Wittig, Monique (1935–2003)

Abstract Monique Wittig, French philosopher, writer, and political activist, argued in all forms for the destruction of the category of sex, which supports heterosexuality as a political regime, marginalizing one category of sex for the benefit of another. Wittig termed this political and philosophical approach “Materialist Lesbianism,” describing heterosexuality not as an institution (or a “preference” or “norm”), but as a political regime resting on submission and appropriation of those in the sex category of women. Wittig was ahead of what would become known as queer theory by at least fifteen years, and much of feminist theory as well.