This work investigates how international legal institutions, specifically the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, construct and reinforce normative gender frameworks through their governance structures. Caitlin Biddolph utilizes a queer theoretical lens to analyze the legal proceedings and institutional practices of the ICTY. By examining the intersection of international criminal law and gender identity, the author argues that these institutions often rely on binary, heteronormative assumptions that limit the scope of justice and legal recognition.

Scholars in the field of international relations and gender studies identify this text as a significant contribution to the critical legal studies movement. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the rigorous application of queer theory to institutional legal frameworks.