▁perform ativity ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁her ▁conception ▁of ▁" crit ically ▁que er " ▁have ▁not ▁only ▁transformed ▁understand ings ▁of ▁gender ▁and ▁que er ▁identity ▁in ▁the ▁academic ▁world , ▁but ▁have ▁sh aped ▁and ▁mobil ized ▁various ▁kinds ▁of ▁political ▁activ ism , ▁particularly ▁que er ▁activ ism , ▁across ▁the ▁glo be . ▁Butler ' s ▁work ▁has ▁also ▁entered ▁into ▁contemporary ▁deb ates ▁on ▁the ▁teaching ▁of ▁gender , ▁gay ▁parent ing , ▁and ▁the ▁dep ath olog ization ▁of ▁trans gender ▁people . ▁Before ▁election ▁to ▁the ▁pap acy , ▁Pope ▁Bened ict ▁XVI ▁wrote ▁several ▁pages ▁challeng ing ▁Butler ' s ▁arguments ▁on ▁gender . ▁In ▁several ▁countries , ▁Butler ▁became ▁the ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁traditional ▁gender ▁roles ▁for ▁reaction ary ▁movements . ▁This ▁was ▁particularly ▁the ▁case ▁in ▁France ▁during ▁the ▁anti - g ay ▁marriage ▁protest s . ▁Bruno ▁Per re au ▁has ▁shown ▁that ▁Butler ▁was ▁literally ▁dep icted ▁as ▁an ▁" ant ich rist ", ▁both ▁because ▁of ▁her ▁gender ▁and ▁her ▁Jewish ▁identity , ▁the ▁fear ▁of ▁minor ity ▁politics ▁and ▁critical ▁studies ▁being ▁expressed ▁through ▁fant as ies ▁of ▁a ▁cor rupted ▁body . ▁ ▁Some ▁academ ics ▁and ▁political ▁activ ists ▁maintain ▁that ▁Butler ' s ▁radical ▁departure ▁from ▁the ▁sex / gender ▁dich ot omy ▁and ▁her ▁non - ess ential ist ▁conception ▁of ▁gender — al ong ▁with ▁her ▁ins istence ▁that ▁power ▁helps ▁form ▁the ▁subject — re volution ized ▁femin ist ▁and ▁que er