Gender and Sexuality in Geography

A set of 24 flashcards summarizing key concepts in the study of gender and sexuality in geography.

What is the gender binary?

The idea that there are only two fixed genders (male/female), based on biological sex.

What is gender norms?

They are based around a binary definition of gender, based on biological markers that mean each person is either male or female: the gender binary

that dictates societal roles and expectations.

Why do geographers critique the gender binary?

Because it excludes non-binary and trans identities and is built into spatial organisation.

What is essentialism?

The belief that gender differences are biological, natural, and unchangeable.

Why is essentialism problematic in geography?

It justifies gender segregation and exclusion in public and private spaces.

What does it mean to say gender is socially constructed?

Gender is learned, performed, and shaped by social and cultural contexts rather than biology.

How does geography shape gender norms?

Different places produce different expectations of how genders should behave.

Who said “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman”?

Simone de Beauvoir.

What is gender performativity (Judith Butler)?

The idea that gender is produced through repeated actions, behaviours, and performances.

Why is performativity important geographically?

Because gender performances are accepted in some spaces but punished or policed in others.

What is heteronormativity?

The assumption that heterosexuality and binary gender are normal and natural.

How does heteronormativity shape space?

Through urban design, housing policy, and public norms that privilege heterosexual families.

Who coined the term heteronormativity?

Michael Warner (1991).

What are queer geographies?

A field that studies how space regulates sexuality and gender identity.

What do queer geographers aim to do?

Challenge heteronormative assumptions embedded in geography and everyday spaces.

Why are cities important in queer geography?

Cities provide anonymity, community, and spaces for resistance and identity expression.

Why are spaces political in relation to sexuality?

Because power determines who belongs, who is visible, and who is excluded.

What was the Stonewall Riots (1969)?

A resistance movement against police harassment of LGBTQ+ people in New York.

Why is Stonewall important for geography?

It shows how specific places can become sites of political resistance.

What is homonormativity?

The acceptance of LGBTQ+ people only if they conform to heterosexual norms.

Why is homonormativity geographically uneven?

Acceptance varies between cities, neighbourhoods, and countries.

Why do some spaces feel unsafe for LGBTQ+ people?

Due to discrimination, violence, and heteronormative policing of bodies.

How does fear shape mobility?

People avoid certain areas or hide identities to stay safe.

Why is gender and sexuality important to human geography?

Because space is not neutral — it produces, regulates, and challenges gendered and sexual identities.

What is a one-sentence exam summary of gender and sexuality in geography?

Gender and sexuality are socially constructed and spatially regulated, with geography shaping who feels safe, visible, and included in different places.