Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. Routledge, 1990.
In this important book, Judith Butler talks about gender identity and how it is shaped by society. Butler says gender is not something we are born with, but something we perform through our actions and the norms around us. This book was written during the 1970s and '80s, a time when ideas about feminism and queer theory were changing a lot. Butler's work criticizes the idea that gender identity can be stable or fixed, challenging the traditional views of what it means to be a woman, especially definitions based on being a mother or in heterosexual relationships.
In Gender Trouble, Butler also discusses different feminist ideas that focus on motherhood and the differences between men and women. She suggests that people should not be limited by society's expectations linked to their sex at birth or the roles assigned to them based on gender. This connects with the need to rethink how we understand gender identities and highlights the importance of fighting against discrimination based on who we are, our sexual orientation, and how we express ourselves.
Butler's ideas are very important in queer theory and have sparked many discussions about identity, politics, and how gender and sexuality intersect. Her thoughts still matter today as people discuss how society influences individual identities, and the possibility of defining oneself beyond traditional binary categories.