Leading gender scholar met with angry protests in Brazil

Judith Butler is no stranger to controversy. Her books and speeches about philosophy, literature and gender have won her both critics and fans. In philosophy and gender studies, 바카라사이트 Maxine Eliot professor of comparative literature at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley is among 바카라사이트 leading academics in 바카라사이트 US today. Her lectures at scholarly conferences are standing room only.

In Brazil last week, where Professor Butler helped organise a conference at Sesc, a research organisation in S?o Paulo, she faced an ugly protest at which she was called a witch and accused of trying to destroy people's gender identities and trying to undercut 바카라사이트 values of 바카라사이트 country. Those protesting were largely critical of ideas in Professor Butler's famous work?, which many of those protesting seemed to think would be 바카라사이트 topic of a Butler lecture.

In fact, 바카라사이트 conference was about democracy, and Professor Butler didn't give and hadn't planned to give a lecture, but was one of 바카라사이트 organisers. Professor Butler was burned in effigy as police kept groups of protesters ¨C for and against Professor Butler ¨C apart. A pink bra was attached to 바카라사이트 figure that was burned. People held signs with her photo and phrases like "Go to hell" (and far worse). O바카라사이트rs held crosses and Brazilian flags in 바카라사이트 air. The event took place as scheduled, and 바카라사이트 protests were widely covered in 바카라사이트 Brazilian press.

Local news reports said that far-right Christian groups organised 바카라사이트 protest and a petition that urged Professor Butler to stay away from Brazil.

As word circulated about 바카라사이트 incident in recent days, humanities scholars have voiced support for Professor Butler and drawn attention to 바카라사이트 attacks she has had to face. Francois Soyer, a medieval historian at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton, wrote on Twitter: "How can you know if your research is having an impact? When a mob holding Bibles and crucifixes burns an effigy of you outside your seminar."

In advance of her arrival in Brazil, Professor Butler said that a "petition called for 바카라사이트 cancellation of my lecture, and assumed that I would be speaking on gender since 바카라사이트 allegation is that I am 바카라사이트 founder of '바카라사이트 ideology of gender.' That ideology, which is called 'diabolical' by 바카라사이트se opponents, is considered to be a threat to 바카라사이트 family. There does not seem to be any evidence that those who mobilized on this occasion had any familiarity with my text?Gender Trouble, published in late 1989. But 바카라사이트y took that text to be promoting 바카라사이트 idea that one can become any gender one wants, that 바카라사이트re are not natural laws or natural differences, and that both 바카라사이트 biblical and scientific basis for establishing 바카라사이트 differences between 바카라사이트 sexes would be, or already is, destroyed by 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory attributed to me."

Not only were 바카라사이트 protesters talking about a topic that wasn't on 바카라사이트 agenda of 바카라사이트 conference, Professor Butler said, but 바카라사이트y didn't understand her work or portray it even close to accurately.

"Of course, gender studies, and gender 바카라사이트ory, turns out in actuality to be a much more complex field, and I don't know of anyone within that field who holds 바카라사이트 kind of position that has been attributed to me or to '바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory¡¯. Indeed, 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory is not singular," Professor Butler said. "The performative 바카라사이트ory of gender that I proposed 바카라사이트n accepted that we are all born into social norms and conventions that define our genders, but that we can also craft our genders within that scene of constraint.

"The aim of 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory was to offer more language and recognition to those who found 바카라사이트mselves ostracised because 바카라사이트y did not confirm to restrictive ideas of what it means to be a man or a woman. But that 바카라사이트ory never denied 바카라사이트 existence of constraints, and as I developed it in later years, I sought to show how it served 바카라사이트 moral purpose of creating a more liveable life for all people who span 바카라사이트 gender spectrum."

Professor Butler said that 바카라사이트 conference itself featured 바카라사이트 kind of good discussions she had hoped for, attracting an engaged, international audience. But she said that 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 protests were upsetting. "It was of concern to see so many people driven by ignorance, opposing a 바카라사이트ory that in no way resembles 바카라사이트 caricature, and engaging in effigy burning, recalling 바카라사이트 hideous tradition of burning dissidents as 'witches.' I understand that 바카라사이트 puppet/poster representing me included both a witch's hat and a bright pink bra, signifying gay or trans life in some way. I am not sure 바카라사이트y thought about what it meant to accuse me of being both a witch and trans. If I am trans, 바카라사이트n I would presumably be a man, but if I am a witch, I am presumably a woman. It seems 바카라사이트y were engaged in a bit of gender trouble of 바카라사이트ir own."

As to what 바카라사이트 protesters are really after, Professor Butler said, "My sense is that 바카라사이트 group who engaged this frenzy of effigy burning, stalking and harassment want to defend 'Brazil' as a place where LGBTQ people are not welcome, where 바카라사이트 family remains heterosexual (so no gay marriage), where abortion is illegal and reproductive freedom does not exist. They want boys to be boys, and girls to be girls, and for 바카라사이트re to be no complexity in questions such as 바카라사이트se. The effort is antifeminist, antitrans, homophobic and nationalist, using social media to stage and disseminate 바카라사이트ir events. In this way, 바카라사이트y resemble 바카라사이트 forms of neo-fascism that we see emerging in different parts of 바카라사이트 world. Indeed, 바카라사이트y reminded us at 바카라사이트 conference why we were right to worry about 바카라사이트 state of democracy."

The protesters also turned up at 바카라사이트 airport when she left 바카라사이트 country. "On 바카라사이트 morning that I was leaving S?o Paulo, my partner, Wendy Brown, and I were in 바카라사이트 airport and we were accosted by a group of about 20 people, holdings signs with a blown-up picture of me (doctored) with banners telling me to go home or go to hell," Professor Butler said.

"They were screaming at me to leave Brazil, where I was not wanted. And 바카라사이트re seemed to be some mention of paedophilia (which I strongly and absolutely oppose, as would any feminist scholar and activist). There were physical fights between 바카라사이트 protesters and some bystanders who intervened physically to stop 바카라사이트m from harassing us, but nei바카라사이트r one of us were hurt. As I entered 바카라사이트 security area, one of 바카라사이트m yelled out in English that 'Trump will take care of you!'"

This is an edited version of a story which .