In the 1950s, JL Austin, the British philosopher explored and explained his perspective of “performative language”. He was the first to divide language into two types: assertive and performative. (Butler, 2004) John Searle's theory of the "speech act", the phenomenological theory of "acts" and Simone de Beauvoir's notion that "one is not born a woman, but one becomes one" (de Beauvoir , 1978) influenced Judith Butler to propose her “gender performativity”. In this theory, it argues that gender is not an identity, meaning that gender does not correspond to a person's personal characteristics and behaviors. Instead, it is socially constructed and is an act constituted by each expression. Just as the speech act is performative, gender is performative. (Chinn, 1997) Furthermore, if gender is an identity, the notion that it has "a single or constant foundation, which is invariably contested by the identity or anti-identity positions it invariably excludes", must be accepted. (Chinn, 1997) ) “Gender performativity” can be considered one of the most important theories of feminism. First, this essay will explain the statement that “gender is a form of performativity” and some key points for understanding this concept using real-life and literary examples. In order to understand sex, gender and sexuality, the most important implications of this theory will also be discussed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay In society, people perform different acts depending on their gender in order to maintain their identity. Since gender is socially constructed and people are imperceptibly influenced to act according to their gender identity in the way they understand and believe how their gender identity should be presented. For example, people are told to act like a boy or a girl from the moment they are born. (Chinn, 1997) This act must be performed repeatedly. Thus, when gender is performative, it produces effects on the audience, guiding them to consolidate certain impressions and performances of each gender identity. If the gender performance is not a repetition, its identity will change, meaning it is neither stable nor consistent. (Butler, 2004) Therefore, a key point of Butler's concept is that gender is constructed through individuals' repetition of gender performances. This is a “stylized repetition of acts” and imitation. She asserts that gender is “internally discontinuous” and “real only to the extent that it is realized.” (Butler, 2004) In the film “Farewell My Concubine”, a film about performance and gender identity. It tells of a Chinese opera performer who falls in love with his lifelong friend, who is also a performer due to his gender identity and is being trained to be a woman in order to play a female role in the opera. He was asked to act and imitate a woman when he was very young and he played the female role all his life. Her gender identity is constructed through the performance of imitating the dominant convention of womanhood. This is why he falls in love with the other performer who plays “his” husband in the opera. (Lau, 1995) Returning to the theory, Butler argues that "gender is imitation" and that "the act one performs is, in a sense, an act that occurred before the we arrive on the stage.” be understood. (Butler, 2004) However, Butler highlights the difference between gender performativity and theater performance because there is a clear difference between reality and theater. The reason why., 1(2), 125–151.