The Identities we are familiar with seem unchanging and permanent. It is easy to assume that identities like lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, etc. are a universal truth (see LGBTQ+ dictionary). Queer identities are a part of all cultures and are relative to their values and understanding of gender and sexuality. They are complex and changing. Even the word 'queer' has layered meanings. Queer is a former slur that was reclaimed and is now an umbrella term for gender and sexual expression that are outside the Euro-Western norm. 'Queer' can also be used as a verb. To 'queer something’ is to question something and look at its underlying assumptions.

Queerness is associated with sexual behavior and gender roles, but it can be expressed through clothing, art, music, dance, and performance. The Lies We Have Been Told: Queering Gender and Sexuality will look at queerness in performance, rites of passage, colonialism, and alternate roles to expand our understanding of queerness. It takes an anti-colonial lens and examines how oppressed and colonized peoples have had their queer identities suppressed, and how they persist and change.