Gender performativity

Gender performativity is a term first used by the feminist philosopher Judith Butler in their 1990 book Gender Trouble. They argue that being born male or female does not determine behavior. Instead, people learn to behave in particular ways to fit into society. The way we fit into gender is an act, or performance. This act is the way a person walks, talks, dresses, and behaves. They call this acting "gender performativity." What society regards as a person's gender is just a performance made to please social expectations and not a true expression of the person's gender identity. The way we behave is not because of our gender, it is because of the ideologies set by ourselves and also by the society.

Performativity is also used by Butler to refer to the opposite, of a social change in gender. They argue that when language changes about gender or sex, the society around us also changes. By appearing, speaking, or acting in certain ways, society changes to reflect those new ideas.

The concept of gender performativity has also been applied to online environments, where gender is expressed and interpreted through mediated forms of self-presentation. In text-based contexts, gender may be communicated through linguistic and interactional cues, and the use of text can facilitate experimentation with gendered presentation. In online role-playing games, players may perform gender and sexuality through avatars and character interactions; these practices can support empathy and belonging, but may also be shaped by community norms such as gender policing. Digital platforms can also preserve performances through profiles, posts, and other traces, which may influence how identities are maintained and understood over time.