Queer theory is a critical perspective that emerged in the early 1990s, primarily within sociology, gender studies, and literary theory, arguing that traditional academic disciplines, including sociology, often operate with inherent biases and assumptions that favour heterosexuality (heteronormativity) and binary understandings of sex and gender. Queer theory challenges these heterosexual assumptions that underlie much contemporary thinking about sexuality, gender, and identity, advocating for the foregrounding and validation of non-heterosexual voices, experiences, and perspectives. It questions fixed categories of sexual orientation and gender identity, emphasizing the fluidity, diversity, and social construction of these concepts and seeking to deconstruct normative understandings of sexuality and gender in order to challenge power structures and promote inclusivity.