Description
The state is the object from which domestic politics is studied, the primary actor in the international state system, and the object that is measured in order to engage in development programmes. As such, it holds a central place in political science and international relations. While there has been a developing body of literature that has examined the gendered state, analysing and considering the categorisations and hierarchical placements of the state as existing within the context of masculinized or feminized characteristics, this article argues that the post-colonial state in the Middle East and North Africa constitutes a queer state. It uses the logics of queer theory to understand how the state in the region is feminized internationally and masculinized domestically. It explores these dynamics in relation to Iran and Egypt, and considers the international, regional, and domestic political consequences of the queer existence in heteronormative political structures.
