Lee Edelman (born 1953) is a professor in the English Department at Tufts University. Edelman began his academic career as a scholar of twentieth-century American poetry. He has since become a central figure in the development, dissemination, and rethinking of queer theory. His current work explores the intersections of sexuality, rhetorical theory, cultural politics, and film. He holds an appointment as the Fletcher Professor of English Literature and has served as the Chair of the English Department. He gained international recognition for his books about queer theory, post-structuralism, psychoanalytic theory, and cultural studies. He has a Ph.D. from Yale University, a M. Phil. from Yale, an M.A. from Yale, and a B.A. from Northwestern University.