
AuthorJudith Butler
LanguageEnglish
GenreNon-fiction
PublisherFarrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication dateMarch 19, 2024
Publication placeUnited States
Pages320
ISBN978-0374608224
OCLC1375546953

Who's Afraid of Gender? is a 2024 non-fiction book by Judith Butler discussing gender politics.

Butler was inspired to write this book after being attacked in 2017 in Brazil while speaking, at least one of whom shouted at Butler, saying "Take your ideology to hell!"[1] Butler is interested in the literal demonization of gender by analyzing the historical context of the anti-gender movement.[2] The title is a reference to the Edward Albee play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

Content

In this book, Butler explores the roots of current anti-trans rhetoric, which they define as a "phantasm" that aligns itself with emerging authoritarian movements.[3][4] The book discusses the conservative movement against transgender rights, abortion, and feminism, which is coalesced under the "anti-gender movement". Butler covers examples from Pope Francis's comments comparing transgender people to nuclear weapons and Vladimir Putin calling Europe 'Gayropa' and saying gender is a Western construct that will destroy the family. Butler argues that the moment calls for solidarity between persecuted groups and a coalition of resistance.[5][6][7]

Reception

The book has been described as "the most accessible of their books so far, an intervention meant for a wide audience".[8] Neel Kit of the Iowa State Daily said that it handles its subject matter "in a way that can be difficult for readers without a background in theory to follow", but also said that "[a]nyone trying to make sense of the latest round of 'gender panic,' from school curriculum bans to anti-trans legislation, will find Butler’s book clarifying."[4]

In the review for The Economist, the book is said to be the most accessible of Butler's works, however the writing is "served up with a large portion of post-modern word salad".[9]

Naomi Klein said the book is "a profoundly urgent intervention".[10]

References

  1. ↑ Halberstam, Jack (May 16, 2014). "An audio overview of queer theory in English and Turkish by Jack Halberstam". Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Judith Butler, European Graduate School". Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  3. ↑ Rottenberg, Catherine (August 27, 2003). "Judith Butler". The Literary Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Neel, Kit. "Book review: "Who's Afraid of Gender?" by Judith Butler". Iowa State Daily. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  5. ↑ Mackay, Finn (March 13, 2024). "Who's Afraid of Gender? by Judith Butler review – the gender theorist goes mainstream". The Guardian. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  6. ↑ Cosic, Miriam (April 5, 2024). "Who's Afraid of Gender by Judith Butler is a powerful argument for transgender rights". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  7. ↑ Leonard, Sarah (April 9, 2024). "Judith Butler's Reckoning With The Right". The New Republic. Archived from the original on July 30, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  8. ↑ Mackay, Finn (March 13, 2024). "Who's Afraid of Gender? by Judith Butler review – the gender theorist goes mainstream". The Guardian. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Who's afraid of Judith Butler, the "godmother of queer theory"?". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on December 1, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  10. ↑ Hutchinson, Robert. "Celebrity queer philosopher Judith Butler fights to vindicate her life's work". Mercator. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
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