Judith Butler describes gender as “an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts”. In other words, it is something learnt through repeated performance.

Butler is illustrating that our gender identities are constructed by the institutions we have been brought up with and exposed to and are often presented to us as objective – for example boys must play football and girls must wear dresses. However, by saying this she implies that this is the opposite of what gender is and in reality we are just made to believe gender is objective when in actual fact it is completely subjective – for example girls can also play football.

She theorises that it is your behaviour that fabricate your gender, most significantly your repeated behaviour, and in saying that, she highlights that no one is just born with an identity but as people grow up, as people are exposed to new knowledge and experiences and hardships; that is when one’s identity evolves and is created. This links to not only the idea of fluid identity, but also constructed identity, for example one may construct their identity based on their experiences throughout childhood, however as one becomes older and is exposed to more knowledge and experiences their gender/identity evolves and becomes more fluid.

‘rituals and performative actions constantly reinforce our identities’

She highlights that through repeating certain practices which may be unique to one’s chosen gender, whatever gender that may be, we are able to present to other people our identity and gender. This is also subjective as just because a certain practice may be typically performed by a girl, such as painting your nails, does not mean that it cannot be performed by a male or any other gender.

‘Biological anatomies do not determine our gender’

Butler stresses the importance of understanding that just because someone is born with a certain body part, does not mean that that corresponds to their gender identity meaning that more than anything, gender is a mentality rather than a physical state.

‘to maintain an identity that falls outside of heterosexual norm in our society is , she suggests, a subversive act that takes a great deal of effort to maintain.’

Because being anything other than heterosexual is not as common and sometimes not widely accepted, it is difficult for people to fully express themselves.