How did Judith Butler use deconstructive ideas to question fixed gender identities?

Judith Butler utilized deconstructive approaches to challenge the notion of fixed gender identities by arguing that gender is not an innate essence or internal nature, but rather a performative social construct.1

Drawing on the idea that identity is constituted through action, Butler proposed that gender is a series of repeated acts and behaviors. This constant repetition creates the illusion of an underlying, stable nature, even though no such subject exists prior to the performance. By framing gender as "always a doing," Butler deconstructed the traditional binary, suggesting that the "doer" is actually constructed through the deed itself.1

Furthermore, Butler extended this critique to biological sex, characterizing it as a performative construct reinforced by societal norms and speech acts, such as the initial assignment of sex at birth. By identifying the "heterosexual matrix"—an artificial system that enforces a link between biological sex, gender, and sexuality—Butler sought to expose the arbitrariness of these categories. Through "gender parody," such as drag, they aimed to destabilize these norms, revealing that the unity of sex and gender is a cultural fabrication rather than a natural truth.1